Thursday was a glorious day to go wine tasting on the North Fork, so I took the day off from my day job and did just that. My wife and I, along with another couple, visited a handful of wineries and we tasted some beautiful wines.
We also had a casually delicious lunch at the North Fork Shack. I may only be the resident wine guy on this staff, but trust me when I say you should get yourself some ceviche, pulled lamb or a taco. The shallot-dusted French fries, however, are the must-get. Just go — you can thank me later.
Back to the wine portion of our programming. We tasted several wines that could have found their way to being my “Wine of the Week.” I may have enough to spread out over the next month, actually. But we’ll start with Roanoke Vineyards 2015 “The Wild” Chardonnay ($20).
Made from fruit grown in a vineyard that Roanoke co-owner Richie Pisacano helped plant in 1983, it doesn’t see a splinter of oak and is fermented entirely with ambient yeasts. It’s citrusy and juicy with bright acidity and nicely concentrated fruit flavors that lean a bit tropical. It has some heft to it — this isn’t a light bodied wine by any means — but it’s still refreshing thanks to that juicy acidity. As it warmed a bit on the patio at the Sound Avenue members-only tasting room, a honeyed pineapple note emerged that paired nicely with the hot, sunny day.
In a region where prices seem to go up every year — sometimes deserved, others not — it’s nice to have a wine like this available at $20. It’s available at both Roanoke Vineyards tasting rooms.