A bottle of Bedell Cellars merlot. (Credit: Randee Daddona)
I’ve long been dubious with the idea of merlot — or any grape, really — being anointed the “signature variety” for Long Island wine country. But merlot does grow well here, meaning it ripens consistently. More consistently than varieties like cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.
Growers know this. And they’ve known it for some time. (more…)
The 1770 House’s tavern dining room. (Credit: John Musnicki)
Brought to you by:
Featuring a diverse range of local, national and international vintages, many South Fork restaurants are as well regarded for their outstanding wine lists as they are for their dining. Whether pouring white or red, these five Hamptons restaurants have an extensive selection to suit every dish. (more…)
Cookies, wine and more brought guests to Mattebella Vineyards in Southold this weekend. The winery hosted a special holiday wine and food pairing with cookie decorating for children. (more…)
Professional ice carver Rich Daly creating an interactive sled out of blocks of ice. (Photo credit: Krysten Massa)
For the fifth year, professional ice carver Rich Daly has returned to Sherwood House Vineyards for its annual ice carving event. Daly holds the world record for fastest ice carver and has also won over 200 competitions nationwide. (more…)
Gibson Campbell, Caleb Barber, Regan Meador and author Lenn Thompson enjoy a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with plenty of wine. (Credit: David Benthal)
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in November 2015
When considering your Thanksgiving wine choices, here’s the only advice you need: Drink good wine.
Don’t complicate it any more than that.
OK. You probably want to know why it’s that simple, and I’m happy to explain it. I’ve written Thanksgiving-related stories for at least a decade, just like every other wine writer — from local guys like me to national columnists in the big, glossy magazines. Some feel compelled to do so, but often we’re told to write these stories because they’re apparently popular, though I don’t actually understand why. None of my friends or family members stress about what wines they’re going to pour with their turkey dinner. You shouldn’t either. (more…)
Ever want to try one of those wine-pairing dinners local wineries and restaurants occasionally host?
We recently accepted an invitation to attend a dinner hosted at Cowfish Restaurant in Hampton Bays Thursday, featuring wine from Palmer Vineyards in Riverhead.
For $85, guests enjoyed a four-course meal plus dessert.
One of the highlights of the evening for Palmer winemaker Miguel Martin was showcasing the winery’s newly released Old Roots Red Blend 2014. He said they had the official release of the wine on Sunday, Nov. 12 and the pairing dinner was the first time he was able to share it with a large group of people.
“This is what I make the wines for,” Mr. Martin said, “for the people to enjoy and to get feedback.”
The winery participates in several pairing dinners a year. Cowfish, which also hosts a few each year, said Palmer is usually its most popular offering.
A bottle of Paumanok Vineyards Assemblage. (Credit: Lenn Thompson)
You’ll find a lot of “Bordeaux blends” on the North Fork. Most wineries produce them and if they don’t wear Meritage on the label, they often have other proprietary names. Like with any other category of wine from any region there are the good examples, mediocre examples and, yes, bad examples — although there are far fewer of those these days. (more…)