Peconic Bay First Visit 22 July 2021

By LONG ISLAND WINE DAD July 25, 2021

After an eight-year hiatus, Peconic Bay Vineyards has returned this year and is off to a great start. Thursday was a perfect day for exploring a new winery, warm, sunny, dry, with an open sky, great for sitting, relaxing on a patio, sipping wine, and taking in the views of the vines. The Peconic Bay vineyard location is 31320 Main Road (Southside) in Cutchogue, just before Lenz and Raphael’s, to name but a few. The entrance is a gravel driveway and parking lot, leading to a classic barn [1], with the entrance around the side behind the lattice fence. The grounds are both striking and peaceful at the same time. The patio is extensive, with many tables, umbrellas, and fire pits to choose from [2]. All the tables have sweeping views of the vineyards and the open field [3] [4] [5]. Jo and I picked a table facing south overlooking the field and the vines. The indoor tasting room is large, airy, bright, and inviting, with many seats at the bar and a few two-person café style tables but today was too fine a day to stay inside [6]. The menu [7] is modest, with a few preset flights and a selection of small plates.

As Peconic Bay is new, they are currently only offering five wines, and I was able to taste all of them, and well worth trying them all as none, disappointed. The small bites we selected were the Charcuterie plate and the olives [8]. The wines arrived in cute baskets accompanied by cards describing each wine [9] [10]. The Charcuterie plate included Salami, goat cheese, local honey, Almonds, a hard Swiss cheese, bread, and olives (extra), all of which paired perfectly with the wines. The extended tasting flight consisted of a 2020 Riesling, 2020 Viognier, 2020 Chardonnay, 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, and 2016 Horizon Red Blend [11]. All the whites were remarkably pale and uniformed in color [12].

The Riesling is slightly off-dry, medium body, with crisp acid. The nose is light with the scent of flowers(honeysuckle) and apples. A most enjoyable Riesling. Chardonnay, in general, is not my first choice in wine, but this one could cause me to reconsider. The Chardonnay was clean, crisp, steel fermented with just a slight kiss of oak, presenting with a smooth texture, notes of pear, and a slight vanilla note on the nose. The Viognier is an impeccable representation of the fruit, creamy body, notes of stone fruits, and field flowers on the nose. The Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite white. It is a blend of three different French clones, and the results are pretty unique for the Long Island AVA. The nose is a bit herbal, light mouthfeel, excellent acid balance, and a very pronounced grapefruit note on the palette. The horizons red blend presents dark fruit nose, medium body, fruit-forward, light tannins, and a good finish. Surprisingly the blend lead with over 70% Malbec, Merlot, and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, a fine daily wine. The team members drive one’s experience at any winery, and Sam was a clear asset to Peconic Bay. She was friendly, very knowledgeable about the wines, history of Peconic Bay, and the new owners as she guided us through our visit. All the wines, food, and team were delightful, as can be told by the smiles on our faces [13] [14] and the wine we took home [15]. Peconic Bay also offers a Moke™ tour and tasting in the vines, Oyster pairing flights, all of which will require a revisit. Peconic Bay is off to a solid start and well worth many more visits.