LIWINEDAD

  February is a short month with many wineries to get to, so we were off to a quick start.  Today’s run was to Kontokosta winery , Roanoke Vineyard , and Cooperage Inn NOFO Pot Pies .   Our custom starts at the furthest winery and works our way back home, so our first stop is the Kontokosta winery.   Kontokosta was a 3-bottle pickup consisting of a 2017 Cabernet Franc Reserve , 2016 Merlot , and a 2020 Dry Riesling (Figure 1).   In keeping with the custom of some Long Island wineries, Kontokosta provides a technical data sheet on the wine attached below (Figure 2), and based on that information; the wines should be quite good.   The next stop was Roanoke Vineyards to pick up Roanoke’s future offering samples (full bottles).   We needed to pick them and taste them quickly as the pre-order period was opening at the end of the week.   Four of the five bottles are packaged in wood cases which we will reuse as wall covering in the new wine cellar (Figure 3).    The wines included 2020 The

  The Lenz winery winter pick-up is a fantastic pick-up event.  A tasting of four wines paired with a small plate’s meal created an outstanding experience.  Today’s tasting consisted of two reds, a sparkling rose, and a white.  Starting with the 2021 Firefly P é tillant Naturel , Sparkling Ro s é, the Pet Nat is built from Lenz’s delicate red fruit and wild yeast.  Bright pink, crisp Acid, fine bubbles with a touch of creaminess, and beautiful floral notes are the hallmark of this wine (Figure 1).  Next up is the 2015 Gold Chardonnay .  The Chardonnay presents a bright shimmering gold color with slender legs in the glass.  The mouthfeel is creamy with well-balanced Acid and well-defined notes of green apple (Figure 2).  First, transitioning to the reds is the 2016 Merlot , a fine daily wine (Figure 3).  Dark color, medium legs, bursting with red cherry and plum.  The tannins are well represented, and the Acid is balanced.  Overall, very good as a daily wine, but Lenz’s Old Vines Merlo

  We finally closed out all of our pick-ups for 2021, just in time to start the 2022 pick-ups.  LIEB Cellars was the last one for no other reason than our scheduling conflicts.  For December, the club selection is an eight-pack mix of four wines, two reds, and two whites from Lieb and Bridge Lane labels (Figure 1).  The split between the two labels is the perfect balance as we get both the fun, easy-drinking party wine along with the fine sipping wine to pair with dinner and share with friends.  Lieb does provide a short description of each wine, and is attached below (Figure 2).  In addition, there will be a forthcoming post about each wine.  The enjoyment and posting will be soon as these wines tend to be our daily wines.  1 - LIEB DECEMBER CLUB PICK-UP 2 - LIEB DECEMBER CLUB DESCRIPTION by Lieb

  We are working through the last club pick-up run and still have dozens more wines to try.  Today we went for the Wölffer Estate 2019 Malbec Cellar Series .  Malbec’s origin is from the southwest of France and is better known as C ô t.  However, almost 75% of the world’s Malbec comes from the Mendoza region in Argentina.  The profile of the wine is vastly different between the regions, and it will be interesting to see how close Long Island is to one of these regions.  The 2019 Malbec shows a dark, dense ruby red color, dark rim, and slender legs (Figure 1).  Notes of Raspberries, dry leaves, and a hit of old leather all come forward on the nose.  The palate is tart fruit flavors, including plum and cherry.  The Tannins and medium to light, well-balanced acidity, a pleasant lingering finish contribute to a glass of fine wine.  The addition of Merlot does show through adding to the long finish.  Overall, this wine is the perfect sipping wine with friends and leans closer to a French e

  Sometimes the best dinner is a quiet home-cooked dinner.  The wine was from Roanoke Vineyards , a 2018 Merlot that burst out with rich fruit, moderate tannins, and mild alcohol (Figure 1).  First, the shrimp are rubbed with Old Bay Seasoning and olive oil, then cast-iron skillet seared.  The shrimp were served on a bed of homemade Zoodles sautéed in EVOO, and fresh garlic, finished with a marinara sauce (Figure 2).  The wine paired perfectly with the marinara and held up well to the intense flavors without overpowering the pan-seared shrimp.  Shrimp and Zoodles was a quick and easy mid-week dinner for two.  1 - ROANOKE 2018 MERLOT 2 - DINNER PAN SEARED SHRIMO AND ZOODLES

  Channing Daughters Winery has done it again with their new release of Over and Over - Variation Fourteen .   Variation Fourteen is a remarkably unique wine that evolves every year.   It is an artisanal experiment and an excellent one at that.   Variation Fourteen is built from many different grapes and several old-world processes to deliver an excellent rich and complex wine that pairs very well with a roast boneless leg of Lamb.   Ripasso (Italian: Repassed) is a process where Valpolicella, while still fermenting, is passed over the Pomace of used grape skins to produce a wine richer than a traditional Valpolicella DOC but lighter than an Amarone, in effect a baby Amarone.   As the Variation Fourteen opens, the flavors of a very good Amarone come forward.   Next is the Solera (Spanish: On the ground – barrels) process which can trace its roots to the Iberian Peninsula.   The process involves ½ of the current wine to be mixed with the prior year's wine and repeated over and o

  The Wölffer Estate Grapes of Roth 2020 Virgin Berry Dry Riesling is one of our favorite Rieslings from New York State.   The Wölffer Estate Riesling is a Négociant-Éleveur wine, a fancy French term meaning that the grapes were not Wölffer Estate grown but instead sourced from a local vineyard focusing on producing the most delicate fruit.   The source of the Riesling grapes comes from the Reilly Cellars Vineyard in Cutchogue , nestled between Bedell Cellars and Pindar Vineyards .   Reilly Cellars has had a long history of sourcing fine grapes to many of the wineries on Long Island, and these seedless Riesling grapes are no exception.   In addition, the fruit was gently handpicked, destemmed, and fermented with wild Yeast, further highlighting the unique Long Island Terroir. The wine was cellar temperature (60 ⁰ F) and showed a striking golden straw color in the glass (Figure 1).   The nose has the clear note of Honey Suckle, Green Apple, Lime, and a hint of Jasmine.   Noticea

  Nothing pairs better with a sustainably produced Sauvignon Blanc from Long Island than fresh Blue Point Oysters from the waters of Long Island.   Attached below (Figure 1) is an article from NOAA Fisheries outlining Oysters' role in rehabilitating and maintaining our coastal waters.   Long Island is home to over 50 Oyster farms producing tons of succulent seafood each year.   The farming of the Oysters does not harm the waters as this is one of the most sustainable forms of aquaculture.   Each Oyster is a miniature water treatment plant cleaning fifty gallons of water a day!   In summary, slurp down Long Island Oysters to help enhance and protect our marine ecosystem.                              1  - NOAA FISHERIES STUDY

  A few days ago, we had some friends over, and of course, we had to share some wine.  One of the wines was the Wölffer Estate 2019 Syrah (Figure 1), one of the fine wines in W ö lffer’s cellar series. Syrah grape was originally from the Rh ô ne valley in France but has spread worldwide, becoming the most planted grape in Australia, known as Shiraz .   The Wölffer version of this wine captures the classic French profile.   The color is a very dark red rim to black opaque through the body in the glass.   The nose burst forth with notes of ripe blueberry and plum, with vanilla, leather notes after the wine had a chance to breathe.   The mouthfeel is a solid medium with some legs noted in the glass.   The palate is expressive fruit of sharp black cherry with a peppercorn finish.   The tannins are notably present and well-structured with medium acidity.   The 2019 Syrah is a young wine, and it could have benefited from five or more years in the cellar but still showed very well at t

  Jamesport Vineyards 2019 East End Cabernet Franc wine arrived in late December as part of our club shipments.   The traditional view of wines with a screw top as easy-going, fun wines great for a larger gathering.   On the other hand, cork bottles of wine expect cellaring, then shared with friends on a quiet evening.   Notwithstanding, the cork versus screw top debate, the Jamesport Cabernet Franc (Figure 1) presented itself as an easy, fun wine.   The color was clear ruby red, bright red on the fringe, with no legs.  The nose is rich in fruit with maybe a hint of vanilla.  Noticeable also was the raspberry and some Pyrazine notes (think Herbaceous – Bell Peppers).  The mouthfeel is light, coating the palate quickly and bursting forward with fruit.  Sour cherry is most dominant on the palate, with strawberry and plum.  The acidity is structured and well represented, as are the tannins.  Overall, this is an easy-drinking young wine that will pair well with tomato-based sauces as w

  Jo & Andy at Raphael's Vineyard Welcome to my blog on the first anniversary of its inception.  Here you can follow me as Jo, and I explore mostly Long Island wines and spirits.  Tasting wine is becoming a passion of mine in retirement 5.0 – that means I still work from home about one to two days a week if I am so inclined.  I tend to favor reds, and Jo (my lifelong partner) favors whites.  We will be exploring bourbons and other spirits offered up by the local distilleries in addition to wine.  Of course, wine paired with food is even better, so you will find comments on food places we discover while exploring the wine country.   I am an engineer by formal training, so that some wine comments will be technical and scientific.  So far, we have made it to about a dozen wineries and distillers (becoming members at many), and as far as I know, we have about 70 yet to discover, along with almost 50 Oyster farms. In the meantime, I am starting my more formal education in wine, ha

  Today arrived the last of the winter club selections.  Channing Daughters Winery arrived with two wines, both old friends (Figure 1).   First is the 2017 Brick Kiln Chardonnay .   The Brick Kiln Chardonnay is a 100% Chardonnay Grape of differing clones and site-specific to the Brick Kiln Vineyard in Bridgehampton hence the AVA being Hamptons.   In the past, Brick Kiln has been a rich, crisp Chardonnay.   While the Brick Kiln is ready to drink a few more years in the cellar should perfect it.   Next is the Over and Over Variation Fourteen .  The creation of the wine is a very complex process, with the base wine dating back to 2004 and assembled from many different fruits.  Past Over and Over wines have been outstanding red wines, and Variation Fourteen, building upon this long history, will not disappoint.  However, Variation Fourteen will not be laid down for long as it is too good to wait, and variation 15 is already resting in the barrel, getting ready for next year.       1 - CHA

  A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a Wölffer Estate 2020 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc that was rich, complex, and very enjoyable.   A commentary on the Wölffer is posted and today the Lenz Winery 2019 Sauvignon Blanc will be contrasted to the Wölffer 2020 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc.   The color in the glass is bright yellow and very clear with just some little legs (Figure 1).   The nose fills the glass with Gooseberry , Honeydew Melon, and Herbaceous (think cut Grass, Green Bell Peppers) notes.   The Lenz's nose perfectly juxtaposes the Wölffer, which has more herbaceous notes followed by the fruit.   The Lenz Winery 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is much crisper, closer to a New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and did not show any of the creaminess from oak as the Wölffer did.   The acid was more notable but still very well balanced with less fulness in the mouth.   The Lenz Sauvignon Blanc is a fine wine to pair with Bluepoint oysters with a slight preference to pair the richer Wölffer with