LIWINEDAD

  A new week a new expedition to wine country for a leisurely lunch, and a few quick club pick-ups with detailed posting for each stop to follow shortly (Fig 00).  The first stop was for lunch at an old friend, the Sound Avenue Bistro (Fig 01).   This time we sat outside by a small waterfall and pond, and the food was fantastic as always.   From lunch, it was on to Pellegrini Vineyards to collect the six-pack fall club (Fig 02).    The next winery is Sannino Vineyard for our four-pack club, and of course, we added on a three-pack of spiced wine.   Lastly was a long overdue visit to Long Island Spirits (LIV) to pick up some Vodka and the rough rider bourbon.  Overall, a well-paced 135-mile 5-hour lunch and club pick-up. #longislandwineries #vineyardviews #wineryvibes #liwine #licharacter #longislandwine #northforkwineries #longislandwinery #longislandnorthfork #northforker #discoverlongisland #topwineries #northforkwinetrail #liwinecountry #liwine #lisustainablewinegrowers #nywine

  To round out the food service at our Labor Day weekend gathering, we added to the menu a homemade Bucket-O-Shells, which are two large trays of mixed seafood cooked in a fragrant wine and garlic broth (Fig 01).   Overall, an easy dish to prepare, the most challenging part is the assembly of all the ingredients (Fig 02); the actual cook is quick and easy on a well-powered gas grill.  The most important is the approximately 18 - 19 Lbs.  of seafood.  In our case, the Seafood portion was generously supplied by friends and neighbors sourced from New Wave Seafood in Wantagh.   New Wave Seafood is an excellent source for all seafood; send them a list ahead of time, and they will have the order ready and waiting for pick-up.   All the base ingredients we chop, slice and seal in vacuum bags a few days in advance (Fig 03).   All the vegetables and chorizo sausage came from Stew Leonards in East Meadow, including the aluminum trays.   Also, do not skimp on the quality of wine and use a good

  The Labor Day weekend gathering looked to be the ideal place to try out the McCall Grass Feed beef compared to the more traditional beef, as all the people are well-developed carnivores.  We also tapped the cellar and had a fine selection of wine to pair with the beef and traditional steak sides.  There was also a large selection of seafood, but that will be the subject of a separate posting.  The beef weighed about 12 Lbs. before grilling (Fig 01) and consisted of  McCall Wines Grass Feed steak and some mid-western corn-finished beef via Stew Leonards .   The McCall steak is very dark and rich in color, with the mid-western corn finish notably paler in color.   Cattle ranching should not be surprising as Long Island has a long history of Cattle ranches, having the first one in the U.S. and dating back to the mid-1600 in Montauk.   However, McCall Beef Cattle has a unique history; starting to raise cattle in 2010, selecting a rare breed in the U.S., the Charolais Cattle , which

  The good news is that most of the people were experienced wine drinkers at our gathering, so it was easy to share higher-end wines knowing they would be appreciated.  Today’s selection is from Seabold Cellars consisting of two 2019 Pinot Noirs but from different Seabold Cellars Estate vineyards (Fig 01).   The wines were opened, allowed to breathe for about 30 minutes, and served at 68 ⁰ F.   The glasses, as this is an outdoor event, were plastic but designed for a robust red wine.   The wines were served side by side, allowing everyone to experience the different terroir simultaneously.   The first wine is the Seabold Cellars 2019 Pinot Noir Pelio vineyard (Fig 02), and the second is the Seabold Cellars 2019 Pinot Noir Brosseau vineyard (Fig 03).   The terroir of each wine is best described in the word of the winemaker and is in italics directly from the Seabold Cellars website.   The Seabold Cellars 2019 Pinot Noir Pelio is located in a wind-beaten, high elevation, undulatin

  Sunday, 04 September 2022, the day before Labor Day, is a warm sunny day, so a good reason to gather family and friends in the backyard for steaks, seafood, and wine.  To open the day, we started with a side-by-side tasting of two Pinot Niro’s from Seabold Cellars , the same vintage but different vineyards (Fig 01).   The wine was outstanding, and a follow-on post discusses everyone’s thoughts on the wine.   The beef was one of the two main Entrees and weight in at about 12 Lbs.   before grilling (Fig 02).   McCall Wines Grass Feed steak and some mid-western corn-finished beef via Stew Leonards .   Both grilled up fine and served medium rare (Fig 03).   There was a very noticeable difference between the two, with a separate write-up to follow.   The second entrée is a home concoction called a “bucket of shells” and is about 15 lbs of seafood (Thank you, New Wave Seafood ) steamed in white wine, garlic, and chorizo broth.   Accompanying the entrees are Sautéed Mushrooms , Caramelized

  Last but far from least on this expedition is the pick-up of the Roanoke Vineyards (Fig 01, 02) Long Arc Futures.   The futures are a collection of wines selected many months ago in the hope that they would develop into fine wines by the time they are ready for pick-up.   #Roanokevineyards futures have never disappointed in the past, and we expect these wines to continue that tradition.   Back in February of this year, Roanoke provided a selection of wine, all of which were samples of the future wine we could choose.   This approach is not as fun as slipping into the barrel room with a wine thief in hand, but it is a close second.   Join by some friends and their kids (yes, over 21), we explored all the future wines at a Home Tasting Party and selected the ones we enjoyed the best.   The three selected included 2020 Roanoke Vineyards The Poet Site Specific™ Cabernet Franc (six pack), 2020 Roanoke Vineyards The Hill A Site Specific™ Field Blend (three pack), and 2020 Roanoke Vineyar

  After lunch at Barrow Food House , it was on to McCall Wine, two events in one place.   First, is the wine tasting discussed previously, and the second is McCall Beef.   McCall Wine is well set back on the south side of the main road in Cutchogue, just before Pellegrini Vineyards ( McCall Wine Google Map ).   To the back of the patio is a tasting barn, and beyond the bar on the inside is a separate room full of freezer cases packed with farm-raised beef ready for picking (Fig 01).   A cattle ranch should not be surprising as Long Island has a long history of Cattle ranches, having the first one in the U.S. and dating back to the mid-1600 in Montauk.   McCall Beef Cattle has a unique history; starting to raise cattle in 2010, selecting a rare breed in the U.S.   McCall selected the Charolais Cattle , which can trace back their origins to the late 800s C.E. (Fig 02).   The cattle are free range, Grass feed, within a minimal intervention environment producing fine quality beef.   T

  After lunch at Barrow Food House , it was on to McCall Wine, two events in one place.   First is the wine tasting, and the second is McCall Beef which requires a separate discussion.   McCall Wine is well set back on the south side of the main road in Cutchogue, just before Pellegrini Vineyards ( McCall Wine Google Map ).   Turning on a gravel road takes you to the back of an old barn to a gravel parking lot with a view of the vineyard just beyond (Fig 01).   The rustic vibe continues, approaching the tasting room built into a barn (Fig 02).   The theme continued as we were seated on the outdoor patio with fantastic views of the fields and vineyards (Fig 03).   The team greeting is warm and friendly, leaving the impression that you will have some wine and conversation with close family members who are highly versed in wine.   There are two menus, one for tasting (Fig 04) and one for bottle selection listing McCall’s entire portfolio (Fig 05).   As it has been a while since explori

  The stop at Terra Vite Vineyard is quick as we were just here last week for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, so the pick-up is sandwiched between lunch at Barrow Food House and full tasting at McCall Winery.   The vineyard is calm and peaceful, with a very inviting tasting room drawing you in to linger and enjoy the fine wine (Fig 01, 02).   It is a tuck, roll, grab, pick-up netting us three fine wines today.   First is the terra Vite's 2021 Marea Rosé, a delightful blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.   Next, hailing from the Diliberto era, is the 2019 Syrah and, from deep in the cellar, a 2016 Merlot; both have been very enjoyable in the past (Fig 03). Looking forward to exploring all three.  #longislandwineries #vineyardviews #wineryvibes #liwine #licharacter #longislandwine #northforkwineries #longislandwinery #longislandnorthfork #northforker #discoverlongisland #topwineries #northforkwinetrail #liwinecountry #liwine #lisustainablewinegrowers #nywinegrapefdn #nof