LIWINEDAD

We are at EV& EM Vineyard again this year as the last time we were here while open, EV & EM Vineyards was still a work in progress, and EV&EM were waiting on their furniture to arrive.   Now they are open and entirely up to speed.   The entrance has been refreshed, and an upper deck added (Fig 01).   The view of the vines remains as expansive as ever (Fig 02).   The tasting room has been thoroughly reworked and refreshed and is open, airy, and inviting (Fig 03).   The Tasting room leads to an open-air deck with sweeping views of the vineyard (Fig 04).   We settled in and reviewed the tasting menu (Fig 05).   Two flights are offered, and both tasting flights are mixed, with the first consisting of whites and a Ros é .   The second is a mix of whites and reds, which all look intriguing.   As my preference tends to be reds, the second flight was ordered (Fig 06).  The flight opened with an ev&em2 Chardonnay 2020 that is bright gold with floral notes on the nose.  The fl

  Today’s trip is the last wine pick-up for the second quarter, including a full tasting and lunch.  The expedition was longer, spanning about 175 miles and almost 7 hours around #northforkwinetrail (Fig 04).  Our first stop was for lunch at Braun Seafood , a place I have been looking to try for quite some time.   Braun is a full-service wholesale and retail seafood market but also expanded into a restaurant (Fig 01) in the same style as New Wave Seafood in Wantagh.   We had a leisurely lunch that was very well done, and a post just about the food will be coming out soon.     After lunch, we succeeded in picking up our Lieb Cellars June club selection (Fig 02).   The last stop of the day was at EV & EM Vineyards , which is a required revisit now that they have all the furniture and are fully open (Fig 03).  The different vibe from Laurel Lake Winery makes EV & EM well worth returning many times.  A full posting on this great visit will be posted shortly.  Lastly, while not o

  One of the first EV & EM Vineyards wines produced under their label is the ev & em 2 cf19 cabernet franc, a 2019 Cabernet Franc.      The flavor profile and enjoyment of wines are as much about what is in the bottle as the context in which it is drunk.   A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to try a tasting of the Cabernet Franc while the renovations are in progress at EV & EM.   The bottle had been opened and used several times for the tasting, taking care to vacuum-preserve the wine between pours.   The multiple openings combined with the scent of fresh paint in the air contributed to a different profile.   While still very good, the tasting at home was even better.   In the home environment, the bottle was tapped using an Argon gas-based preservation system, and the wine was allowed about 30 minutes to breathe and develop in the glass Figure 1).   As was the case at the winery tasting, the nose bursts forth with the fruit of strawberry, bramble, and some Raspb

  The final stop on our March pick-up run was to an old/new winery.  Laurel Lake is transitioning to EV & EM Vineyard under the new ownership of Dan Abrams .  EV & EM is open for business, but it is still a work in progress.  The main entrance is fully refreshed and expansive, with a new deck overlooking the vines being added (Figure 1).  The winery has also added large vine tracks west of the tasting house (Figure 2).  Upon entering, you are greeted by a large tasting room overlooking the processing facilities (Figure 3).   The smell of fresh paint is still in the air, with paint swatches on the wall.  Seating is nonexistent at the moment as they are still awaiting delivery of the chairs and the rest of the furniture.  The tasting room is large with a long bar and a friendly, knowledgeable team member to help with any request and lots of helpful information.  There is a lengthy tasting menu and wines by the glass, all well chilled and ready to be served (Figure 4).  First up