LIWINEDAD

  Fall is in the air, so it is time for the next round of club pick-ups.  Our first stop was after a large lunch at Sound Avenue Bistro , so we passed on the opportunity for a glass of wine and did a quick pick-up.   Pellegrini Vineyards is friendly, always open, beautiful, expansive winery (Fig 01).  The tasting room is open and airy, with team members always available with a friendly greeting (Fig 02).  The club 6-pack this time ranged from library wines to the more youthful whites (Fig 03).   In keeping with club tradition, Pellegrini always encloses a letter discussing all the wines in the pack (Fig 04) and a delicious recipe to prepare and pair with the wine in the club pack (Fig 05).  In addition, of course, they always include the current wine menu if more is required to stock the wine cellar (Fig 06).  Overall, this is a fun club and winery that warrant us spending more time with them in the future.  #longislandwineries #vineyardviews #wineryvibes #liwine #licharacter #longi

  Back on the road for one more round of fall club pick-ups and lunch on the east end.  Today is a revisit to Sound Avenue Bistro , which has never disappointed in the past (Fig 01).  Due to the vagaries of traffic this time, we arrived ahead of opening time but no problem, we were warmly welcomed, and as this was a clear warm summer day, we were seated outside by the garden (Fig 02) and waterfall (Fig 03) on the patio (Fig 04).  We pursued the beverage menu for a bit (Fig 10) but opted for iced tea as we still had two wineries and a distiller ahead of us.  We opened instead with our traditional favorites, the Seafood Chili (Fig 05) and the Duck Wings (Fig 06).  The main entrée from the weekly special menu (Fig 10) was a Beef Steak Tomato stuffed with Lobster salad (Fig 07), which was fantastic.  Jo selected from the main menu (Fig 09) the buttermilk fried chicken with sweet potato fries (Fig 08).  The chicken; is done perfectly, tender, juicy, and flavorful.  The food, combined with t

  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

  When we are not on a mass pick-up mission, we strive to stop for a leisurely lunch and then spend an afternoon at a winery that we have chosen to explore, as was the case today, stopping at the Sound Bistro before heading to Bedell Cellars .   The restaurant is more formally called Sound Avenue Bistro and is easy to find nestled on the south side of Sound Ave in Riverhead(Figure 01) at the beginning of the North Fork Wine Trail.  There is plenty of parking, and the main entrance is directly off the parking lot and up a few steps (Figure 02).  There are benches outside along the walkway with photo props to keep the kids busy if you need to wait before being seated (Figure 03).  The inside foyer is bright and inviting (Figure 04).  The main dining room is bright, airy, and naturally themed (Figure 05), including a mounted swordfish that might have been someone’s dinner at one time (Figure 06).  The menu (Figure 07) is classic American fare, emphasizing seafood.  Page 2 of the menu (F

  The Expedition is the first of the 2022 wine season and focused on lunch at a new (to us) and a tasting at Bedell Cellars .   This time we decided to try out Sound Bistro (Figure 1) as we had driven past it many times before while on the #NorthForkWineTrail and commented on how we should stop each time.   The stop was well worth it as we enjoyed a well-prepared, leisurely-paced meal for almost 1 ½ hour.   The lunch is well worth a full posting and will follow shortly.   We stopped by   Bedell Cellars many years ago (>10), so we were long overdue for a revisit.   Given how far back in the past we had been there, this was effectively a first-time visit.   We worked our way through an extended tasting of seven different wines (Figure 2), each very unique and tasty.   Some wines were outstanding, requiring a revisit and a bottle to take home.   A full write-up will follow shortly as this winery is now on our routine revisit list, and we will need to bring along the family and frien