LIWINEDAD

  Friday 19 Mar 2021 was round two of the late winter early spring pick-ups from some wine clubs.  The weather was fine, overcast with a bit of a chill in the air in keeping with the season.  The trip planning called for a quick pick-up run without any tastings or lunch.  We were heading to the kids' house for dinner after we grabbed all the wine.  The first stop was Sparkling Pointe for a six-pack of fine bubbly.  This quarter we got 2017 Brut First Disgorgement, two 2018 Topaz Imperial Brut Ro ś e, a NV Nature, a 2011 Brut Seduction, and a NV Cuv é e Carnaval Blancs.  A bottle of the 2011 Brut Seduction did not survive dinner with the kids, and it was rather good as an opening aperitif.  For those of us a bit more into the technical and scientific aspects of wine, Sparkling pointe includes the description of each wine's additional details such as varietal mix, disgorgement date, years sur lie, and residual sugar. The techie details are a helpful bit of information that I wis

  New Wave is a seafood retail wholesale store that expands into a restaurant next door.  The store itself is pack with fresh daily fish, clams, mussels, lobsters, squid and the list goes on. There is also a sizeable frozen selection of lobster tails, squid, king crab legs, and much more.  If you do not see it, ask for it, and it will appear from somewhere in the back room.  The restaurant is a good size and is fully covid safe.  The menu is extensive, with all the classic fish dinners and, of course, a few selections for the landlubbers.  They have no problem going off the menu and preparing something the way you like it, including just grabbing something from the store.  On our last visit, we started with the seafood chili and a Caesar salad.  The seafood chili was a good-sized bowl light on the beans and heavy on the seafood.  The seafood varies each day and reflects the chef's inspiration and what is available from the store.  The chili boasted a rich mix of clams, baby squid,

  In Seaford, NY, Cara Mia's is a great place, delicious food, and the best team. They have no problem adjusting the menu to your taste.  Cara Mia is one of our favorites go-to places, and we have been here many times.   You know your is a good place when you walk in are greeted warmly, and all the team members also greet you on the way to your table (With all proper covid precautions observed), and your preferred cocktails arrive tableside as you sit down. The food and wine are outstanding.   The wine list is well balanced and refined for a classic Italian family restaurant.   If you are looking for a special bottle of wine, ask Sergio it is impressive what he can find in the cellar. The food is outstanding. Our cocktails arrived promptly during our latest visit, a Woodford reserve on the rocks for me and a fine Cosmopolitan for Jo. Along with the cocktails came a warm bread basket with both butter and oil. We opened with a Caesar salad and Italian Egg rolls.   The Caesar salad

  I have been enjoying Beaulieu Vineyards wine for almost two decades, and it has never disappointed me. The 2017 Napa Valley Tapestry is no exception.  Tapestry is a reserve red wine done in the classic Bordeaux style.   The Meritage leads with Cabernet Sauvignon from the benchlands of Rutherford AVA, Calistoga, Oakville, and Coombsville AVA’s. The Merlot is from Carneros and Rutherford Benchlands. The Petit Verdot and Malbec hail from the Rutherford estate, and the Cabernet Franc is from Howell Mountain.  This quintet of wines comes together in perfect balance to form this right bank Bordeaux style wine. The color is deep garnet red with long legs and high alcohol (14.2% ABV). Alter opening and decanting the nose is intense and a bit floral as it fills the room. The mouthfeel is medium with a long finish and pronounced tannins.  The taste is complex and well layered, starting with blackberry and anise followed by dark cherry and finally a hint of raspberry and spice.  The 22 months i

  My once-a-year allotment of Corra wine from Napa arrived Wednesday, much to the delight of my friend, a neighbor across the street Pete.  Corra is the private label of one of Napa Valleys' finest consulting winemakers Celia Welch .  She also has a hand in such other outstanding labels as Lindstrom and Scarecrow.  I started to follow her work almost a decade ago and now have subscriptions to Lindstrom and Scarecrow.  The Corra wine showcases the true beauty of the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and this 2018 appears to be no exception, already garnering a 98-point score. With most better reds, they benefit from resting in the cellar for years, and if you can resist, maybe even a decade or so (I cannot).  I will lay down all of the allocations, but of course, I will try one to be sure the wine arrived fine and not stressed in shipment.  This year, I acquired six standard bottles and one magnum of the napa valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon but blended from 3 dif

  Friday 05 MAR 2021 is yet another cold bright day to start the spring wine pickup runs.  The trip was a bit slower-paced as we needed to taste and pick up some of our favored grapes for the summer Sauvignon Blanc and its cousins.  The tastings were successful, and we returned home with over 3 cases of wine, so we should be stocked with enough crisp white wines to pair with fresh oysters from New Wave Seafood on our upper rear deck.  The first stop was at Pellegrini Vineyards, a large beautiful complex on the main road in Cutchogue.  I missed the opportunity to take a picture of this place but will during our next visit—we picked up three reds and two whites after a quick tasting of the white. The reds are the Regalo 2015, Cabernet Franc 2014, and a Petit Verdot 2012.  For the white, we chose a Sauvignon Blanc 2019. Next up was Raphael winery , which is on the south side of route NY-25 in Peconic. Raphael’s is a stunning place with fine wines and outstanding food; of course, we might

  The Bayview Tavern , @bayviewtavernseaford is a classic local tavern food and drinks place across from some of Seaford's canals.   Below is a picture of the inside, and the sign at the back of the room reflects the Caps restaurant they used to own that was dockside before superstorm Sandy.   I have visited Bayview Tavern several times, and the home-style comfort food is consistently delicious.   The crew is fun and personable while being remarkably efficient.   Of course, all COVID-19 precautions are fully observed in keeping with the times; even the bar crowd, a stout, hardy, and gregarious bunch, observe the rules.   The drinks are well made and very generous pours. For the food, the menus are a great collection of tavern food and several specials each day, all of which are moderately priced.   I go for the specials as it tends to show off the kitchen's real talent or shortcomings. On our last visit, I opened with the flash-fried Calamari, which came with a Thai chili s