Brooklyn Uncorked! 2010

Brooklyn Uncorked 2010, marks the second anniversary of Imbibe New York! And while yesterday’s event at BAM was the 4th sponsored by Edible Manhattan, Brooklyn, and East End, it was the 3rd that I’ve attended, and so let me say–this glorious day just gets better with every year that passes.  In 2009, there were 31 (selected from nearly 50) Long Island wineries in attendance; yesterday there were 23.  And believe it or not, we were grateful for the reduction.  It seems to me that the participating wineries were more carefully selected, meaning that all of my favorites (with the exception of Paumanok) were there, offering samples of their most intoxicating wares.

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Edible East End & the Rosé Wines of Long Island

With tasting assistants, Kelleigh and Jennifer, I visited the North and South Forks to taste my way through the rosé wines of Long Island, for Edible East End.  Read the article in its entirety here.

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Wölffer Estate, South Fork, Long Island

First time we tried Wölffer Estate the skies were bright sky blue and the winery was just closing; two days later, Priya and I dodged rain in Sagaponack, Long Island, at this South Fork winery, open since 1987, and now producing annually over 13,000 cases of wine.  Driving through wire-trained vines, we neared Wölffer’s pale mustard stucco exterior against smoky gray skies, its entrance elevated atop stairs of stone, and adorned with large urns, juniper, and hemlock. 

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Channing Daughters Winery, South Fork, Long Island

At the onset of spring break, Priya and I drove out to Montauk, for a few days of eternal horizons, crashing waves, and wine.  From the three wineries on Long Island’s South Fork, we chose to visit two (or rather I chose two and Priya offered support), beginning with Channing Daughters Winery in Bridgehampton.  With 50% of their grapes grown on site, and the rest from a handful of vineyards on the North Fork (where land is more affordable in comparison), Channing Daughters offered over twelve wines for tasting, some of which are quite fine.

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The North Fork, Part Two-Bedell Cellars & Peconic Bay

Before dining at the North Fork Table & Inn for our first anniversary, Carlos and I visited a few wineries, including Lenz Winery, Bedell Cellars, Peconic Bay, and Waters Crest-all located on the North Fork, far from where we honeymooned a year ago, when we toured Sonoma, Mendocino, and Anderson and Alexander Valleys on the west coast.  And because we zipped in and out of Lenz and Waters Crest without inspiration, I devote this post to the wines and locals that did incite our delight.

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The North Fork, Part One-Macari & Lieb Family Cellars

Last week, I spent a couple of days on Long Island’s North Fork, before heading up to Maine.  With 34 wineries and tasting rooms to choose from (enough to make anyone’s bed spin), I based my selections on notes from Brooklyn Uncorked!-the Long Island wine event at BAM-and on recommendations received along the way. I visited four on the first day: Paumanok, Jamesport, Macari, and Lieb Family Cellars.  Paumanok poured a delicious Chenin Blanc (full of pineapple and minerality with a steely dry finish at $28 a bottle), but I will haven’t much to say about the experience at Jamesport.

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Hudson River Valley Wine Tour, Part 3-Stoutridge Winery & Vineyard

Before leaving Benmarl, we were told that we should visit Stoutridge Vineyard, just a few miles away, in Marlboro, New York.  He’s doing some pretty interesting things with his wine making techniques, suggested Wendy, Benmarl’s wine events coordinator.  And so, with less than 30 minutes to go before Stoutridge was due to close, we hopped in the car and left.  

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Hudson River Valley Wine Tour, Part 2-Benmarl Winery at Slate Hill Vineyards

After driving for over a half hour and then getting lost in Poughkeepsie, Carlos and I finally made our way to the Benmarl Winery at Slate Hill Vineyards, in Marlboro, New York.  Driving up the gravel road, we passed through Benmarl’s 37 acre vineyard, which grows both Baco Noir (a French-American hybrid that was introduced to New York in 1951) and Traminette (an “Estate French Hybrid white” that was introduced in Geneva, New York, in 1996). Located on a piece of land that has sustained grape growing since 1772, Benmarl is one of the oldest vineyards in America, and the producer of some very fine Hudson Valley wines.

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Hudson River Valley Wine Tour, Part 1-Millbrook Vineyards & Winery

 

Yesterday, Carlos and I drove up the Teconic to visit a few award winning wineries in the Hudson River Valley, beginning with Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, in Millbrook, New York.  Originally a dairy farm, purchased by John and Kathe Dyson in 1979, these 130 acres and converted barn make for a lovely day trip to the country side.

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