LENNDEVOURS

Q&A: Josh Wig, General Manager, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars

Today's Q&A subject (standing), harvesting cabernet franc

This is a Q&A that I've been looking forward to doing for several months now. Why? Well, it's kind of a funny story really.

I've been writing about Finger Lakes wines for a few years now, but until maybe a year or so ago, I didn't really know very many of the players. A few winemakers here. A few winery owners there. Maybe some marketing folks. But one day, I was looking on Lamoreaux Landing's website for some information about them and I noticed "Josh Wig - General Manager" and thought to myself "Hey, I went to college with a Josh Wig. We were even in the same department (biology) but it can't be him, can it?" 

Turns out that it is the same Josh Wig, who as he puts it was "Born a farmer. And, after a brief foray as a warrior and nuclear engineer, with any luck will die a farmer and lover of nature."

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
My grandmother took me back to her home island of Lefkada in Greece as a high school graduation present. I spent the whole summer with my cousins. They drank large quantities of Vertzami and Robola, surfed all day, and hung out in the discotheques all night. I'm not sure if it was the wine or the topless beaches that made the biggest impression on me at the time, but that summer was definitely good preparation for college.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Growing up on the family farm, I was brainwashed into thinking that everyone worked 16 hours a day out in the elements, enjoyed eating the dirt and diesel mist that rolled up from the tractor, and got up at 4 a.m. the next day to do it all over again.

It was a hard-yet-rewarding upbringing that has always left me longing to get back to the land. This was the perfect opportunity to get back to my roots, while still providing the constant challenges associated with production, marketing and sales of the most engrossing agricultural product that I have consumed to date.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Our 2007 T23 Cabernet Franc has to be at the top of this list. While cab franc is by far my favorite grape, this wine takes the varietal to whole new level for me. Why go through all of the trouble to grow good fruit, if you're just going to beat it to death with a stick?

This wine will always take me back to my first harvest in the Finger Lakes.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
I have been very impressed with the educational culture and the members' general propensity to share their ideas and methods with their neighbors.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Maker's Mark -- straight, rocks or Manhattan.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I haven't found one yet!

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Having my wife's family and my family all at the 20-foot long picnic table under a Seneca Lake sunset, and serving an entire meal that we harvested: venison burgers, grilled asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, swiss chard, strawberry rhubarb pie and of course T23! For me, wine is all about bringing people together.

Q&A: Bob Madill, General Manager, Sheldrake Point Vineyard

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher
Today's Q&A subject is Bob Madill, general manager at Sheldrake Point Vineyard on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Bob was part of the team that founded Sheldrake Point in the spring of 1997 and he's a fellow tech marketeer, having spent over 20 years in international high tech marketing and sales, as well as work within the wine industry in Ontario, Canada.


What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
In the late 1950s we moved from a remote British Columbia coastal town to Montreal.

There my parents purchased what become a summer property on the St. Lawrence River not far from the Ontario border. Late in June and early July, it became the habit of my mother to serve fresh, local Quebec strawberries with Mateus Rose at our frequent gatherings of friends and family. Fun, fresh and informal. Also quite delicious.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My move towards the wine industry was more of the gravitational pull of a love of physical work combined with curiosity and engagement with the rejection of the values evident in the computer industry after two decades.

I entered as an amateur seeking clearer, more transparent language for understanding and expressing what I was tasting and remain with that focus.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Why would one who loves color choose but one? At any given moment I have a half dozen wines open so that I might taste and reflect and discern. At one end of the spectrum I love our 2006 Reserve Riesling for its austere statement, linearity and precision. On the other, our 2008 Gewurztraminer for its blowzy, passionate expression of a vintage.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
That I have found my metier in the company of a few other like-minded souls.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
The one that I am offered by friends and circumstances. Although I confess a particular joy in a sound glass of Burgundy of either color.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I am not fond of oysters so Muscadet can be given short shrift. Unfair I know but there you are.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
There is nothing like the loquacious mayhem of a summer picnic with close friends to bring out the very best in serendipitous, anarchic explorations of wine, food and opinions. Step into the Luncheon of the Boating Party.

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Rob Bralow

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

All told, we had 30 bloggers and spouses/friends take part in this debut edition of TasteCamp EAST, each with different backgrounds, tastes and impressions of Long Island's wineries, people and wines.

Over the course of the next several weeks, in addition to my own posts about the weekend, I'll be asking some of the attendees for their honest impressions and experiences with Long Island wines both before and after TasteCamp.

We'll kick things off with Rob Bralow from the Wine Post blog, out of Manhattan.

Rob has been in the wine business for the last three years, working for multiple country image campaigns, including Wines of Chile, Wines of Germany and Wines of Israel. Rob's first experiences with wine stem from his parents, both of which had a great enthusiasm for making wine part of daily life. In addition to the work he does, Rob also has taken several wine courses and uses his blog to expand his wine education.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
It was my first time in Long Island wine country, although I had been to Long Island a few times before. My mother originally grew up on Long Island.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?

I tasted a few, but not nearly enough to have an opinion of them. Really the only ones I tasted regularly were the Schneider Vineyards wines, and that only because I knew and worked with the winemaker, Bruce Schneider.

 

After tasting a representative sample of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?

Good. There is no question that great wine comes out of Long Island, however as a whole I think the region still has plenty of room for improvement.

 

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?

Cabernet franc, no question. I think that grape has a lot of potential, and there were plenty of great examples of the wine and some really cool nearly-sustainable practices (they're working on it) that I thought made the wines not only unique, but very tasty.

 

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?

I was not so excited about the merlot I tasted. I think the Long Island Merlot Alliance has some great stuff going for them, but overall there was too much hype about the merlot that never really impressed me, especially for the price.

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?

All were beautiful, but the one that stuck out to me was Lenz Winery. The winemaker there (Eric Fry) is quite possibly certifiably crazy, but his wines are so pure and so delicious that I can only applaud his work ethic. If I had the same zeal about tasting wine as he does about making it, I would have tasted every wine in the world by July, just in time for me to start tasting them all again.

 

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be?

There were so many great wines during the weekend. I think my choice is going to surprise a few people when they read it, but I loved the Channing Daughters Tocai Friulano 2007. It was so fresh and aromatic and such a wonderful change from what I had tasted before. Clearly the winemaker there is not afraid to experiment and not afraid to go with his gut instinct of making the best wine the region can grow.

Quick Q&A with Jim Silver, General Manager, Peconic Bay Winery

Peconic Bay Winery's Jim Silver with his favorite wine website in the background.

Jim Silver’s wine career began a little over 20 years ago. Over the course of those two decades, he's held just about ever wine-related job (except winemaker and vineyard manager) that you can think of. He's been wine buyer for a large retailer in Delaware and sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. He's also worked in the New York region representing Rémy Amerique, Grupo Codorniu and the Hess Collection.

Here on Long Island Jim has served as the National Sales Director for Pindar Vineyards before becoming Senior Vice President of Bedell Cellars. Most recently, he's become the General Manager of the Peconic Bay Winery.

With all of that varied experience, he brings a unique perspective to the region and I'm sure he's going to do some interesting things at Peconic Bay. But for today, he answers our LENNDEVOURS Q&A questions:

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
I started enjoying wine while attending restaurant school in Philadelphia in 1988. I can recall very well drinking a lot of Hungarian red wines that were $2.99 a bottle at the time, I forget the name of them though – one was a cab and one was a merlot.

A more specific memory was the purchase of a 1967 Chateau Gruaud-Larose St. Emilion. Wow, it was tough to justify the super high price of $9.99 in the Pennsylvania state store, especially for a poor student like me, but I really wanted to experience a well-aged Bordeaux. I even scribbled my tasting notes into the inside cover of Alexis Lichine’s Wine Encyclopedia. (It was definitely not a great vintage, and tasted a bit like ashes, but it was my first somewhat intellectual wine experience.)

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
In 1989 I was studying in France as part of my culinary training. We made a visit to the Clos de Vougeot in the Cote d’Or. I don’t recall all of the circumstances perfectly, but to this day just the taste of a Burgundy, simple or great, really makes my heart beat faster. Those pinots are the oldest and truest wine love I have. I have similar feelings for Chablis, which I visited on the same trip.

You could say I discovered “terrior” there, and it’s guided me since, in all facets of my life and career.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Peconic Bay Winery’s Steel Fermented Chardonnay is great wine. It is reminiscent of Cru Chablis, with really well balanced acidity and terrific concentration. It is very aromatic and very long. In fact, the aromas are very distinct – as it seems the clone of this chardonnay here gives a particular musqué smell, sort of along the sauvignon blanc line. It’s unique to this vineyard. Plus, lately I’ve found markedly less interest in oaky flavors. I’m interested in discovering the natural terrior of a wine, not in masking it – Greg Gove is such a masterful winemaker in that sense. Even our La Barrique wine is only very lightly oaky.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Long Island wine community?
I am surprised by the unrecognized potential here on LI. Time and again, local wineries are producing classic wines, sometimes of stunning quality, and yet so often you can come across something so positively boring you wonder if that winemaker wasn’t asleep when it was bottled.

I spent many years representing French, Italian, and Californian producers who made fine wines, but none of them would ever have the opportunity to improve as dramatically as Long Island does. The sky is the limit here. The conscientious and thoughtful winemaker here has the potential to do almost anything given the right conditions. (We really are like Napa in the 60s or Sonoma in the 70s.) The time is right for the rise of the East Coast vineyard, especially Long Island. What is surprising is that I didn’t know it sooner. What’s equally surprising is how many people still don’t know it.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Take 3 oz. of Michter’s Straight Rye, 1 oz. Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth, three shakes of Angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry, and shake on ice very hard. Then pour it into an up-glass. It should be brown in color with a light foam on the top. That is the only real cocktail. A Manhattan.

Scotch is nice too sometimes. Almost always it’s going to be wine though, and it’s usually a Cotes-du-Rhone. Affordable and delicious. I still have beer in my fridge from Thanksgiving 2007.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I’m with Chris Stamp on this one. Whoever thought up chocolate and red wine is a little cuckoo. But I am also of the opinion that food and wine pairing in general is somewhat overstated too. There are plenty of “matches” that work well, like Sauternes and Roquefort, Chablis and Oysters, merlot and lamb loin, but 99.9% of good wine matches are good because they tend not to interfere with each other.

A pairing is complimentary when they do no damage to each other. That’s really the key. As soon as one of them (the dish or the wine) proves dominant, the match is lost. The best idea is to chose simple wines with complex foods, and complex wines with simple foods. And don’t forget that many wines can be obliterated by certain foods, (lots of cheeses comes to mind, so does artichoke) – the pitfalls do exist. Magical wine pairings don’t occur in a vacuum, they include the atmosphere of the room, the attitude of the diners, the romance of the event, and the anticipation of enjoyment as much as anything else.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
That would be me, my wife, and a random selection of good friends I’ve made in this industry over the last 20 years. Add grilled quails, foie gras, and some caviar on blini, three bottles of Krug, six or seven bottles of Richebourg and Echezeaux and I’d say that would be the ultimate fantasy drinking experience.

Some of my real-life wine-drinking experiences over the years have been so decadent and fascinating, you might not believe me if I told you. Some wines I enjoyed regularly 20 years ago, cost more than my car today, but that’s part of what’s so delightful about this business. I couldn’t imagine being in any other business but this one. How lucky is that?

Quick Q&A with Chris Stamp, Winemaker, Lakewood Vineyards

On my recent trip to Seneca Lake, one of the wineries that surprised me the most was Lakewood Vineyards. Winemaker Chris Stamp is making some classic, well-priced riesling, doing some interesting things with New York oak in his chardonnay and cabernet franc programs and even impressed with some of the hybrid blends. This week, we pose our Q&A questions to Chris:

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
First, you should know that although I grew up on a grape farm, my parents rarely had wine, or any alcoholic beverages around the house. Not because they were against it, but because back in those days, being grape growers for Taylor Wine Company didn't necessarily translate into knowledge about wine other than it came from the bins of fruit that you delivered to the wine factory.

There really wasn't much of a wine culture in this area back then. Today you could walk into any restaurant in Watkins Glen and find 12 people who are well read in matters of wine. Back then you'd be hard pressed to find a dozen in the whole town.

This fact makes it easier for me to remember my first taste of wine. It wasn't a stunning Bordeaux from a storied vintage, but a small glass of "Sparkling Burgundy," which was, I believe a charmat process, Concord-based bubbly. But at the ripe old age of somewhere around 10, I recall it tasted really good.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My fascination with wine making began in my early teens while visiting a neighbor. This neighbor was an off-the-boat Yugoslavian who loved to make wine. Lots of wine. In fact his basement probably had 1000 gals of new wine at any one time. I remember being intrigued by all the barrels, the bubblers, the carboys and probably most of all, the aromas. I would help him on occasion. At the time I thought "what a neat hobby". It was years later that it occurred to me that I could make a profession out of it.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
This is a question I often get if I spend any time in the tasting room. My answer is always in the form of a question: Which of your kids is your favorite?

Fact is, it has more to do with the occasion, what I'm having for dinner, and the weather. I confess, I drink more of the drier wines, but if the company wants a sweeter wine, then that's my favorite that night.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
The growth of the industry. I remember when making 12,000 gallons qualified you as a large winery. We now make over 80,000 gallon/yr. And instead of being one of a couple dozen wineries, we're one of well over 100. Your perspectives sure change.

I'm also impressed at how well everyone still works together. If your neighbor needs something, you help if you can. Despite the growth it still feels like a small community. I like that.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
I rarely drink liquor, but I have a serious weakness for German-style Hefe Weizen. It might even be an addiction.

In the winter I drink more reds from all over the world, but when it warms up outside, it's impossible to beat a Finger Lakes Riesling. Every winery here makes a riesling and almost all of them are excellent. But the real sleepers of the Finger Lakes are the Gewurztraminers. This is a variety that we can produce as well as anyone. Your chances of finding Gewurztraminer in my glass at any particular moment are pretty good.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy? Yes. Independently I love dry red wine and chocolate. Together, they are an abomination. What really worries me is that some poor soul is going to taste these two together and really believe that this is synergy. What a travesty. Nothing in the pairing works. Whoever proffered this notion show be condemned!

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Probably 8 of my top ten wine experiences has taken place right in my own dining room. My wife and I both like to cook, and we have an embarrassingly large wine cellar.

In the winter it might be porterhouse steak with avocado sauce paired with cabernet franc (this one is awesome!) served in the dining room with the fireplace roaring in the background. Or in the summer, garden-fresh grilled vegetables with a crisp dry riesling on my front deck over looking the lake as the sun fades away.

The key is nobody has to be anywhere else that night. There is the feeling that this is what we work for, these moments at the end of the day, when we can all put away our type A side and relax and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Quick Q&A with Peter Bell, Winemaker, Fox Run Vineyards

 Peter Bell, winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards, probably needs little (if any) introduction to LENNDEVOURS readers. He perhaps more than any other Finger Lakes winemaker, joins discussions on this blog regularly.

And yet, I still learned something when I asked him our standard set of questions, including his disdain for unfiltered wines.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
It must have been Mateus Rosé, in the early 1970s, in Toronto. I don’t recall enjoying it that much, but that’s what everyone drank. I think the tiny bubbles irritated me on an existential level.

For my 16th – whoops, I mean 21st - birthday, some friends splurged on a very expensive at the time ($5) Liebfraumilch, which I remember drinking with great pleasure, partly because I felt wildly sophisticated. The Nun on the label was actually quite sexy, in a playful, cloistered kind of way.

After I got out of high school, I went and lived in Spain for awhile, and we used to drink the local Catalonian red with dinner every night at a seafood joint, cut with large quantities of fizzy water. No actual memories of what it actually tasted like.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My assistant winemaker, Tricia, recounts visiting Fox Run one day about four years ago, and having a sudden realization, while standing in the vineyard, that she absolutely had to be involved in the wine industry.

Alas, for me there wasn’t a single epiphanic moment, and so I will never get any offers from Hollywood to make a biopic. But if that were to happen, I want to be played by George Clooney.

I had taken a couple of courses through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and everything kind of built from there. As we all know, once you get entranced by wine, there’s no going back. I became a monomaniac there for a while, in service of my need to become a winemaker. May have lost a few friends over that one.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
I get on kicks that last a few weeks at a time. Right now it’s red Bordeaux varietals from 2007. I can just walk up to a tank and ask it for a little something for dinner that night…how fantastic is that?

Pinot is always a fallback, and of course, riesling. Gewurztraminer with a few years’ bottle age.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
To steal a line from (previous profilee) Amy Cheatle, “how amazingly cool everyone is, seriously.” The grammarian in me might rephrase it as “…like, TOTALLY seriously.”

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
I drink a lot less beer now than I did as a young individual. Way back when, my beer of choice was Molson Stock Ale, which I don’t think they even make anymore.

Almost all Finger Lakes Rieslings are welcome in my alimentary canal. I also have an almost dangerous fondness for Fino Sherry. In my world, good Pinot noir, and Champagne and its New World derivatives, always get smiley face stickers.

There are some wines that I lust after but almost never get to drink: white Bordeaux, unoaked Hunter Valley Semillon, 20-year-old German Rieslings. Be still my heart.

This sounds like I have an aversion to tannins, which I don’t. The three things I am most proud of are 1) my very high HDL readings, being a reflection of my tannin consumption, 2) my collection of NASCAR memorabilia, and 3) my ability to lie about a fondness for NASCAR.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Well, the little epidemiologist dude on my shoulder can’t let me enjoy raw shellfish, so oysters and Chablis ain’t gonna happen.

I have no patience at all for overripe, high-alcohol California reds. They actually make me grouchy, just by virtue of the fact that they exist at all.

My friends know not to waste old, necrotic reds on me, even if they are of admirable provenance. Maybe I’m a fruit to say I like fruit, but so be it.

There are a few varietals out there that make me puke, and they shall remain nameless; but let me say that if they knew the depth of my revulsion they would actually want to hire a security detail. And I don’t do wines whose labels say “unfiltered”. Brettanomyces metabolites really make me puke.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Imagine, if you will, a world in which there are no hypothetical situations.

Quick Q&A with Amy Cheatle, Tasting Room Manager, Damiani Wine Cellars

Today we re-start (again) the LENNDEVOURS Q&A project with Amy Cheatle, tasting room manager at Damiani Wine Cellars on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. I first met Amy at my Atwater-Billsboro tasting a couple months ago when she came in to join the fray. But, I'll let her speak for herself as she answers our standard set of questions:
 
What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
Its actually a very romantic story, really. Picture a crisp, fall, upstate New York day blasted in sunshine, and under all that warm sun is a vineyard on a hill in Naples, New York. Somewhere lost in those vines are two young people sharing a bottle of wine...I forgot his name, but the wine was Bully Hill's "Love my Goat" red. What the wine lacked in grandeur was more than made up for in the label's hand drawn charm.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I think it was mostly a decision that stemmed from my developing interest in the Local Foods movement that was blossoming in Manhattan while I was a doctoral student there. I had met some great food theorists whose work I really admired, and was at the same time moved by these visceral experiences of simple foods. A sun-ripened heirloom tomato, the aroma of freshly-ground flour, tangy, living homemade yogurt, hand-crafted beers...many of us were.

A friend lived in Hector, New York, and we would often make the get-away trek up to pitch our tent or sleep in the barns of farmers who lived around the area. I wanted my children to have some of that experience growing up. Wine seemed the best match for me as the field of study was at once incredibly local (down to the meso-climate) and potentially, endlessly, global -- as one learns the historical, regional and cultural differences of winegrowing and making.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Having the tasting room in the winery has been a great learning experience. Barrel and tank samples have really shown that wine changes day to day. A beautiful wine with all the potential of greatness on Monday can, by Wednesday, be an entirely different (and sometimes frightening) creature.

The point I'm trying to make is that both the wine and I are constantly changing, so to pick a favorite is close to impossible. Some days the sauvignon blanc is my favorite, or the cabernet franc, and then all of the sudden the lemberger will show off amazing earth or kiwi that suddenly intrigues or inspires me (then there is Gewurtz and the 08 Riesling still in the tank) -- wow.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
How amazingly cool everyone is, seriously.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
I am on a monster Prosecco, Cava, anything-with-bubbles kick. Or maybe a creamy Belgian triple...or a cask ale from Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY...and I'm falling in love with the Central Coast Pinots

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
About 15 years ago I became a vegetarian, and now I am missing out on a lot of the "home-grown" meats that so often appear on the menus around here. Scott Signori's portfolio at Stonecat Cafe in Hector is slowly, deeply, making me question my meat-free diet, so, a lot of classic pairings I haven't yet tried.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
The social aspect of wine is what I'm all about. Meeting new people, catching up with old friends. Throw in some fresh-baked crusty bread, a local cheese (soon the fruits and veggies will be hitting the farm stands) and suddenly you have one of those elegantly legitimate moments created out of tiny, timeless enjoyments....I know all of this sounds fluffy, so to keep it real we'll blast some big hair 90's glam rock...or is that too obvious?

Quick Q&A with Kristop Brown, Winemaker, Benmarl Winery

The Hudson River Valley is a sometimes-forgotten wine region in New York, often losing out to Long Island and the Finger Lakes for the attention of writers and much of the wine-drinking populace. But there is an emerging group of quality-focused producers in the region. One winery making some very good wines is Benmarl Winery, which boasts what may be the oldest vineyard in the United States, dating back to the 1770s. 

Today, we sit down with Benmarl's winemaker, Kristop Brown, to learn a bit more about him.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
That is a difficult question to answer because, like many Americans, my earliest memories of drinking included 'wine products' like Boone's Farm, which I now know to be a 'malted beverage.'

So I will skip over these memories and fast forward to the year 2000. My wife and I (girlfriend back then) enjoyed a bottle of Elderton shiraz at my parents cabin in Phoenicia by candle light. I don't remember the vintage but at the time the $30 price tag meant I was trying to impress.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Working at Millbrook Winery in 2003 was the experience that opened my eyes to the wine industry. I was able to taste not only the Millbrook wines but also the wines from owner John Dyson's other ventures (Villa Pillo in Tuscany and Williams Selyem in the Russian River Valley). A year later I was working under Eric Miller at Benmarl (the current winemaker at Chaddsford Winery) as the assistant winemaker.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
I'm going to jump ahead to the 2008 vintage because most of my favorite 2007s are sold out. We are making our first cabernet franc this year from Hudson River Region grapes and although the release date is probably not for another year I am already excited about it. It has such silky, spicy fruit and nice mouth feel. We are aging it in four-year old French oak barrels so there is no interference from the wood.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Hudson Valley wine community?
I was surprised at how dedicated the wineries are to making regional wines despite the lack of attention the Hudson Valley receives compared to other wine regions in New York.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Cheap Burgundy and Belgian ales.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I don't enjoy red wine with cheese although I'm sure there's a perfect pairing I haven't tried.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Drinking Baco Noir on the hillside here at Benmarl with friends and family at around dusk. The winery overlooks the Hudson River and some of the old Baco vines planted years ago. You really feel the history of the place and of the Hudson Valley.

Quick Q&A with Fred Merwarth, Winemaker, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

One of the very first Finger Lakes wines that I remember tasting was a riesling from Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard (I can't remember the vintage). I was still fairly new to wine, but enjoyed German rieslings even then, and I remember being surprised at how lively and delicious the Wiemer was. Unfortunately, Wiemer wines aren't widely available to me down here on Long Island, so I don't drink them as often as I'd like, but they are definitely worth seeking out.

For today's Q&A, we pose our questions to Fred Merwarth, long-time winemaker at Wiemer.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
This is actually ironic. My first official encounter drinking wine was when I got put in charge of organizing the wine selection for a Christmas dinner my junior year at Cornell. The dinner was a formal gathering of fellow cross country runners who were not really too concerned with the quality or style of the wine. However, I went to Northside Wine and Spirits in Ithaca to help me accumulate a few wines that might elevate our palates. The final selection on the table consisted of only Finger Lake Rieslings and Pinot Noirs. The first bottle was either a semi-dry or dry riesling from Hermann J. Wiemer.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I spent a semester studying at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Studying, running and living within a very interesting wine region offered enough inspiration, however it was a trip to Colmar in Alsace that really stunned me. We spent an afternoon at a very small estate in a small town outside of Colmar called Eguishiem. The visit included a very detailed tour with the winemaker, a tasting with the winemaker and his grandmother, and concluded with a simple yet exquisite meal prepared by his grandmother. The wines were tremendous, but it was the history, melding of tradition and contemporary philosophy to wine that really stuck with me. After this experience, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc and our HJW Vineyard specific Dry Riesling 2007. To me, these wines offer a wonderful opportunity to taste a very specific location, vineyard and vintage.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
The differences in philosophy when it comes to winemaking, vineyard management and marketing.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
German Rieslings or a weighty dunkel weizen beer

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Over-extracted, high-alcohol cabernet sauvignon from Old World and New World producers.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
I would image that most wineries have moments during a vintage where it is late on the press pad, people are tired, cold and wet from cleaning, yet the juice in the tanks is just great. At this moment when you can take a step back, take a breath, grab a bite to eat, taste something great, reflect on the day or week or month, this is the romance of wine. This experience will always be the ultimate wine experience. 

Quick Q&A with Anthony Nappa, Winemaker, Shinn Estate Vineyards

Anthony Nappa (left), winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, on the 2008 crush pad.

For the first Q&A of 2009, we pose our standard questions to Anthony Nappa, winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, NY. Anthony is still a relative newcomer to the region and is one of the East Coast's youngest winemakers. 

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
Outside of Boone’s Farms when I was young, I didn’t drink much wine except on holidays with the family, mostly Italian wine or homebrew. Asti Spumante at Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving is still a favorite.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My father grew up on a vineyard outside of Avellino, Italy, so I guess it may be in the blood. I have always had a very acute sense of smell and as a child I would always smell everything, in nature or my food before I ate it. A defining moment may have been when I was eighteen backpacking around the world drinking a lot of wine along the way. I found myself in a winery in Tasmania, Australia. Tasting through some wines with the winemaker, whom challenged me to identify specific aromas, I was able to impress him. He pulled out a bottle of port which he had made an addition to at crushing which nobody could ever identify. It took me a minute but I got it, it was molasses.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Every wine I have made has special significance to me. They are all my children and unique. This is why wine is so interesting to work with. Every wine is like a fingerprint, an individual solution made up of varying quantities of thousands of organic compounds. If you break it down to its individual components, with this many variables, literally no two wines that have ever been made are exactly the same.

Currently I have been specifically impressed with our Malbec at Shinn. Its concentration and complexity along with varietal character have given me the impression that Malbec can be a great wine for Long Island. Growers have said it is difficult to grow here, and winemakers know it’s hard to make, as it tends to go stinky in ferment, but that is all part of the fun. We will be bottling a varietal Malbec at Shinn starting with the 2007 vintage.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Long Island wine community?
I am surprised by how quickly our local industry has received incredible respect and international acclaim in a very competitive marketplace. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a break in our glass ceiling, an expansion of our industry and even more justly deserved recognition for the Long Island wines, particularly with the release of the great 2007 vintage.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
I do drink a lot of beer. Everyone knows it takes a lot of beer to make great wine. For the most part I have given up liquor altogether. I will have the occasional gin and tonic in the summer or a Dark and Stormy when sailing.

Recently, I have been drinking a lot of local wines trying to get a better understanding of the region and terroir. Otherwise I have been on a Viognier and Nebbiolo kick.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I always enjoy wine for what it is, but the ‘classic’ American grape, zinfandel, I just can’t get my head around.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
A bottle of wine is a photograph of a specific time and place, far off, or right in your own back yard. When you open a bottle of wine you travel through history and around the world. With all five senses you can visit a place, Smell its terroir and climate, Taste its moment in time, and Feel its culture, being the style it was made in.

This experience shared with friends or family, at home or abroad, with food or without, is always an ultimate experience.

Quick Q&A with Tim Moore, Owner, Imagine Moore Winery

We're joined by Tim Moore of Imagine Moore Winery for this week's edition of Q&A. Imagine Moore is still a relatively new player in the Finger Lakes wine community, but there are plenty of things to like about the operation. They source fruit from sustainable vineyards and print their labels with organic inks, to name just a couple of those things.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
It was in the mid 80’s and being from California and relatively young, it was a bottle of Korbel Sparkling Wine out of my best friend’s house for homecoming.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I was studying in Austria, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in my life. I was sitting in Weinbau Familie Jaeger Heuriger (Weissenkirchen, Wachau Austria) drinking Riesling over looking the Danube and thought I’d finally found the thing I love- -winemaking made me feel the passion of life.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Our 2006 Wisdom 100% Cabernet Franc – It is such a pleasure to make such a delicious wine during a cool growing season. My wife and I have traveled all over the world to many a wine region and we have come to appreciate the value all regions. I truly believe that consumers can get caught up with what everyone tells them should be delicious. When it comes to true appreciation, it starts in the vineyard and ends in the bottle. Making wine in our regions is driven throughout each growing season and no one winemaking approach will dictate what can make a delicious wine. That is both our challenge and our curse.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
It surprised me how open and cooperative the entire industry is with one another. This industry is strong in its conviction, supportive of one another and always willing to lend what ever is needed to their neighbor. I’ve never experienced such a strong sense of community in a business atmosphere.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
I have to admit that much beer goes into the production of great wines. I am partial to extracted IPAs, yet if you were to tie me down and say what other wines besides your own do you consume, well - - - I am currently partial to also a recently emerged American wine region – Oregon. Both my wife and I often drink many a Pinot Noir from various delicious producers of complex vineyard driven wines.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I guess if you asked me what I would not order, not that I do not enjoy the diversion of flavors but I guess that a pairing of Fino Amontillado Sherry and shellfish is not my preference. I am a fruit driven winemaker and while I appreciate the complexity of said wines, they are not my first choice.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Establishing a winery has been a life long dream of mine – I have had the fortunate experience to become friends with one of our greatest wine advocates and an incredible chef. During our first year of business Warfield’s Restaurant in Clifton Springs, NY hosted our first winemaker’s dinner. Since it was our first winemaker dinner, among the guests, some of our good friends came to celebrate the experience with us as Chef Eric Mueller paired a four course dinner emphasizing regional products from throughout NYS and four of our yet to be released wines. It was a special night for me personally.

Quick Q&A with Frank Scarola, Owner, Scarola Vineyards

For this week's holiday edition of the Q&A, we pose our questions to Frank Scarola of Scarola Vineyards, a still-new producer that definitely flies under the radar. The wines are made at Wolffer Estate under the watchful eye of Roman Roth, but the Scarola family has plans for a tasting room on the North Fork, hopefully soon. As with many new producers, they are playing the waiting game with the New York State Liquor Authority. In the meantime, the wines are available directly from the Scarola and at a few shops in the tri-state area.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
It was in the summer of 1975 in Bari, Italy. I was living with my aunt and uncle and they served wine every day for lunch and dinner. Serving soda was considered a luxury at that time, not to mention a mismatch to their fabulous food. So it wasn’t a single bottle that I remember but more of a concentrated exposure to the wonderful world of wine. Latter on, when I got older, I came to understand that I was drinking blends of Moscato and Malvasia Nera.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
From an employment perspective the technology field was hit hard in the years 2001-2002 soon after the Y2K bug fixes were completed. I had been in the technology field for about 25 years at that time and was simply trying to determine what to do for the second half of my life. After learning about many new Long Island winery start-ups I was determined to give it a try on my own. If you love what you do -- you don’t have to work a day in your life.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Of course I like all my wines but I am especially fond of the 2004 Masseria Merlot. There’s been a noticeable transformation over the last year or so. The 2004 Merlot is blended with 17% Cabernet Franc and has a long -- somewhat peppery finish. The finish of a wine is important to me. Think of a fireworks finale or the encore of your favorite concert. It’s what you remember most and take away with you.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Long Island wine community?
The biggest surprise has been the amount of support from the LI wine community. From Louisa Hargrave to the newest winery start-up to the LI Wine Council you feel as if you are part of team. Everyone wants each other to share in the success and promotion of the Long Island wine industry.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
There’s nothing better than a nice cold beer after a hard day’s work. As for wine, my favorite is Amarone – a rich, dry red Italian wine with great body. It’s made from grapes that have been dried on racks.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I don’t enjoy chocolate, or any sweets for that matter, with desert wine. Individually they need to stand on their own. I’ll have one or the other but never both together. I find the flavors to be competing as opposed to complementing each other.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Here’s my ultimate wine drinking scenario. Picture yourself at round wooded table so that you can see and here everyone. You’re with 5 of your favorite people. No more than that because then it gets complicated. There are 5 glasses of different wines in front of each person. In the middle of the table you see an assortment of appetizers, anti-pasta, and small plates. Behind you are 2 servers - one to serve the wine and the other to replenish the food. The final blend is enjoyable boisterous conversation as you smell and feel the roaring fire next to you.

Quick Q&A with Carlo DeVito, Owner, Hudson-Chatham Winery

For this week's Q&A, we pose our questions to Carlo DeVito, an author, publishing professional, blogger and yes, winery owner. He, with his wife Dominique, owns Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY, one of the Hudson Valley's newest wineries.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
I have been trying and tasting and drinking wine since I was a kid. It was always at our family table. Italian. French. Californian. I've tasted some wonderful California cult wines and First Growth Bordeaux.

But I do remember my first bottle of New York State wine, which I bought at the Union Square Greenmarket. I was 24 years old, and I had my first job in publishing and my take home was $700 a month. It was Hunt Country Vineyards Table Red. I was co curious. I remember taking it back to my apartment and had it with a baguette, an apple, and some hard salami. I put an album on the turntable (CD players were too expensive), and drank. It wasn't the best wine I had ever had, but I remember thinking it was very drinkable, and was so surprised you could find a drinkable red in New York. It was affordable and a real eye opener. I was so impressed with myself on this new find. I brought it to a dozen dinner parties with other relatively poor publishing assistants, who were equally impressed. It was a conversation starter. I met Art Hunt only about a year ago, and I remember I told him how important it was to me. He laughed.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I loved going to wineries early on. I used to ride my 10 Speed bike from Trenton NJ to the shore in the summer time (my Breaking Away period), and I would ride by Cream Ridge Winery. It was on the way to the Jersey shore. Tom Amibile had started it. And when I was old enough I started to visit other wineries...Hopkins, Haight, and DeGrazia in Connecticut. Unionville in New Jersey. Sakonnet in Rhode Island.

Some of these were small, and I remember saying to myself, that thought it would be fun to do this. And when I wrote the East Coast Wineries book, after interviewing so many winemakers and tasting so many wines, I had the ridiculous idea, "I could do that." What an audacious idea. I look back even after these 3 1/2 years, and I am astonished at my brazen stupidity. There are days I want to ask my wife Dominique, "Why didn't you stop me?" However, I knew one of the reasons my wife and I were together was because deep down she was just as fascinated with it as I was. I knew she was hooked when for our 10th wedding anniversary, I told her we could go anywhere in the world. She responded by saying she wanted to do the wine camp in Long Island. And I remember saying, "We can go anywhere in the world, and you want to go to Long Isalnd?" She loved the week long adventure, touring all the wineries and tasting the wines. She's always been a good partner that way and we are a team...through France, California, Spain, Italy, Chile, the East Coast. But when I look back I know it goes back to that first half-dozen east coast wineries I visited, and I know that's where I first got the bug. The presses, and the barrels, and the vineyards. And once you fall in love with it...you're screwed.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
I have two answers here. I love our Baco Noir. We took such special care in preparing it. It was hand-grown, hand-cared for, and hand-picked on a single, small, private vineyard. We avoided pumping at all costs. We blended the best two of three lots, and it was the first reserve wine we have produced at the winery. We are very proud of it. I think in future years we will be able to create a truly great wine. And while I am very proud of our merlot and cab franc, the other thing I am proud of is our Paperbirch Raspberry Fine Ruby.

I originally started making it as a blend of other wines. I made it at home and served it during the holidays. Dominique my wife thought I was nuts. And then when we opened the winery we started making each of the components ourselves. And then blending them. We made a number of mistakes, including not adding brandy to some of our first attempts (by accident) and seeing the results splattered all over the tasting room after they exploded. But the final product has been a big hit. And to think I first started making it in my basement.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Hudson Valley wine community?
I am constantly surprised by the history of the region and it's agricultural legacy as well as it's prowess. It is home to countless small dairies and creameries...goat, sheep, cow. The cheeses are incredible. The CSAs are numerous and incredible. The CIA is up here. It's an absolutely thriving community of artisans, farmers, chefs and people who appreciate such things. I am also always absolutely astonished how helpful many of the winemakers are. I was not prepared for the level of assistance and general goodwill that is shared within that community. Yes, all have some competitive streak, but they are always ready to help each other, especially the new people. Advice. Information. Equipment. Products. Contacts. It's very, very refreshing, after coming from such competitve industries as publishing and fashion.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Kistler Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pahlmeyer reds and chardonnay. Sin Que Non reds. Stags Leap Petitie Syrah. Turley Zinfandel. Duckhorn Merlot. Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon. Montes Alpha M. Don Melchor from Concha Y Toro. Any Suaterns 20 years old or older. Jamesport and Oak Summit Pinot Noirs. Elk Run (MD) Vin de Glace. Vahalla (VA) meritage. Barboursville Barberas and Nebbiolos. Eve's Cidery Iced Apple Cider. Sparkling from Sakonnet (RI) and French Creek (PA). Benmarl Baco Noir. Raphael Merlot. Dry Blueberry from Bartlet Estates (ME) Almost any Amarone. For beers,  Sammuel Smith Taddy Porter and Imperial Stout. Lindemann's Frambois. Anything from Brooklyn Brewery and Stoudt's. Pilsner Urquell. Rolling Rock.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I don't eat liver. I hate ice cubes in my wine. I can't swallow room temperature beer or whites.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Good wine needs only one thing... good friends or a beautiful woman (in my case, my wife). A Sauternes with foie gras is one of my favorite experiences in life, Or an ice wine or port with a blue cheese on raisin bread. Champagne and caviar. A cab and a Pittsburgh-style steak.

But I don't want to eat it alone. For me good wine requires good food and family and/or friends to share it with. I always have food with my wine. I rarely drink alone (except for an occasional beer). My best memories are laughing, talking, arguing, with my wife in a cozy hotel room, or at the dinner table, and smiling, and drinking wine. There is nothing better than sharing some of our favorite wines with other people we know and love, Comparing the sensations and tastes, and discussing anything from the important to the frivolous, that's wine. Anything else, and you can just have a diet coke.

Quick Q&A with Lisa Donneson, Proprietor, Bouke Wines

To re-start the Q&A series here on LENNDEVOURS, I asked Lisa Donneson, proprietor of Bouke Wine, our standard set of questions. If you haven't heard of Bouke yet, check them out. Lisa, with veteran winemaker Gilles Martin, is making some interesting, affordable wines meant for everyday consumption.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
When I was on the Experiment in International Living as a teenager, my Italian host family poured red wine into my water glass as a natural course of events. They also introduced me to tripe and pigeon, but I didn’t know enough Italian to probe, nor did they want to dig into the dictionary to tell me what was on the plate. All smiles, you know!

 What event/bottle/etc. made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
The first time I ever walked onto a vineyard was in Val de Pesa, Chianti Classico, where I went grape picking with my husband on our first date. The excitement, romance and memory of the sunlight and views have stayed with me all these years.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
The red is the most serious of the three, and is evolving into a wine on a higher plane. Wine store proprietors and wine educators think the rosé is a killer wine. Bloggers like the white best because it is truly delightful, subtley aromatic, and food-friendly, which is exactly what I wanted to achieve with Bouké. Consumers like them about equally – I know, because I received ratings from Wine Fellows at a 3-day tasting event. I love them all (my babies!), but I’m particularly fond of the rosé. I love its aromas, volume, complexity and finish. It think it’s a seductive wine.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the LI wine community?
The community is supportive of one another and is becoming more cohesive. At the end of a tasting event, I trade wines with other wineries. It’s interesting to see what they created from the same raw materials.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the summer. Côte Rotie, Rioja and Burgundy for special occasions in the winter. Chianti any time.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Blue cheese with the remaining red wine at the end of a multi-course, formal meal. As long as you’re going the whole nine yards, I would transition into a sweet wine.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, location, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
The memory of aromas and their associations are very powerful. Great wine experiences start with the pleasure of the wine’s aromas and taste of the accompanying food, but also the light surrounding you and the people you share it with. Imagine the salty smell of the ocean at a beach picnic in the Hamptons with a lobster roll and crisp local white wine. Think of a sunset barbecue on the North Fork, with a glass or rosé in your hand and someone incredibly interesting standing right in front of you. Remember the plump tomatoes at the end of the summer, cooking pappa al pomodoro with friends, sipping red wine and simply enjoying each others’ company.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: John Zuccarino, Silver Springs Winery

John Zuccarino, who owns Silver Springs Winery in the Finger Lakes, is the subject of today's LENNDEVOURS Q&A. In addition to his duties in the vineyard and in the winery, John also does some online wine education videos and is one of the only New York winery owners to use Twitter.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? 

Growing up in a European-cultured family, you drank wine as far back as you can remember. One memory comes to mind when I was very young sitting at the table in the summer having red wine poured into a bowl and slicing up fresh peaches that went into the bowl. After eating the peaches and drinking that wine... I told myself this will someday be my life too following the family tradition making wine.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?

I can remember a friend brought over a very nice bottle of wine. I was with my grandfather at the time...he opened it and all I could think of was after tasting it that our wine has life, body and spirit and this expensive bottle was just okay...at that point I knew our family with hundreds of years producing wine could do things better.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?

Bold Merlot because you can age it for well over 20 years and it spent 2.25 years in older French Allier oak. The wine just keeps building in the glass.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wines community?

The lack of coordination between the lakes. You have three wine trails and then UncorkNY.org all running redundancies. If you were to combine the whole operation you could save over $500k a year in redundancies and spend that money on a well-coordinated program and work all as one. It's simple -- they are using Adam Smith's flawed economic model rather that Dr. John Nash's economic model that won him the Nobel prize in economics...the movie "A Beautiful Mind" tells it all.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?

Zinfandel. it's just in my blood as I was raised on copious amounts of this wine. The wine is very dynamic and very under valued.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?

All wine can be paired properly... but don't serve me a Gewürztraminer unless it's an ice wine. There is a chemical in that wine grape that just doesn't hit me right.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience for you.

Wine is the catalyst for very good conversations. I find it brings out the best in people...so most any wine anywhere with or without food, but with a good conversation there nothing close to it.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A, Jared Skolnick, President and Co-Founder, Grand Cru Classes

Today we put the LENNDEVOURS Q&A questions in front of Jared Skolnick, president and co-founder of Grand Cru Classes, in Mattituck. Grand Cru Classes is the East End's only dedicated wine education company and, along with his wife Tracy Ellen Kamens, I think Jared is onto something. He's also a fellow lover of earthy local cab franc and the Steelers. Clearly this Q&A is long overdue.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?

La Fiole du Pape, Chateauneuf du Pape from Pere Anselme over a holiday dinner in around 1980. It was a typical family holiday, but for some reason, the mood was just right, that my dad pulled two of these from his small collection. The wine on our dinner table otherwise was usually in a box, and these bottles were given to my father years earlier as a gift, so he was holding them for a special occasion. 

I can remember precisely the wine because it was twisted and dusty -- and I found it again a few years ago. Apparently, the "old" bottle is just a marketing trick! But, either way, it was memorable in the way many wines are -- because of the festivities and company as much as the wine.  (BTW -- I was about ten years old and took one sip.  I hated it!)

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry? 

Two things led me and Tracy down this path. The first was how we always found vineyards on every vacation.  Finding a vineyard in France or Italy is hardly a surprise. But North Carolina? Rhode Island? That did it. So probably Sakonnet Winery in Rhode Island.

The other more direct catalyst was January 2005. I was at a new job and was absolutely miserable... so much that I felt ill each morning from negative anticipation. Tracy suggested that I simply quit, "we'll figure it out," she said. So I did. On the L.I.E. that night out to spend the weekend in Southold with Tracy's parents we considered options, including "moving to Oregon to buy a vineyard." Sanity took over and we came up with a more calculated way to enter the industry. And possibly even make a profit. 

New LI Wine Blog: Cellarette by Eileen Duffy

Eileen Duffy is well known on Long Island's East End. She co-owns a wine shop in Westhampton, has been a writer and editor for a local newspaper and, now, is the Sommelier at The Frisky Oyster (beware: annoying website) in Greenport, NY. And now, she's joined the blogging world with Cellarette. Her foray into blogging will chronicle her work at 'the Frisky', her journey on the way to a Master of wine, and (we can hope) a lot of information on local wines.

She has also inspired me to bring back the LENNDEVOURS Q&A series, where I ask a few questions of people in New York wine country.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?

Someone had given my non-wine enthusiast parents a bottle of 1970 Mouton Rothschild -- the one with the Chagall label -- for a present. It sat in the basement for years until I was in high school. I convinced my mother to open it. It was vinegar. But something made me want to open it. Before that, there was the jug "Rhine Wine" that I ended up throwing up when I was in junior high.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?

I always waited tables while I was in school; the wine thing grew out of that. In an effort to get out of the restaurant business, my ex and I bought a wine shop. But now I'm baaack. Also, I am extremely sensitive to smells. This is a good way to take advantage of that.

Which of your current wines at Frisky is your favorite and why?

At the Frisky Oyster, the wine list is designed to be in constant flux. We buy one case of something (two if it's local wine) and then change it out. This keeps me busy tasting. Right now there's a Ferrer Bobet 2005 Priorat on deck to be on the list. It's such a beautiful wine; the first vintage from two young men who are looking to do nothing more than create beautiful wine from the steep hills of Priorat. It's old vines carignane, grenache, syrah and cab. So mineral and linear with complex fruit flavors that end up rounding it out. We recently poured the Bedell 2007 First Crush red by the glass. Made by John Levenberg, it's a delicious, simple, ready to drink wine from a great vintage. The cab franc/merlot blend could easily be someone's house wine.

What has surprised you most about being a sommelier (and shop owner) on Long Island?

The wine world is small. And that people consistently confuse fruity wine with sweet wine. "Is it dry?" is a question I get a lot. I usually throw something in about residual sugar, but it invariably gets me nowhere.

When you're not drinking wine, what other beverage most often fills your glass?

Right now it's water. Oh yeah, and after a trip to Mexico in January, tequila.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?

I rarely opt for a California cabernet. Lettie Teague wrote something in the last Food & Wine asking sommeliers which wines they hated. One said all California Cab tastes the same. I had to agree.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.

On a trip to Italy in Modena,  I ate tortelloni with a reduced balsamic vinegar sauce and drank with it a Lambrusco.  The dish was on nearly every menu in town, so it must be like pizza in New York, the competition makes it so good. I still think about it.
Other than that, I can always think of a reason to open a bottle of Champagne.

Don't forget to check out Eileen's blog Cellarette.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Kelly Urbanik, Assistant Winemaker, Bedell Cellars

On Long Island, as in most wine regions, the 'stars' are the winemakers, but you rarely hear much about the assistant winemakers and other cellar rats who work hard to produce the wines we enjoy so much.

With that in mind, I decided to get in touch with Kelly Urbanik, assistant winemaker at Bedell Cellars and ask her our usually batch of questions.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
The first wines I remember drinking were the home wines that my Dad and Grandpa made together. My grandpa had a small vineyard, and our whole family helped to make the wine and take care of the vineyard. It was so much fun…we didn’t realize that it was work!

Besides that, the first bottle of wine I can remember drinking would be the Louis Martini Moscato…it was my Grandma’s favorite.  We would drink it on special family occasions. Even the kids got to taste a little bit, and we loved it because it smelled wonderful and tasted so sweet.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Roman Roth, Winemaker, Wolffer Estate

Today's Q & A is with one of my favorite people in Long Island wine, Roman Roth. He's the winemaker at Wolffer Estate in the Hamptons as well as at Roanoke Vineyards on the North Fork. He has also served (and still serves) as a consultant for several other producers, including Shinn Estate and Scarola Vineyards. But, the reason I enjoy him so much is that, despite being a bit of a superstar winemaker locally, he's extremely down to earth, genuine and quite funny.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
At my parents home in--lets say 1971--a taste of a bottle of Rosentaler Kardarka, a red that is a bit sweet from Bulgaria. I think the German wines were too sour for my soft little palate back then.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Dancing with the beautiful wine queen from the Mosel when I was 15 years old.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
The Estate Selection Chardonnay 2003, which has it all. Rich, vibrant, concentrated, great acidity, great minerality, classic sur lee notes. A wine that will age for many years that is absolutely food friendly.

What has surprised you most about being a winemaker on Long Island?
How long it took to convince New Yorkers that we make  world-class wine.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Weizenbeer, German Rieslings from Rheingau, Barolos and Burgundies.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Red wine with bad/cheep chocolate is the worst combination. The cocoa content has to be at least 70% to be a great combination.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Tasting Champagne in the Champagne region while on private tour of the Champagne house with the owner/winemaker.

Drinking Sauternes together with my wife Dushy and Richie Pisacano in Bordeaux while having a picnic on the side of the road.

Any wine tasting together with my cousin and wine enthusiast Karlheinz. When at family get together we are having a spontaneous shoot out between my brother and my mother and me...of who can bring out the best wine and top the previous one. This can go on till the deep hours of the night.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Peter Carroll, Owner, The Lenz Winery

It's been a while since we've done a LENNDEVOURS Q&A, so I tracked down Peter Carroll, who owns The Lenz Winery.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
The first bottle of wine I remember TASTING, was a bottle of 3-Franc rot gut that I bought in Calais in 1962 when I was 13 years old and on a day trip to France organized by my school.  We tasted it back in England and I can still recall the ‘volatile acidity’ (acetic acid, or vinegar flavor).

But the first bottle of wine I remember drinking in the sense you probably mean was a Chateau Yon-Figeac (probably a 1965-68 vintage).  I was just starting my first job in 1973 and finally could spend more than 10 shillings for a bottle of plonk.  The merchant said this particular wine “opened in the mouth like a peacock’s tail”.  And so it did.  I have been impressed with the power of auto-suggestion ever since!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
The event that made me enter the wine business was selling a house I owned in Westhampton Beach in 1983, just as the North Fork wine business was getting going. I decided to invest the profit from that real estate transaction, all $115,00 of it, into a vineyard and winery in Peconic. I had noticed the early vineyards going in and my interest in wine had been growing since that Yon-Figeac.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
My current Lenz favorite is the 2001 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon.  Why?  Because it’s just a very, very good wine.  And growing cabernet is challenging on the east end of Long Island--even on the warmer North Fork.  So producing one that is deep and rich and age-worthy is a real achievement. Thanks Sam (McCullough), our vineyard manager.

What has surprised you most about being a winery owner on Long Island?
How long everything takes.  When you decide to change a particular policy, it takes forever before it makes any appreciable difference in the marketplace.

For example, Lenz is generally credited with learning why the early wines on Long Island were having a problem.  The soil here is high in aluminum.  Aluminum is toxic to vines, even in small quantities, but it is generally ‘unavailable’ to the vine roots...provided the soil acidity is not too great.  But our acidity level is naturally high and had been raised further by the potato/cauliflower agriculture that generally preceded the grapevines.  The acidity/aluminum problem was affecting the vines pretty badly.

We figured out the problem and hit on a solution easily enough, in about 1989--Put a lot of lime on the ground to lower the acidity and render the aluminum inert.  We decided to speed the process by using granular lime (more expensive) and cutting it deep into the soil rather than using only surface lime and waiting for its effect to sink down to the roots.

By 1993-1995 this had made a huge difference and the wines we released in 1995-1997 were of vastly higher quality than anything that went before. This illustrates how a change in the vineyard can take nearly a decade to reach the consumer.  When someone tasted a Lenz Merlot in 1997 and said, “Whoa! This is pretty good stuff!”, the origins of the improvement were way back in 1989!

This has taught me patience.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Other that our own wine, the things that we serve in our house are Pilsner Urquell beer, Brooklyn Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Alsatian rieslings, Alsatian pinot gris, New Zealand sauvignon blancs, and gin, the kind with lots of juniper flavor, and tonic.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
No. But if I stretch, I guess I'd say Sauternes with seared foie gras. But to be honest, the problem I have here is less the combination than, remember that I'm English, that the foie gras just needs to be cooked more.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
First, I definitely agree with the premise. I invariably enjoy Lenz wines more when I drink them at a restaurant than when I taste them at the winery with Eric (Fry, the winemaker). In the latter case, the purpose of tasting is invariably to judge the wine in some respect. Such tasting is generally critical. There's little sense of just leaning back and enjoying it.

The key, I think, is relaxation. A perfect setting might involve dinner at the end of a day in which much else has been accomplished, with a mixture of family and friends plus at least one new acquaintance around the table. The food, too, might be a blend of old and new--dishes I knew I liked but with some new ingredients or a new approach to preparation.

And nothing to get up at 5 a.m. the new morning for. That helps!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Bridget Micieli-Martinez, Tasting Room Manager, Palmer Vineyards

We continue our Q&A series, where we bring the people behind Long Island wine to you, with Bridget Micieli-Martinez, who runs the tasting room at Palmer Vineyards.

When I first met Bridget, she was still Bridget Quinn and she was working at Martha Clara Vineyards. But, in recent months she's not only taken over the room at Palmer Vineyards but also gotten married. And, if your recognize her new last name, it's because I've written about her husband Juan Micieli-Martinez several times. He's the winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards.

As you can probably guess from the Halloween picture Bridget sent me to run with this Q&A, she's a fun person. And, take it from me, she speaks her mind.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
First year of college LSU...magnums of Vendage merlot and cabernet sauvignon on pizza night. The next year I came home to New     Orleans and I was hired for my first waitressing job. We had tastings of     Ferrari Carrano Fume Blanc, Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Ravenswood Zin -- all at     Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Um hate to say it, but an ex-boyfriend turned me on to the finer     selections - Chateau de Beaucastle, Chateaunefu de Pape, Italian     Amarone's.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Shinn's (Juan's)     Rose. It's dry with hint of creaminess. Ummm its just delicious. To me it     tastes like vanilla and strawberries...not just summer sipping but year-round for sure.

What has surprised you most about being a winery employee on Long Island?
The clientele I guess. I was expecting that they would be more     educated about wine and more receptive. But a lot of people come out     with their city attitude and regiment--they are in a rush or drunk. I     feel that a quality experience should take time and you should enjoy rather     that rushing around trying to visit as many as you can before they close     their doors for the day.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Any seasonal from Southampton Publick House. My favorite is Saison     or Grand Cru.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Not one that I can think of, I will eat anything. Come     on, I am from New Orleans!

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Sunday afternoon in     New Orleans with old friends and family, preferably a pool or breeze at     least, light chesses, fresh fruit and many bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon     Blanc. Kim Crawford will do. That just gets us warmed up for     dinner!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Alexandra Macari, co-owner, Macari Vineyards

For this episode of LENNDEVOURS Q&A, we talk to Alexandra Macari, co-owner of Macari Vineyards in Mattituck.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
At home with my parents at around age 8. My parents drank wine every night with dinner -- "Trapiche" chardonnay from Argentina of course! They would let us have some but it had to be mixed with club soda and in those days it was in the siphons.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I was put into this job I really didn't have anytime to decide. Moving out from the city and leaving my full-time nursing job lead to helping my husband just a little bit turned into a full-time, year-round job (yikes).

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Cabernet franc. I love the earthiness-spice qualities and when matched with Asian Indian foods even better.

What has surprised you most about being a winery owner on Long Island?
The diversity of the job and the full-time, year-round aspect. At one time, when we first started nine years ago we would close the tasting room because it was so slow in the winter (great time for family vacations), Now there seems to be no down time.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Rose Champagne.   Aperol and club soda with a sliced orange (yumm).   Bombay and tonic.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Ports at the end of a heavy meal. After too many glasses of great wines it always seems to be the one that puts me over. The next day is tough.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Some of the best and spontaneous wine and food dinners have been here at the winery. My husband Joe will start the wood burning oven outside and some great wino and foodie friends come over everyone pitches in all different delicious-but-simple  foods and many bottles of wines are set on the table.

Our kids come over  we eat we drink and celebrate the sense of  enjoyment of  food and wine while watching the sunset over the vines

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Christopher Watkins, Director of Operations, Roanoke Vineyards

You probably recognize the name Christopher Watkins. Not only is he the new director of ops at Roanoke Vineyards, but LENNDEVOURS readers will also now this writer/musician/artist as our poet laureate. He also happens to be one of my favorite people in our local wine country...and he's someone with the energy and ideas to really help the industry grow and move to the next level.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? 
When I was 9-10 years old, my parents and I lived in Italy for a year (Florence, Venice and Rome), and we quickly learned from my father’s Italian friends that it was quite often the custom for children to have a little wine with dinner alongside the adults. I still remember the first time my parents poured wine into my glass at table; we were staying in a little villa up a hill overlooking the Duomo in Florence that belonged to a professor my father knew, and it was summer. I have no idea what the bottle was, but the look of it in the glass, the feel of holding the thin stem, the shrill bite of the wine in my cheeks, and the quick flush that came to my cheeks, was a thrill that’s yet to leave me.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
There was a club in San Francisco that I used to perform at quite regularly, and the owner was a serious wine enthusiast. He went on to open a wine bar nearby, and got actively involved in wine buying for the restaurant. We had become solid friends, and eventually he invited me to come up to Napa and Sonoma with him to go tasting and purchasing. Being that he was in the industry, and the owner of an already successful wine bar that served only Californian wines (still a rarity in the early 90s) we were consistently given the behind-the-scenes VIP treatment; barrel samples, new vintages, library wines, etc. It occurred to me then that if ever I wanted to leave the life of a touring musician behind, wine would be a damn find place to land.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
I’m currently very into our new Roanoke Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite the relative youth of the vintage, the wine is already showing intensely flavorful aromatics, and a fair amount of muscle as well. The architecture of the wine is superlative, and I am enjoying tremendously the opportunity to re-taste this wine day in and day out, watching its moves, admiring its development, and savoring its complexity. Plus, to but it bluntly, I am quite often capable of being a bit of a tannin freak, and I love the interleaving of strength and subtlety these tannins exhibit. 

What has surprised you most about being a winery employee on Long Island?
How much I still have to learn! Between Richard Pisacano’s regional knowledge and experience, and Roman Roth’s Old World training and New World Skills, I constantly feel like I am studying at the feet of masters I can only hope to someday emulate. 

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
For Reds, I am a big fan of South African Pinotage and Syrah, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon), Paso Robles Zinfandel (California), Italian Multipulciano D’Abruzzo, Chilean Carmenere, and Sonoma Petite Syrah (California). Specifically, Southern Right Pinotage, Bradgate Syrah, Sylvan Ridge Pinot Noir, Rosenblum Zinfandel, La Valentina Multipulciano D’Abruzzo, Apaltagua Carmenere, and Quivira Petite Syrah.

For whites, my absolute favorite sparkler in the world is a Spanish cava from Gramona. I also love Italian Lacryma Christi Del Vesuvio, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Babich is a great and inexpensive staple), and many, many Spanish Albarinos.

And all the other good wine in the world. Like Grgich Cabernet Sauvignon. Man, that’s good stuff. Did I mention El Malbec de Ricardo Santos? You haven’t truly drunk Argentinean Malbec until you’ve dealt with Ricardo Santos. I also enjoy very, very dry Vodka Martinis, with at least three good olives, preferably organic, from Santa Barbara, California.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy? 
At the risk of sounding pugnacious, spoiled, dismissive, or just plain arrogant, I pay almost no attention to “classic” pairings whatsoever. I pair what I believe works, and rarely if ever follow any other model. Wow, that does sound precious, doesn’t it? Ah well…

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Drinking a delicious bottle of wine with my lovely fiancée Amy Marinelli, anywhere, anytime, is always a magic experience. And if Son House just happened to come back from the dead to play guitar and sing with us, well, that’d be alright too. Or if we could go back in time to about the 8th or 9th century, such that we could be sitting outside Han-Shan’s cave in the Chinese mountains, drinking whatever kind of wine it was he was drinking while he wrote his Cold Mountain poems, I s’pose that’d be good as well. As long as Amy was there. And Han-Shan.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Barb Smithen, Co-Owner of Sherwood House Vineyards

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
My first glass or bottle of wine was Chateau Latour 1949. My mother received a case for Christmas and I remember her saying it was a real treat. This was in 1973. The next week I had a friend who was barbecuing. We had the best hamburgers with this wine. I didn't realize how expensive this bottle was, but everybody else did!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My husband and I were in France visiting the vineyards and we went to Chateau Beaucastel. we sat out on their veranda and said how great it would be to have a vineyard in our own backyard.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
My favorite wine of ours is our library wine, 2000 Merlot. It is very smooth and exceptional. I'm sorry I didn't put away 35 cases. I only have 8 cases left.

What has surprised you most about being a vineyard owner on Long Island?
What has surprised me the most owning a vineyard in this region is the quality of wine produced here. The wines are getting better and better and we are being recognized as a first-class region. We have met some wonderful people being in the wine industry. Our loyal customers are so knowledgeable about wine and continue to follow us and are always interested in our future releases.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
My husband and I love Sauternes. I have bought ice wine from every vineyard on the North Fork. I think they are wonderful, and I hope someday we produce one ourselves.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I am not fond of turkey with Chardonnay. I prefer a red, although a chardonnay is often paired with Thanksgiving dinner.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
I suppose that when people are on vacation, they are more likely to enjoy the dining experience much better. There is no stress and one takes in the beauty of their surroundings. France is one of those places we have traveled to frequently and subsequently have bought a house. Going to the markets every day and getting fresh produce, cheese and local wine has always been great for us. But, I must say that my husband and I have challenged ourselves on the North Fork. We try to prepare foods grown (on) and only drink wines from Long Island. Great produce, cheese and wine are right outside our back door. Long Island has it all. With the help of certain people (David Page and Barbara Shinn of Shinn Estate Vineyards) show us how to cook with all these elements. The local restaurants are also helpful. The ultimate wine and dining experience is outside in our garden looking out on our vineyard and saying to each other "our dream came true!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Gary Madden, GM at Lieb Family Cellars

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
I was in grad school working at an expensive downtown restaurant in Chicago (called Nick's Fishmarket, originally from Honolulu), managing the service bar where all the wine was stocked, and the conductor of the Chicago Symphony came in with guests, ordered two each of spectacular wines and left half the wines for the staff -- a Lafite Rothschild (1976 maybe?), a Chevalier Montrachet, and a German Bernkastel Docktor. I was only 22 and could never afford wines like that!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
A long-term hobby that I nurtured while working in the computer biz in California, I thought the idyllic gentleman farmer/winemaker would be a great business to retire into.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Lieb Pinot Blanc -- our oldest vines, extremely food friendly, great expression of the terroir of the region and our vineyard.

What has surprised you most about being a winery GM on Long Island?
Well its not the idyllic farm life. It's really hard work (agriculture) and the marketing and distribution side of the business is extremely competitive. It's such a heavily regulated industry that it's tantamount to government approved favoritism towards the largest producers and distributors. But now you have me up on my soapbox...

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
A good German or Belgian beer, and I am also learning about artisanal sake.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I'm not into the big red wine and beef experience. I find the wines sometimes overbearing but the main reason is beef is a special occasion food.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Wine for me is part of the excitement of travel. Wherever I go I try to sample the local wines as well as local food and culture. I have gone to Burgundy and Alsace in France, probably a dozen AVAs in California, Finger lakes in NY, and northwest regions in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. I have even combined camping, backpacking, and motorccyle touring with wine adventures. Combining wine with other adventures keeps it all fresh, otherwise I'd probably get all wine'd out!