New York Cork Report

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Tom Mansell

This morning's TasteCamp interview is with one of my favorite new bloggers and someone who brings something unique to the blogosphere.

Tom Mansell's blog Ithacork is one that I visit every morning and is one of the blogs that I learn the most from.

You see, Tom is a PhD candidate in chemical engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  Last spring he took a course in wine chemistry and since then has been borderline obsessed with the science of wine and winemaking. His blog focuses on Finger Lakes wines and always includes a "Science!" section, which is where I always learn something new.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
Yes. My only previous visit to Long Island was to attend a Hofstra lacrosse game with my college pep band.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?
Only a couple. You don't see too much Long Island wine up here in the Finger Lakes.

I had had a few of the Channing Daughters wines (loved the Meditazione) before when Larry Perrine gave a presentation to a wine class I was TAing. At the NY Wine Industry Workshop in April I tasted Raphael, Paumanok, and Channing Daughters sauvignons blancs and was very impressed.

After tasting a larger sampling of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?
Like any wine region there are wines that are good and wines that don't really do so well. 

While I had quite a few that were good, I also had a few that I really wasn't impressed with. Nothing really made me go absolutely bonkers, but nothing was vile rotgut either. Lots of winemakers are expanding their grape repertoire, which I like, especially since it is such a young region. One thing that impressed me (thanks to the amount of verticals we had) was the ability of the region to make wines that age well. The Pellegrini 1993 was still holding its color and structure very well. 

I think with a little bit of time (and with some energetic and enthusiastic winemakers, some of which we definitely met) Long Island is going to figure out how to make some awesome wine.

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?
The sauvignon blanc at Paumanok was really nice (nice enough for me to cough up the $28 on a grad student stipend) and was in good company with some of the other sauvignon blancs I had. 

I was also impressed with the petit verdot that some folks were producing. When blended in the right proportions, it can add a lot of dimension to the wines. Coming from the Finger Lakes, I already knew the potential of cool-climate cabernet franc, so I wasn't surprised to have had some good ones.

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?
Obviously the flagship grape of the region is merlot, so I was keen to try some. And we did. A lot. 

And we had some good ones and bad ones. What the winemakers seem to be going for is consistent, red and blue fruit with a gripping astringency and a hint of vegetal/pepper character, which to me is not a mortal sin. Several times in my notes I wrote "another LI merlot...".  Some were exceptional (the top-shelf stuff at Wölffer was the best merlot of the trip), but many were average. 

The big disappointment for me, though, was the chardonnay. Oak city, USA, with little acid to back it up. And it seems like every producer makes one. The few aromatic whites (riesling and Gewurztraminer) that I had left me craving acid as well. I guess I am spoiled by FL riesling :) .

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?
I would have to say it's a tie between Paumanok and Channing Daughters.  Kareem Massoud and Chris Tracy may have differing philosophies about some technologies, but they are both innovators, trying new viticultural and enological methods in order to produce the best wine that they can. I went in to the trip liking these two producers and my mind has not been changed.

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be?
I was blown away by the 2004 Premier Cru Merlot from Wölffer. It could have been the regal tasting room setting with Riedel glasses, or perhaps the presence of an obviously talented winemaker, but I really, really enjoyed it. 

I just wish I could afford to buy some! 

Long Island Wines at the U.S. Open 2009

Yesterday, Newsday reported that Long Island wines will be served at this year's U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park. Specifically, Bridge Vineyards wines will be served by the USGA caterers.

This is obviously a great deal for Bridge, which operates a vineyard on the North Fork and sells its wines both at the co-op The Tasting Room in Peconic and at it's own facility in Brooklyn. But wouldn't it be great if this arrangement included more than one Long Island winery so that attendees could taste a wide array of local wines during the tournament?

In addition to Bridge Vineyards' wines, local strawberries, lettuce and herbs will be used during the tournament.

Kudos to Senator Charles Schumer, the Long Island Wine Council and the Long Island Farm Bureau for making this happen. It'd be great to see the USGA adopt this model for all of its tournaments.

Sannino's Bella Vita Vineyard to Expand Operations

I heard last week that Sannino’s Bela Vita Vineyard, Long Island’s only custom winemaking facility for home vintners will be expanding its operations for 2009.

Owners (and great people) Anthony and Lisa Sannino have entered into a long-term arrangement with Ackerly Pond Vineyards to share production facilities and other space on Peconic Lane in Peconic.

You can think of Bella Vita as sort of a mini-, locally focused Crushpad, where you can make your own barrel (or partial barrel) of wine with locally grown fruit. I've made a few wines there and I've been very happy with the reds as they mature in bottle (they are from 2007).

Anthony and Lisa will be hosting a Grand Opening of our their custom winemaking center at Ackerly Pond on May 16-17 from 1-4 p.m. Anyone interested in making wine there in 2009 should definitely attend and you’ll be able to taste samples of 2008 wines.

Visit SanninoVineyard.com for details and to RSVP.

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Joe Roberts

On this beautiful Monday morning, we catch up with Joe Roberts, a fellow Pittsburgh Steelers fan who just happens to publish one of my favorite wine blogs, 1WineDude, which he sometimes describes as "Wine Edutainment for Intermediate Wine Lovers." 

Joe isn't a one-trick pony, however. He's a wine consultant and musician in the greater Philadelphia area, and holds the Level 3 Certificate in Wine & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). He is also a member of the U.S.-based Society of Wine Educators, holding their Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) qualification, and is a member of the Wine Century Club.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
Yeah -- fist time to LI wine country, though I have been on Long Island before (but only had the beer back then...). What struck me the most was how nice the folks were in the wineries and the restaurants. Also, I am finding it difficult to believe that I did not get pulled over once despite what seems like a ratio of 6 police cars for every 1 civilian automobile on LI.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?
Nope. I went into TasteCamp blind as a bat when it comes to Long Island wines. So I really had no impression of them one way or another, aside from some expectation-setting based on PA and VA wines. Like many, many other bloggers, the only information I've received on Long Ilsnad wines has really been through LENNDEVOURS.com.

After tasting a large sampling of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?
I was really pleasantly surprised by the wines that we tasted. We always hear about one Right Coast wine region being one cusp of really taking off, but Long Island is already "in flight" and in some cases is making amazing wine. I'm convinced that Long Island wines can have success in markets outside of the greater New York area.

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?
It's a tie. Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

I haven't tasted those two varieties exhibiting such good balance in wines made in the U.S. before. They show, I think, enormous potential and I'll bet if some of them were tasted blind against similar wines from Europe, the West Coast, Australia... only Europe would be able to beat them blind.

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?
Chardonnay, for sure. Not bad, but not distinct. Either they were uninteresting, or were decent but over-priced.

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?
Well, I suppose it's no surprise if you read my wrap-up on TasteCamp at 1WineDude.com that I was most impressed in general with Channing Daughters, and with Chris Tracy's approach (focus on maximizing the quality of the white wines, experimenting to find the right combination of varietal and LI terroir).

I'm sure a big part of it is that Chris and I seem to share similar views on the future of LI wines, etc. But hey, so I'm biased -- big deal. Having said that, it's worth pointing out that every single winemaker that we met impressed me in some way, shape or form. It's amazing to find a group of such inspired and inspiring people in one place. They really have something special there, and I hope they don't take it for granted.

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be? You LOVE this question, man... we can never get through a Twitter Taste Live event without you asking this... Of course, I love it because it forces me to focus and give detail behind my picks so you keep me honest!

Anyway... (I'm just stalling now....)...

It's a tie:

Channing Daughters 2007 Vino Bianco (for all the reasons described above - experimentation, Italian-inspired white wine focus, etc.)

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc (I know it's not released yet, but it was f--king sublime, I couldn't stop tasting it).

A close second was the current release of botrytized late-harvest wine from Wolffer, based soley on the pure honey finish that lasted for about a year (give or take a few months).

Sneaking NY Wines Into the Lineup

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Few things put a hop in my step like a tasting of cabernet franc from around the world. Before heading out to Wine Sense, an excellent wine shop on Rochester's Park Avenue, I noticed that the tentative tasting list did not include any New York cab franc. The shop's owner, Kristin Vanden Brul, is a strong supporter of New York wines, and I called to ask if I could bring a bottle to taste blind. She happily agreed; it's rather common at Kristin's tastings for enthuastic guests to bring a bagged bottle from their cellar. I did not tell her the bottle was from the Finger Lakes.

"You're sticking your neck out," my wife, Morgan, observed, noting that there was no guarantee that the dozen other guests would enjoy a New York cab franc.

When we arrived we saw that the tasting list had been updated to include a cab franc from Long Island: the Pellegrini Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc. Before we began, one of the guests told Kristin that he had never had a Finger Lakes cab franc, and he wondered if she could add one to the list. She replied that the Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Franc was a late addition to the menu as well -- an excellent choice. And then there would be my bagged wine. I was deeply curious to see how the NY wines would show.

The ebullient and ubiquitous Holly Howell led the tasting, and she soon found that the group was comprised of cab franc lovers. We began with a pair of slightly disappointing Chinons (both from 2007, and I admit that I don't know what that vintage was like). But a spicy, herbal Amirault Bourgueil raised the game considerably.

Next stop was Long Island. We were excited; most guests had either never had a New York state red wine or had not had one in many years. "I gave up on New York state almost 20 years ago," one man said. His tune was about to change.

The Pellegrini garnered quite a few raised eyebrows. Nicely structured and varietally on point, the only uniform complaint came from the finishing kick of vanilla. "I'm glad the oak didn't swamp it the whole way, but that's a lot of toast to finish," said the very sharp cab franc afficianado to my right. Disappointing finish aside, the wine showed depth and a nice balance of classic cab franc traits. It had me privately wishing we could have flown in a barrel sample of the Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007, which is earning gonzo reviews.

The cab franc tour then barnstormed through the regions that are turning out a wine that I would never associate with cab franc. Fig newtons and Raisinets are fine, but I hardly think of brown fruit when I think of cab franc. And yet the $47 Vignamaggio 2003 from Tuscany was massive and raisiny; the $45 Benegas 2003 from Argentina was rich with fig and vanilla, and the $47 Viader Dare 2004 from Napa was a bomb (though I confess I very much liked the leaner 2003 version of the same wine, a bonus that Kristin brought from her cellar).

By the time we arrived back in New York state, the Cab Franc lovers were ready for something more recognizable. Many were surprised to find it in the Finger Lakes, in the form of a ripe, spicy 2007 Damiani. The tasters loved the "good green" notes that were balanced by juicy dark fruits.

"After the Pellegrini and Damiani, what do you think of New York state now?" I asked the table's Doubting Thomas.

"I'm impressed," he said, smiling. "We've come a long way. I'll need to plan a few visits."

Not even Kristin and Holly knew what wine was in the brown bag being passed around for the final taste. Kristin had asked one of her staff to open it; she didn't want to know. She does an outstanding job of discerning a wine's origin, so I was curious to see what she would say. I only announced that I am afflicted with a deep love of cab franc, so I wanted to bring a bottle that is special to me for this tasting.

As the group studied the wine in the glass -- dark but not black -- I began to catalog their comments:

"Best nose of the night."

"A lot there. Smells like an herb garden."

"Well, we can rule out California!"

As they sipped and swished, they began to narrow the search. "Gotta be French," said Doubting Thomas. "I don't know about that," said the astute taster to my right. "I think it could be New York based on the wines we've had tonight. A very good New York."

"That would be neat," the man said, "but this is not a New York wine."

The group decision, led by Kristin, was that this was a "Loire from a ripe vintage." They were shocked to see that it was a Ravines Wines Cellars 2005 Meritage. Now, I cheated a bit, as this was not a pure cab franc (nor was the Pellegrini). But the blend was nearly 2/3 Cab Franc that year, with cab sauvignon and merlot finishing it off. And to me, it was a gorgeous showing of what a Finger Lakes blend, led by cab franc, can be.

2005 was a wonderfully balanced year, and the results were exciting. The tasters at Wine Sense agreed that this particular wine still had plenty of years left and was as complex and enjoyable as any they've had from New York state.

In the wake of Taste Camp East, it's fascinating to see where New York wines will take Cab Franc. It does not sell particularly well in the Finger Lakes and there was a glut of fruit last year that had trouble finding a buyer. In many parts of the Finger Lakes it is still over-cropped and thin -- perhaps frustrated growers will finally gear back the tons per acre. On Long Island it is not nearly as widely planted as other varieties. But when wine lovers get a taste of the strong vintages of NY Cab Franc (and trust me, I would not have brought 2006 to this group), the old ideas tend to fade away like the Labrusca vines that once dominated our land.

A Sunday Morning Picture

One of my favorite pictures from TasteCamp.

That's the lovely and talented Mrs. LENNDEVOURS on the left with Melissa Dobson to her left and Joe and Kerri Roberts from 1WineDude.

Friends of Sisson Family Fundraiser is TONIGHT @ Bedell Cellars

Just a quick reminder about the fundraiser for the family of Ben Sission tonight at Bedell Cellars.

From the event website:

The Sisson Family Fund has been set up in our friend Ben Sisson's memory to help financially support his wife Alice Wise and their children Ethan and Emma during these difficult times. Our primary goal is to enable Alice, Ethan and Emma to remain in their family home as the children mature and to allow the family to maintain a continuing quality of life within their community of family and friends. Our enduring friendship and love of Alice, Ben, Ethan and Emma will help Alice raise her beautiful children. Providing supplemental financial support is greatly needed over the next few years. We encourage all friends and family to attend our annual fundraiser in Ben Sisson's honor and to continue to tithe whenever possible. The joy Ben Sisson gave all of us in life, we can give back now, in love.

This event will be a celebration of Ben Sisson's life. It will be an opportunity to share your favorite stories with friends and colleagues. Wine and appetizers will be served at the beautiful Bedell Cellars tasting room, and a Silent Auction will be held with a variety of items donated for the cause.

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Lyle Fass

Today, talk with the one, the only Lyle Fass about his experiences at TasteCamp EAST 2009. Lyle has been in and around wine since he was 19. Of course he started drinking it when he was 21.

Most of his background is in retail buying for Crush, Chambers Street Wines and The Wine Shop in Manhattan. Before he arrived in NYC he he learned the ropes of retail in Boston at The Wine Press, Brookline Liquor Mart and The Wine Bottega.

His blog Rockss and Fruit has a loyal, devoted readership and has been featured numerous times in the paper of record, the New York Times.

His palate leans towards German Rieslings, the Loire, Burgundy, Austria and some Rhone plus many backwood appelation French Wines.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
Yes

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?
Yes I had. My impression was overoaked and insipid wines that really had no character.

After tasting a larger sample of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?
My new impression is that the wines have greatly improved but there still is a lot of work to be done.

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?
Chenin blanc. I do not understand why more is not planted.

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?
Merlot. The terroir just will not lift it to the heights of say St. Emillion or Pomerol. If the terroir you have is not perfect for merlot it turns out pretty boring which was my impression of most of the merlot I tasted. I did however like 2005 Paumanok as it was gritty, earthy and had lovely structure and was not trying to be something it was not.

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?
Shinn. No questions asked. Lunch, tasting and vineyard tour. Just like the Old World!

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be?
2005 Paumanok Merlot (White Label)

Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc

Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

There's been a lot of TasteCamp content this week (for obvious reasons) so let's get back to some of the actual wines being made in New York. Not that this wine doesn't have a TasteCamp connection -- we tasted this Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc ($32) on our visit to Roanoke Vineyards Saturday morning.

As you've probably read elsewhere, 2006 wasn't a great vintage for reds on Long Island. It was cooler growing season and was marked by a lot of overcast days and higher-than-average rainfall. Still, even in down years, the best producers put out quality wines, like this one.

The nose on this ruby-brick red shows sweet red fruit aromas -- cranberry and red cherry -- with vanilla, a bit too much oak, toasted nuts, tobacco leaf and hints of anise.

The medium-bodied palate is a little earthier than the nose, with the leafy, oaky notes more pronounced and fruit a bit subdued on the forepalate. The sweet vanilla cran-cherry flavors come back on the mid-palate and contnue through a medium-long finish, where they are joined by dusty earthy and cocoa powder flavors. The tannins are relatively light, but food-friendly acidity brings structure.

There might be a bit too much oak here for the fruit, but it's not over the top.

Grape(s): 87.5% cabernet franc, 6.25% cabernet sauvignon, 6.25% merlot
Producer: Roanoke Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13.2%
Price: $32
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 
(Ratings Guide)

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Erika Strum

Today's TasteCamp interview is with Erika Strum, who I've had the pleasure of hanging out with more than any other blogger at TasteCamp (a whopping 3 times).

Erika works in her family business at Wine Enthusiast Companies where she is involved in many aspects of online marketing. She writes for 3 blogs: the Wine Enthusiast Magazine blog (UnReserved), the Wine Enthusiast Catalog blog, (Winstons Wisdoms) and her personal blog, StrumErika.com 

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
No, I visited last summer for the first time.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?
Yes, last summer I visited Bedell, Macari, Paumanok, Lieb Cellars, Peconic Bay and the Tasting Room (a boutique wine shop).

When I last visited I started to appreciate oaked chardonnay again. There were some nice examples at Bedell and Paumanok that still allowed the fruit to show, but had a nice lush character. I really enjoyed the Macari sauvignon blanc I had as well. There were some decent merlots, but I wasn't blown away by anything. It seemed like some wineries were trying to produce Bordeaux-style wines and charge highly for them, but they weren't up to par for me. I heard a lot of comparison to French wine regions which I thought unnecessary.

Long Island should stand on its own.

After tasting a larger sample of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?
I definitely tried some merlot and cabernet franc that impressed me. Wolffer and Pellegrini namely for merlot and Shinn Estate for cabernet franc. I was also really excited about what's going on at Channing Daughters with their experimentation with whites.

I got the impression that the winemakers are truly passionate about what they're doing and they're excited to try new things.

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?
I would have to say cabernet franc only because I have limited experience with it and it seems like some great examples are being made on Long Island.

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?
Maybe I'm cheating with this response, but I found many of the red blends to be disappointing, except for the Marco Tulio at Roanoke.

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?
Shinn Estate, probably because they fed us so well!

But in all seriousness, I really enjoyed the down-to-earth discussion we had over lunch with the winemakers. I did not feel that we were getting a marketing spiel. They were telling us honestly how difficult it can be to grow grapes in Long Island and why they do it. You can't replicate that.

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

The 1997 Pellegrini Merlot. It was tough to spit that one out!

Long Island Bud Break

My Friend Hardy Wallace is Good -- Murphy Goode

Or at least he should be.

In case you hadn't heard about it, Murphy-Goode Winery in Healdsburg, California is looking for a wine-loving social media guru to help them. The winner of this little contest will receive a 6-month job paying $10,000 per month plus accommodations. To earn that money, the winner will:

• Explore the vineyards of Murphy-Goode and surrounding areas and discover what the Sonoma County Wine Country has to offer, from well-known destinations to off-the-beaten-path spots.
• Taste hundreds of wines and meet the locals in their tasting room.
• Increase their wine wisdom. While studying isn’t required, our winemaking and vineyard experts will take the time to show you how it’s all done.
• Work with winemaker, David Ready, Jr., to create a new wine commemorating your job with us.
• File reports on your experiences, via weekly blogs, photo diaries, Twitter, Facebook, video updates and ongoing media interviews.

The most important part of the job application is a 60 second video that must be uploaded to YouTube, and that is where my friend, Hardy Wallace of DirtySouthWine comes in. He's applied for the gig with the video above. Check it out.

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Dale Cruse

For this, our second post-TasteCamp interview, we talk to Dale Cruse, a website developer from Boston who is "helping to change the wine world." He likes to eat, likes to drink, and likes to write about both at his blog Drinks are On Me.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
Yes.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?
Very few. I had the Bedell Cellars First Crush Red and a few of the Bouke wines. The Bedell was tasty but a bit soft. The Bouke wines I found to be fun and drinkable. I was also impressed by the marketing savvy of Lisa Donneson of Bouke.

After tasting a representative sample of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?
I wonder what Long Island wineries are thinking deciding that merlot is the grape they're going to stake their reputations on. To me, the merlots I tasted were all consistent but none were spectacular. "Consistent but not spectacular" is not a descriptor I would stake my reputation on.

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

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

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?
In terms of the overall experience, I really enjoyed Lenz. There I was reminded that a winemaker is equal parts public persona and farmer. I enjoyed tasting wines "in progress" followed by the finished product. That being said, I have to make special mention of lunch on Saturday (at Shinn Estate Vineyards). Not only were the wines fantastic, but the food was easily the best I ate all weekend. Very memorable!

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be?
For me, that's easy: The Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc barrel samples we had at lunch on Saturday. If that had been available for sale, I definitely would have bought some!

The State of Long Island Wine

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

As expected, TasteCamp EAST 2009 has initiated a flurry of blog posts by some of the best and brightest in the wine blogging world. I've enjoyed reading through all of the posts and commenting on many of them. I'd encourage you to do the same -- especially if you are one of the wineries that poured for the group last weekend.

One thing that has become clear is that I was blind to one pitfall as I put together the TasteCamp format -- it sent attendees away with only a snapshot of Long Island wine today, literally, a taste of what is going on here.

Joe Roberts' post over at 1WineDude and Lyle Fass's post at Rockss and Fruit have written some interesting posts. These are two of my favorite bloggers and I was thrilled that they were able to attend. What they say in their posts certainly has merit. They are interesting perspectives and I've said some of it myself both here on LENNDEVOURS and elsewhere.

That said, I think some of the absolutes they discuss might be a bit over-the-top.

Let's break this up into two primary points -- pricing and merlot vs. cabernet franc.

Taking them in reverse order, the argument for Long Island cabernet franc isn't a new one. Many have made it, and I've written about it several times, including this post almost 4 years ago to the day. I love Long Island cabernet franc. I'm a card-carrying member of the Franc Fanatics (a club I just made up 30 seconds ago). And, many of my favorite Long Island wines are cabernet franc or cabernet franc-dominated blends.

I wish it were true, but Joe's contention that (on Long Island) "Cabernet Francs will likely offer more consistent quality year-on-year" is off base. But once I thought about it for a few minutes, it's easy to understand why he'd think that.

This is where the timing of TasteCamp comes into play. These bloggers were not only here for a weekend, a weekend when 2005 cabernet francs were available in bottle and 2007s tasted from barrel. TasteCamp attendees tasted some of the best cabernet franc ever to come out of Long Island.

I'm making generalizations of course, but if they had tasted 2003s or 2006s, they may have come away with different feelings about the consistency of Long Island cabernet franc. As any winemaker or vineyard manager can tell you, Long Island cabernet franc can be a mess in lesser years. They can be overly green, thin and show little of the potential and intensity that these 05s and 07s exhibit.

Merlot, on the other hand, makes acceptable-to-good wines even in the worst of years. That is one reason that a lot of people here push merlot. They ability to ripen it well consistently. It is also the most-planted variety on Long Island. Don't let anyone tell you that isn't a driver as well.

Shifting gears and discussing pricing -- as the organizer of TasteCamp, I should have made sure that attendees got to taste a wide array of wines, instead of each winery's high-end wines. 

Our experience at Wolffer Estate on Sunday is a perfect example. Winemaker Roman Roth poured a three-vintage flight of his $100 Premier Cru, his own $50 Grapes of Roth 2002 Merlot, and two dessert wines priced at $37 and $85. Looking back, I probably should have asked him to pour some of his reserve merlot, which is around $20 and maybe his $15 rose. Would the impressions left be different, with regard to price, if Shinn Estate had poured it's $15 "Red", $23 Estate Merlot and $15 white blend? Or if Bedell Cellars had poured its $25 merlot? Maybe.

Both of those points -- varieties and prices -- are still open for debate, but for anyone who has only been to Long Island for a weekend (or even writing about them for 5 years like me) to suggest that Long Island wineries are doing anything "wrong" out here might be a bit presumptuous. I think so anyway.

The Long Island wine industry learns something new every day.

One of the things that some people are finally coming around to is the potential of sauvignon blanc here. We tasted several good renditions over the weekend from a variety of wineries. But for now, there is a lot of chardonnay planted. It's the second most-planted grape here, after merlot. If there were endless amounts of money around, my guess is that at least a handful of producers would rip out some of their chardonnay and plant sauvignon blanc. I think the future of Long Island whites resides in sauvignon blanc, but there just isn't that much fruit available. I know of at least 3 people who wanted to make a sauv blanc in 2008 but were unable to buy fruit.

Again though, they are still learning and will continue to learn. Long Island's wine industry was founded in 1973, fewer than 40 years ago! In the early days, there was a lot of American oak, completely different vineyard practices and varieties like zinfandel being grown. Through research at Cornell and experimentation both in the vineyard and in the winery, wineries understand what is possible here now more than ever. They aren't trying to grow zinfandel anymore and American oak is the exception, not the rule, these days. They have learned and continue to learn.

I've learned something here too about the TasteCamp format. Next year, I'll make sure that wineries pour a better representation of their portfolio. And, I hope that attendees will remember that two and a half days in a region doesn't make you an expert. 5 years with a blog focusing on the region doesn't make one an expert either, by the way.

At the end of the day, I think that these exchanges can help push Long Island wine country forward. That's the power of blogs. Where else would these discussions be possible?

Drink Long Island Beer for American Craft Beer Week

By Donavan Hall, Beer Columnist

I know all you wine enthusiasts do occasionally open up a bottle of beer (or two). I also know that as folks that appreciate better wine, you also appreciate better beer, what most folks call "craft beer." When you reach for a craft beer next week, make it an American craft beer. I'll tell you why.

American Craft Beer Week starts on May 11 and runs through the 17th. All that we craft beer enthusiasts are asking you to do is when you reach for that beer to choose an American craft beer. And, if you are Long Island, visit one of the breweries near you and tell them you are there to celebrate the American craft beer scene.

You can find a list of the local breweries on my site.

This week-long celebration of American Craft beer started in 2006 when the U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 753. That year I did a wild tour of Long Island visiting every single brewery. If you can't do that you should at least visit one.

The premiere craft beer event on Long Island that week is the Long Island Brewer's Dinner on Monday May 11. This is the second year that the Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale has hosted the event. The party starts a 6 p.m. with appetizers and Long Island Maibocks. The five-course dinner starts at 7 p.m. with beers from the Black Forest, Blue Point, the Brickhouse, John Harvard's, and Southampton being featured. Give the Black Forest a call to reserve: 631-391-9500. The price is $60 plus tax and gratuity.

Also, I want to ask a favor of all you wine enthusiasts. Long Island isn't listed on the "Favorite Beer City, USA" poll that Charlie Papazian is sponsoring. What I want you to do is go to his poll, scroll down, and under "Other" type in "Long Island". We need at least fifty votes to get put officially on the poll.

I know that not every wine enthusiasts will know who Charlie Papazian is, but he's a very important guy in the craft beer world. He's not only president of the Brewers Association, but he's one of the most well know homebrewing evangelists in the world. I learned to brew from reading Charlie's homebrewing book. I've adopted his motto for my life: "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew!" And you can't get more American than that.

Some Early Posts About TasteCamp EAST 2009

TasteCamp is barely in the rear view window and already several blog posts have been written about the weekend-long event.

To make it a bit easier for those interested in the event to read what the bloggers are saying, I'm going to do my best to pull together (every few days) a list of links to various posts. Today is the first installment:

Becky and Steve Borichevsky of Smells Like Grape

• Back From TasteCamp East
• The Way I See It

Richard Auffrey from Passionate Foodie:

• TasteCamp EAST: Initial Highlights

Rob Bralow from Wine Post:

• Absolutely and Totally Geeked Out
• Walking into the Tsunami - TasteCamp East 2009 Day One

Remy Charest from The Wine Case:

• TasteCamp East: Adventures in Long Island Wines

Dale Cruse from Drinks Are On Me:

• TasteCamp East "Tasting Notes"

Melissa Dobson from Family, Love, Wine:

• TasteCamp East-Which Winery Had Bloggers Lined Up to Buy?

Lyle Fass from Rockss and Fruit:

• TasteCamp East Report: For A Few Dollars More

Deb Gioquindo from Hudson Valley Wine Goddess:

• Taste Camp East: Long Island Wine Country
• Taste Camp East: A Wine Region Away, Day Two
• Pictures

Nick Gorevic from Home Wine School:

• Reflections on Long Island Wines

Michelle Lentz from My Wine Education:

• TasteCamp EASTE: Thanks for the Memories.
• Pictures

Tom Mansell from Ithacork:

• TasteCamp EAST: Unfiltered. 650+ Miles. 156 Wines.

Erika Strum from Strumerika:

• Passion, Restraint and Risk
• TasteCamp East: Raphael, Roanoke, Paumanok and More

Joe Roberts from 1 Wine Dude:

• Changes in Latitude, Changes in Gratitude
• What's Right, and What's Wrong, With Long Island Wine

John Witherspoon from Anything Wine:

• TasteCamp East Kick Off
• TasteCamp Day 2 -- Lunch at Shinn Estate Vineyards
• TasteCamp East 2009 -- Long Island Impressions

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.

New York Cork Club: April Selections

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Obviously I'm a bit behind with this post, given that we're well into May now, but I wanted to write a quick post about the wines I chose for April's shipment of the New York Cork Club. Both were a little difficult to get our hands on, so I'm extra proud of the choices.

First is Keuka Lake Vineyards 2007 Reserve Vignoles ($19), just the kind of wine that you're not going to get in any other wine club. First, Vignoles is hybrid grape. Unfortunately, most wine 'experts' ignore hybrids. Second, it's a (almost) dry rendition (most of the Vignoles with any sort of pedigree is used in dessert and ice-style wines).

It pours a pale yellow and the nose is rich and fruity with intense ripe (almost over-ripe) pear aromas mingling with those of musk melon and peach skin. A faint, distant note of gravelly minerals never really stepped forward, but really added to the complexity.

Medium-to-full bodied, the palate is similarly ripe and intense. The musk melon flavors come first, with the pear flavors emerging more on the mid-palate. The naturally bright acidity of Vignoles is there every step of the way, from the attack all the way through to a long, peachy finish that ends with a flavor that reminds me of the way my parents old gravel driveway smelled after a summer rain storm.

This is a wine that I'd love to pour for anybody who scoffs at the ability of crosses and hybrids to make delicious, balanced wines. And this was the LAST CASE available at the winery. It was hand delivered to the Brooklyn store a couple weeks ago by the winery's owner.

Our second wine is one that we actually received before it was even released, Raphael 2008 Naturale ($20), a blend of 60% chardonnay, 30% sauvignon blanc and 10% semillon. It's named Naturale because it's winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich's forray into natural winemaking. It was made with wild yeasts, without fining or filtering, and only a touch of SO2 at bottling. It even has a bit of residual C02 in it that tickles the nose and tingles the tongue. That slight frizzante is a remnant of fermenation and Rich think it will disipate within a couple months. 

The nose, especially once the froth subsides and the wine warms to cellar temperature, is complex and intricate with aromas of ripe Gala apples, apple blossom, roasted nuts, sweet herbs, lemon zest and toasty yeast.

Medium bodied, it's much more citrusy on the palate, with the apple taking a step back, and basil-like herbs, nuts and a subtle minerally note. This wine is impeccably balanced -- creamy on the mid-palate yet featuring lively acidity. The oak (20% was fermented in new oak, the rest in stainless) accents rather than dominates. And, the finish is long with a little yeasty-leesy spiciness.

TasteCamp EAST 2009 -- The Thank Yous

As I said earlier today, there will be plenty of posts about TasteCamp, but before we get into those, I wanted to make sure that I wrote this post.

I've been getting a lot of "Thank You" emails from attendees, participating wineries, etc. It's of course nice to get such emails, but everyone involved should be thanking one another for making it such a successful event.

There are dozens of people that I will be thanking individually over the course of the next few days, but today, here are a few blog-worthy thank yous:

• To all attendees, thank you for making the leap and coming to Long Island wine country for this event. You were eager, engaged and a lot of fun to spend the weekend with. We need to get together as a group more often. I look forward to hearing what you thought of the region, the people and the wines in coming weeks.
• To all the wineries that poured for us, thank you for (for the most part) bringing out your big guns and showing the best that Long Island has to offer. I think you can expect to get a lot of honest feedback from some very knowledgeable wine lovers very soon.
• To Grand Cru Classes, thank you for allowing us to invade your educational center for an evening filled with a wide array of wines and even more discussion.

And to my always-supportive wife, Nena, thank you for your help and support on this project. From concept to completion you were an inspiration, sounding board and sanity check.

TasteCamp EAST 2009 in Pictures

Winemaker Kareem Massoud pouring barrel samples of 2007 reds for TasteCamp attendees.

By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor

TasteCamp 2009 wrapped up yesterday afternoon and I have to admit, I'm exhausted. It was truly a whirlwind, non-stop tour of Long Island wine country over the course of two days.

There will obviously be a deluge of blogs posts, both here on LENNDEVOURS and on attendee blogs, but to give you a taste of the weekend via a handful of photos. You can enlarge any of these by clicking on them.

We started the second day of TasteCamp EAST 2009 with a tasting of six red wines from Roanoke Vineyards. My surprising favorite? The unreleased 2007 Marco Tulio, a low-oak blend of cab sauv and cab franc.

Our second stop of the morning was at Paumanok Vineyards, where we tasted through much of their current portfolio and also had an opportunity to taste some 2007 barrel samples. Several wines impressed, but I went home with a couple bottles of the soon-to-be-released 2008 Chenin Blanc.

Shinn Estate hosted us for an amazing lunch featuring a few of their own wines as well as some from Jamesport Vineyards and Macari Vineyards. The sauvignon blancs from each of the three wineries were all delicious with the fresh, clean fare, but the wine of the tour stop was a barrel sample of Shinn's 2007 Cabernet Franc. It would not be hyperbole to say that it could be a new benchmark for Long Island franc.

Shinn also hosted a post-lunch tasteing coordinated by the Long Island Wine Council where we were able to taste a wide array of Long Island wines. I didn't get to taste as many of them, but the roses from Croteaux Vineyards and the white merlot from Lieb Family Cellars were memorable.

Next, we headed over to Bedell Cellars to taste with founding winemaker Kip Bedell. I always like their gewurztraminer.

Our last stop of day 2 was at The Lenz Winery where we were hosted by winemaker Eric Fry. Eric is always great to taste with and we tasted a lot of barrel/tank samples of wines followed by the current releases of each. His 2007 reds are going to be amazing when they are released in a few years.

On day 3 of TasteCamp, a smaller group (the long day tasting on Saturday took its toll on some) invaded the Hamptons to visit two of Long Island's best, starting with Wolffer Estate, where we tasted some of the regions luxury wines with winemaker Roman Roth. It's not every day that you get to taste three vintages of Long Island's most expensive wine, Roman's own 2002 merlot, and a succulent botrysized dessert wine.

Our final stop for the weekend was a visit to Channing Daughters Winery, where we tasted with winemaker Chris Tracy. I think that those in attendance found this a very refreshing stop -- both because the focus is on white wines and because Chris talked more about similarities to Friuli, Austria and the Loire Valley than Bordeaux, which we heard several times during the weekend. The soon-to-be-released 2008 Sauvignon Blanc was a great start to a lineup that impressed start to finish.

TasteCamp EAST 2009 is Off to a Great Start

I think that it's safe to say that everyone had a great time tonight at Raphael as we kicked off the inaugural TasteCamp EAST in style with a tasting and dinner sponsored by the Long Island Merlot Alliance and Raphael. 

With so many, and so many great, wines poured, it's difficult to pick a favorite, but the Wollfer Estate 1998 Estate Selection Merlot was singled out by several people as their wine of the night. Hard for me to argue. Personally, I liked the Pellegrini Vineyards 1997 Vinters Pride Encore (a red blend), which showed very very nice tonight.

 The food, prepared by Raphael's resident chef, was outstanding. The foie gras with roasted pear and cinnamon-raisin French toaste course, pictured at right, was a great way to kick off the meal and the Raphael 2006 Sauvignon Blanc was a unique, but well-conceived pairing for it.

It's difficult for me to pick a favorite course though, but it may have been the open beef short rip ravioli. The best wine on our table for it was the 2005 Merliance, a co-produced wine that is made with wine from each of the Long Island Merlot Alliance members.

It's well after midnight now and we have a long day of tasting ahead tomorrow. Goodnight all and thanks again to Raphael and the Long Island Merlot Alliance for hosting us. And thanks for supporting TasteCamp.