Last night, I was at an event at the East Wind in Wading River, for charity, run by the Rocky Point Lions Club.  It was called “A Lion’s Taste of Long Island”  I am in the early stages of planning an event like this for Medford. (I am President of the Medford Chamber of Commerce.)

There was vineyards from the North Fork.  Martha Clara was there, Palmer was there, as well as Paumanok and Harbes.  Roanoke and Raphael too…Long Island Beer was there as long as well as Long Island Meadery.

The there was food there as well covering the fine restaurants in the Miller Place, Rocky Point and Sound Beach area.

There were a few highlights….Robin the new assistant winemaker from Martha Clara, who is just so much fun to be around.  Adam from Roanoke Vineyards who is just so smooth.  And Melissa Martin from Raphael who was there to début, Raphael’s new wine on tap system.

What?  Did I just say wine on tap?  What the heck is wine on tap?  Well, it is wine by the glass,  the freshest possible way you can have that wine.  It is at the right temperature with no oxidation.  You never have to worry how long that bottle was open, or where it was stored.  Baiscly it goes from barrel to tank or from tank to tank.  There are about 28 bottles per tank.

If you have worked behind a bar, the tank looks no different from a typical co2 tank, but it is filled with wine.   The freshest wine possible. 

You can find a restaurant in Islip, Verace, an italian restaurant that pours two special blends from Raphael.  Well tonight, I got to try a new Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay blend.  I was not sure of the percentages but it was about 60% Sauv Blanc and 40% Chard.

On the nose, I was picking up all melon, apple and clean crisp tropical fruit.  Very aromatic and tempting.  The palate brough some Chardonnay elements, mouth filling with some apple skin, minerality and steel.  It was mouth watering clean and delicious.

The red was Raphael’s La Tavola blend.  While you could taste the freshness and juices of this wine.  It was a bit tannic, not as friendly as the bottle version.  A kink that I think can be worked out.

The wine on tap system that was being used by Raphael was creating a buzz.  There were alot of people drawn to the table. 

There are more vineyards and restaurants who are chomping at the bit to get into this end of wine distribution, and why not.

It is economical; the cost of labels and bottles will be diminished.  It is earth friendly, no need to worry about recycling bottles or them being thrown away on accident.  And it is controlled, you have the freshest wine.  Something any and all winemakers and vineyards would stand behind.

This tap system, may in fact be found one day in tasting rooms as well.  It would be great for some current releases. 

However, those wines that need bottle aging or wines that you may want to add to a vineyards library, this is not the way to go. 

Now that I had this, I have to get myself to Verace to taste the food along with Raphael’s wine.

One thing to all wineries and vineyards: make sure you have a nice tap thingy to go along with your wine, so when I walk into a wine bar, I’ll know which wine I want the bartender to pour for me.