Undertaking Wine

This was a gift from Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Raphael, when I visited a while back.  I kind of forgot about this after looking through my notebook of tasting.  I did taste this with Rich in the tasting room, he was gracious to let me take this home and taste further.

In the glass, this was a very dark red.  This was highly aromatic wine; I was picking up aromas of all kinds of berries.  More specifically, blueberries, blackberries, and a hint of juicy raspberry.  There were some earthy notes there to, maybe some tobacco.  I remember placing my nose in to the glass and having to take a step back, put the glass down, and have a moment to myself.  The aroma was just so intoxicating.  I told Rich, that this reminded me of comfort, being wrapped in a warm blanket in front of a fire.

The taste was even better.  All of the elements I picked up on my nose carried over onto my palate.  I was picking up some black cherry and some juicy plum, along some fresh mint leaves.

The finish was very interesting, and being the geek I am, I loved this part, there was earthy tones on the finish with a hint of gravel and slate.

This is available for sale on Raphael’s website for $30.99, now and again you may find it in your local wine shop.  And if you do, I highly recommend you pick this up.  You will not be disappointed, I was not.  But save it for that special occasion.

Photo from Flickr

Not too long ago, I was invited to visit Pindar Vineyards and taste some wine with Les Howard, Pindar’s winemaker, and Pindar Dimanons, Pindar’s vineyard manager.  I was very excited about this visit, as I am for most visits, but this was going to be a little special for me.

Pindar Vineyards is the oldest family run vineyards on the North Fork.  They have vines that are 30 years old, some of the oldest on Long Island.  They also produce the most amount of wine on Long Island.  You can select from over 15 different types of wine.  Pindar was founded by Dr. Dan Diamonos, and he has created a wonderful wine family.  His son Pindar is the vineyard manager at Pindar.  His son Jason owns and operates Jason’s Vineyard and his other son, Alex operates Duck Walk Vineyards.

From Pindar Vineyards website, “At Pindar Vineyards, our award-winning wines are quite literally dreams come true.  It was the dream of our founder, Dr. Herodotus “Dan” Damianos, which helped create the winemaking industry on Long Island in the early 1980’s.  Moreover, that dream has, over nearly 30 years, turned Pindar Vineyards into Long Island’s best-known wine producer.  Today Pindar Vineyards encompasses more than 500 scenic acres.  We grow 17 varieties of grapes, creating them into some 23 varietals and proprietary blends.  We produce 70,000 cases of wine a year, making us the largest vineyard on Long Island.  But at heart we are still a family with a personal touch in every aspect of our business.”

Therefore, when I was going to visit Pindar Vineyards, I was going to be meeting the biggest producer of wine on Long Island.  This was a bit overwhelming for me a rookie blogger, but I felt that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Les Howard, their winemaker and by Pindar Diminaos.  We met in the main entry way and they both welcomed me and gave my wife and I a tour of Pindar Vineyards.  The brought us into the tasting room which is huge, they are capable of serving 50+ people at their tasting bar.  We then went it Les’s lab where he was working on some blends.  He showed me his tasting notes and blends that he was working on.  He explained a chart that shows the tanks and barrels that hold and ferment Pindar’s wine.  Pindar showed me the layout of their vineyard and where things were planted.   It was quiet amazing to see the large amount of land that thier fruit was planted on, and how they were able to keep track and tabs on it all.

Les and Pindar explained how Duckwalk and Pindar trade off on fruit.  They went into a discussion on the difference of how the North Fork grows as opposed to the South Fork.  For example, Pinot Grigio grows so much better on the South Fork than it does on the North Fork.  So, Duckwalk will trade their Pinot Grigio for something from Pindar Vineyards.

We then walked around the bottling area and the storage area.  This brought back memories, Melissa and I went to Pindar on one of our first dates, Dr. Dan gave us a tour, and tasting of Champagne and Caviar…I honestly forgot about that.

Pindar and Les then brought us out to the vineyard.  It was a beautiful day and the sun was so bright and warm.  We walked around the Chardonnay vines that were some of the oldest on Long Island.  They were showing some sweet flavors and it was still a few weeks away from harvest.

We then tasted some Gewertzminer.  My wife and I love this varietal wine, it may be our favorite.  This was the first time we ever tasted this berry.  It was flavorful and sweet, it was interesting to chew on the skin.  That is where you started to pick up some of the spicy notes you find in Gewürztraminer.  I could almost taste this as if it were poured directly from a just opened bottle.  Surprising enough, it was still a week or two away from harvest.

It was very interesting to watch Pindar and Les discuss the berries and their thoughts.  You could see the excitement in their eyes and voice.  They were both on the same page when it came to the vineyard and how the wine should be made.  It truly was like watching two kids at Christmas when they opened gift upon gift.  And the gifts were just what the wanted.

Photo from Pindar Vineyards

A little history about Pindar and Les: Pindar grew up on the vineyard and used to help make the wine as a kid.  He also used to sell fruits and vegetables from a little stand in front of the winery.  Les is from New Suffolk and worked and just about lived on Pindar’s vineyard from a very young age.  Les learned the workings of being a wine maker and knew that’s what he wanted to do.  He  left Pindar and worked at various Long Island wineries, but last year, he returned home and you could see how happy he is to be home and how happy Pindar is to have him back on the vineyard.

We then walked over the Pindar’s barrel cellar, tank-housing area and their bottle storage location.  This building is not open the public and it is a new building.

We first saw the massive area that houses the boxed cases of wine.  It was amazing to the row upon row of wine.  I know that Pindar Vineyards produces alot of wine, but this was alot of wine!

Pindar and Les then showed Melissa and I an old remuage, where bottles of champagne are rested on and the lees are allowed to enter into the neck of the bottle.  They are turned a fraction every day.  Les wanted to show us the lees in the bottle.  He asked Pindar to bring over a bottle, you could see the hesitation in Pindar’s face and and hear it in his voice.  Les insisted and Pindar brought the bottle over.  Les began to turn the bottle to show us the lees.  You could see the horror on Pindar’s face.  We all got a chuckle out of it when Les said he would now have to turn that for another 15 years.  You see, all champagne needs to be turned 1/8 of a turn every day…so now they have to start all over with this bottle.

We then went into the barrel cellar where Pindar Vineyards keeps their oak barrels for their red wine.  On this day, they were adding sulfites to some of the barrels and topping up some of the barrels.

Vineyards add sulfites to wine (to help it age.  As a wine ages, it develops) complexity and brings out some of the wonderful flavors that make a great wine.  There are sulfites naturally occurring on the grapes as they hang in the vineyard.  There are some vineyards that do not add sulfites, they usually are biodynamic.  However, they run a risk by not adding sulfites, they run a risk is that their wine could turn into vinegar.  A little bit of sulfites can go a long way, it takes a good winemaker to know when enough is enough. (Omitted from origional post)

Topping up is a process where wine is added to a barrel where some is lost.  This loss is called Ullage.  What is lost is mostly alcohol and water vapors that are lost due to fermentation.  Because of this, oxygen can seep into the barrel if there is too much headspace.  Oxidation in wine is not good because flavors are lost.  Therefore, the barrel is topped off to avoid any oxidation.

We tasted though a series of wines from the 2008 season.  These wines will sit in the barrels for quite some time, as they needed more time to age.  We first tasted through a few barrels starting with Cabernet Franc then a Merlot, and a Malbec.  Some of my favorite wines.  The highlight was the Merlot.  It was very fruit forward and had a nice balance of acidity and tannins.  You could see the potential of this Merlot.  I also really liked the Malbec that we had.  The color was incredible and the bouquet was just what a malbec should be.  The berry, earthy and floral elements were very appealing.  The Cabernet Franc was also very nice and delicious wines, but that Merlot and Malbec were memorable.  When the 2008 Merlot is released, I will be first in line to pick it up.

Pindar and Les then gave us a tour of the very large stainless steel barrel room.  There are some of the largest on Long Island and probably on the east coast.  You have to remember that Pindar produces about 70,000 cases of wine annually.  Some vineyards only produce about 7,000 cases.  There is a huge difference.  Most of this will hold their rose wines and their white wines.  There number one selling wine, Winter White is stored in a huge stainless steel tank until the quality is just right and then they bottle it.

Les and Pindar showed me the various machines that they have and use to perfect and fine their wines.  I have never seen nor heard of these machines, and Les and Pindar did a great job of explaining them to me.  They have alot of interesting and cool machines at Pindar Vineyards.

We then walked out to the crush pad.  Les and Pindar went into the explanation of how they harvest grapes with machines that gently shake the ripe fruit from the vine.  They then showed me how they press the wine from harvest and the process of getting it into the tanks or barrels for fermentation.

We then went back to the tasting room to get into some of the good stuff that is made from some of the oldest vines on Long Island.

To read about what I tasted, please check back later in the week to read what I tasted in the tasting room.

Photo from Flickr

The other day I had my first experience harvesting fruit to make wine at Shinn Estate Vineyards. I asked David Page and Barbara Shinn if I could come out on my day off and get to know the process of harvesting and the very early stages of winemaking. They welcomed me and put me right to work.

The day started at 7:00AM. But for me, I did not get there till 10:00am due to a transmission leak I needed to look at on my car. When I arrived, David and Anthony Nappa, Shinn Estate Vineyards winemaker, were putting Pinot Blanc into the destemer. They both looked at their watches and yelled at me for being late. But I got right into the mix of it.

This Pinot Blanc is the first time Shinn Estate Vineyards will release. It will be a barrel fermented wine. The brix, which is measurement of the dissolved sugar-to-water mass ratio of a liquid, came in at 23.8. The fruit was wonderful, I stole a few berries that bounced my way as David and I gently dropped the fruit into the destemmer. Anthony and David then used a fork lift to allow gravity to work and have the fruit fall into a wine press. The juice was then place into a stainless steel tank. From there it will go into oak barrels to ferment for a while. This was exciting and I cannot wait to taste this when it is ready, in a few years.

Barbara then came in from the vineyard and wanted to know if I wanted to join the crew harvesting the fruit from the vines. As Barbara and I walked out to where everyone was harvesting, we had a little chat about how the vineyard was doing and how things looked. We walked past the Cabernet Franc and I could not stop and look at how nicely they looked.

We got to the Sauvignon Blanc and Barbara gave me a talk about how to hand harvest, what to look for and to be very careful not to clip you fingers. When someone tells me to look out for something, I usually find it. But I did well, not one cut. But let me tell you, oh my aching back. There was this warm almost burning sensation at the small of my back…dead center even with my hip bones. Oh it hurt.

I clipped a few rows and by lunch time it was almost harvested. There were about 10-12 of us harvesting that day. It was such a beautiful day; the sun warmed the field, the smell of the juice after the bursting berries were cut from the vine. It was so wonderful to hold a cluster. If you have never held a cluster before, you really should. It is hard to explain, but imagine holding a newborn, but looking at your very first teenage crush. That is the first thing that came to my mind when I held some of the most beautiful berries. So delicate and precious, to think that this cluster will one day grow up to be a fine wine from Shinn Estate vineyards was amazing.

We took a break for lunch and David, prepared a wonderful feast. A simple Latin America dish called Picadillo. But David put a twist on it. It was made with duck meat from Crescent Farms. David also added a nice twist to it by adding beans. It was served with rice and flour tortilla. With the Mexican music playing, the food and the sun, I was in heaven. I savored every bite, wanted more, but knew that if I did, I might have to take a siesta under the vines.

From Shinn Estate vineyards Facebook Page

We went back out after lunch and finished up the remaining block of Sauvignon Blanc. When we were done, it was now time to work the sorting line. The grapes were dropped into the destemer and we had to carefully make sure that there was no additional stems that may have gotten through. There was at least 3-4 people on each side, picking out all stems, leaves, and other particles that do not need to be in wine, and should not be there either.

While sorting we had a wonderful time trying to combat the yellow jackets that were buzzing around us. I was alot of fun swatting a bee on the back of your neck with a hand soaked in grape juice.

The Sauvignon Blanc was coming in at 23.5 brix. And the Semillon was reading 24 Brix. The yields were low, but the fruit ripe. You could see it, smell it and taste how good this fruit was.

From Shinn Estate Vineyards Facebook Page

The Sauvignon Blanc and the Semillon were being left in a stainless steel tank for a while to make a beautiful blend call Haven. The current release is in the tasting room now, at $35 a bottle. There are not many cases left. Once the skins and the juice have been left to hang out with each other for more than 24 hours, maybe longer, the grapes will be pressed and fermented in oak for a while. If you have not tried Haven yet, you must taste it the next time you are out. I have, and did not take notes. It was just a wonderful lush wine that was such a pleasure to drink.  This maybe the best white wine from Shinn Estate Vineyards.

We than started processing Shinn’s first desert wine, a Semillon based wine that will sit in a barrel for a few years…probably at least two years. When it comes out, get it. I have a feeling it will be one to remember. Anthony, Shinn’s winemaker, has always wanted to make a desert wine, but he wanted to make it right. I think he will nail it. You could smell the possibilities already just processing the fruit.

It was getting dark and the day was over. We all said our goodbyes and told everyone we would see each other for the red harvest. All the whites were in and it was a good day. More fruit was coming later in the week from some other local vineyards to help make some Chardonnay and Coalescence. But the good stuff was done. A framer’s hard day in the field was over and this rookie farmer, all sticky and smelling like sweet grape juice. I could not wait to take a shower.

But, David was not going to let me go yet…he first offered me a glass of some wonderful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. How could I pass that up! David and I chatted for a bit, toasted to the day and enjoyed this wonderful wine. I have not had Cab Sauv in a while, let alone from Shinn. But it was everything that Shinn was all about. Great fruit aromatics, wonderful earthy notes, subtle green tones and a great balance that just warms you to the bones. But I am not reviewing their wine. I am just hanging out.

David and I talked for a bit about wine, Shinn, the 2007 vintage, the 2009 season, the Yankees, the North Fork, Melissa and I and everything under the sun. We looked out from his kitchen island and remarked at the beautiful sunset. I felt like I was chatting with an old friend, laughing and enjoying wine. The stuff that happens when you open a bottle of wine.

Barbara came in and asked David to whip up something quick, for the guys that were left. David was cooking up some leftover turkey meatloaf with country ham and fresh squash from the garden. He asked if I was going to stay, I politely said no. But enjoyed the continuing conversation with David and watching a great chef in the kitchen. As we continued our conversation, I was regretting my decision. It looked and smelled so good. But there would be another time and I would make sure I did not say no.

Barbara came back in and said that Anthony and the crew were going home and only Nick, a wine consultant from the city, was going to stay. David than said that I could not leave, I had to eat the meatloaf…someone up there was on my side.

We sat down and had the most wonderful turkey meatloaf in the world.  The squash was cooked perfect and we had whole grain bread with toasted cheese on top. It was the most perfect, comforting food I have ever had.

The night continued, laughing, talking and enjoying the wonderful bounty that Long Island wine has to offer. As we sat around the table, listening to music, enjoy a wonderful bottle of Scarola Winery 2005 Merlot, with some wonderful chocolate, licorice, blackberry cherry notes, just hanging out talking about all kinds of things, I felt like I was again hanging out with old friend, I felt like I knew them forever, much longer than I really have known them. The conversation was great, the laughs were real and the only thing missing was Melissa.

This was a day I will always remember. For the learning experience, the opportunity and for the relationship was grew even stronger.

Photo from Flickr

This week is a special week in the wine world.  It is the second annual Regional Wine Week.

What’s that you may say…well basicaly, you are asked to drink a local wine.  For me that’s easy, I have been doing that since this blog started back in July.

By drinking locally you are helping on a number of fronts.  First you are supporting the local wine shop.  Second you are helping the regional vineyards that you purchase your wine from.  And lastly, you are helping to stimulate the economy.

So this week, I urge all my readers to spread the word to their friends and family to participate in this annual event.  Walk into your local wine shop, tell the person who works in the shop, ” I normally drink _________,  I am looking for that wine, but from the North Fork, can you recommend something?”  And if they cannot help you, ask why not, then go to another shop, until you find what you are looking for.

Or, if you love your Barefoot Merlot, put it down this week and try some Long Island Merlot, I bet you will not be disappointed.

And when you polish off that bottle, come back here and tell me about it.  This could be a fun week.

Think, Drink and Enjoy….Localy!

You know when something is there and you just take it for granted.

You know when an old friend is just down the road, and you don’t hang out that often, but when you do, you never want the night to end.

You know when you meet a new friend, and you get along so wonderfully, that you just don’t want the day to end.

You know when you have seen your neighbor down the road and never really took the time to talk with him or her, but when you do, you just don’t want  the conversation to end.  But when it does you look forward to hanging out again.

You remember when you were a kid, and you just learned something new in school that just inspired you so much you wanted to tell the world.

Well, that all happened to me and my wife this weekend as Melissa and I celebrated our “better late then never” first Anniversary.

I will share most of those stories with you in the days and weeks to come, so keep watching and reading when you can.

To everyone I met or talked with this weekend…Thanks for inspiring me.

The North Fork of Long Island is a special place and I want everyone to enjoy the bounty that it offers.  There is something for everyone.