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+--- Thread: Long Island Vinyards trip (/thread-12514.html)
- Vino-Echo - 07-23-2004
I took a nice trip from Rhode Island to Long Island. Mission...Wineries.
I have been there before and sampled some of the wares.
Our first winery was at Pugliesi Vinyards. Where even without tasting, a bottle of their Chardonnay Gold was taken from the shelf. I then further sampled the wares and further purchased the Merlot Reserve and the late harvest Niagra. The vinyard was beautiful as we had lunch under the arbor. we then continued to Laurel Lake vinyards where the wife fell in love with the sparkling Mescato We then travelled over to taste the wares of Jamesport Vinyards They had a nice Cab-Sauv, But made no purchase. I found their prices to be on the higher end. 20-27 dollars a bottle.
Day 2 opened with a venture to the HAmptons where we stopped into Duckwalk Vineyards. Their Southampton white and 2 bottles of the Pinot Meunier werre of the order. We also bought a bottle of the Pinot Grigio which was my first taste of that particular wine. Very very nice, almost to the edge of sparkling and a nice nose as well. Dissapointment sat in as the new stock of Boysenberry was not ready for sale.
We venured up to Channing sisters which was only a few miles away. Honestly, I have nothing good to say about this particular vineyard. The staff doted around our small group. The taste of the wines were nothing too impressive especially for the price and every red that was tasted, had a medicinal finish to it. Sorry for the hard comments channing sisters, But there can be much improvement from your potential.
We headed back to the North fork, stopping by a deli for lunch and brought it to Gallucio Vineyards. Whereupon my friend bought a bottle of the Point House Chardonnay 2001 which accompanied lunch quite pleasingly so that I purchased a bottle. Upon tasting, the wives fell in love with the Avalon, A sweeter perhaps on the Pinot Grigio or a Gwuertz but was splendid none the less.
I also sampled at their alternate tasting room, a variety of some finger lakes varietels which were pleasing.
We then did some sampling at Bedell cellers, of which I chose a bottle of the Main Road Red. I have an affinity for bottles with trucks on them.
We finished the weekend at Ospery's Dominion, of which their Merlot was to die for. We drank that while listening to a blues performer and some cheese. My wife chose the strawberry wine.
Anyway. after that it was a trip back to the ferry and off to home. with a couple of months worth of good wine drinking until our next trip.
- winoweenie - 07-24-2004
Hi Vino-E and welcome to the board. Have never had the pleasure of the L.I. experience but if it's anywhere near as pretty as the Finger Lakes area of N.Y. we just visited we might have to make the trip.
You'll find this group pretty well informed and wine oriented so we, again, welcome you on board. WW
[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 07-24-2004).]
- Thomas - 07-24-2004
Vino-echo,
Did you get to Lenz Winery? Not cheap, but some good stuff there.
ww, few places in NYState are as pretty as the Finger Lakes--Long Island isn't one of them. But for you, there are more reds down there than up here.
- Vino-Echo - 07-24-2004
No we didnt get to Lenz winery, But I will take you up on your suggestion on our next visit.
When you are surrounded by 30 some odd wineries it is hard to get to them all in a weekend.
What I also liked about LI is you can go there on a budget and fall well within the budget.
I dont think I paid more than $15.00 for a single wine. The most expensive I saw was at the Channing Daughters was about the mid 40's for a bottle, I was truly dissapointed in their wines, as I saw them as one of the biggest vineyards in the area.
Bedell Cellars had a nice array of choices, as well.
- Kcwhippet - 07-24-2004
echo - A few things about LI. Lenz makes pretty much the best Merlot on the North Fork. Just past Channing Daughters is Wolffer Estates where their Merlot is $100 (definitely not worth it - IMHO). Actually there are quite a few wineries making some decent stuff at good price points.
ww - The North Fork was previously a bunch of large potato farms planted primarily by Germans. Land is fairly flat with not much of the beautiful scenery in the Finger Lakes.
- Vino-Echo - 07-24-2004
This is true on the scenery, What was nice about the area was the quaint little towns and villages, The local storefronts having their sales etc. It was true Americana. Perhaps not as breathtaking as the fingerlakes. Albeit I havent been there yet, So I wont knock the lakes. I will plan for it perhaps next summer.
Certainly my overall favorite is the Duckwalk Pinot Meunier for a red, and the Chardonnay gold at Pugliesie for a white.
Both quite reasonably priced at around 10-11 dollars a botle +- aa buck.
Of course this being my second trip to the region, based on its easy accessability from New England I still have yet to get to ALL the tastings offered.
I will be certain to try the Lenz winery next trip out. It is already on my to do list.
- Innkeeper - 07-24-2004
KC is half right. It was half potatoes and half ducks. You'll do remember the term "Long Island Duckling" right? What they used to do is take all the duck manurer over to the potato patches and plow it in. That is why the potato soil lasted much longer that the that in Northern Maine.
Probably only the ladies will appreciate this story, but shortly after I was born my parents drove out to North Fork to go fishing and brought me along for some reason. I woke up at one point and saw a few hundred ducks in a farm outside the window, said, "quack, quack" and dozed off again. A short time later I woke up and saw a thousand or so ducks and said, "two quack, quacks."
- Vino-Echo - 07-24-2004
Kc, I looked on their (Lenz) website, and the prices arent all that bad
They have some upper end prices, But I am a low end drinker. I am sure somewhere on this board is the debate of High price wine tastes vs low end wine price tastes. I fall on the side of the opinion that one can get a spectaular wine for a low price. All you have to do is look.
Now I know where they came up with the name "Duck Walk" vineyards
- winoweenie - 07-25-2004
Actually the name Duck Walk came about when they had a judging of the wines of the area and the owners of the vineyard saw Herr Buckmeister walking away from their tasting room in his Bermudas. WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img] Sounds like the Kansas and western Colo flat-lands vineyards.