Artisanal Cheese & Merliance

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ABF & I love Long Island's wine country (we visit a lot-- and I'll have a link to those other visits at the end of this post)-- but we were happy to hear that several winemakers would be coming to US in the city!

Winemakers from Clovis Point, McCall Vineyard, Raphael, Sherwood House Vineyards, T'Jara Vineyards, and Wölffer Estate Vineyard are all members of Merliance, which is Long Island's Merlot Alliance, dedicated to focusing production on Long Island merlots, which they believe will raise the bar for wines from all varieties.

The event was hosted at Artisanal Cheese's 10th Avenue location. Wine + cheese = RSVP from LKP (and ABF and That Sara & Mike and my friend MK!) Our small group was there at 3 on the dot, where they had a pre-class cheese & wine reception. These people have my number, big-time.

They had a fondue pot bubbling, wine pouring, and more cheese, fruit and crackers on the table. It's my kind of party!!!

I do love a good gooey, stinky, cheese, and Epoisses is one of my favorites (and, legend has it, a favorite of Napoleon's. Dude knew good cheese.) I literally can't bring this cheese home unless it's for a party, because I cannot be trusted to pace myself. Its messy ooziness & strong odor might scare you off at first, but it is actually a warm, smooth, buttery delight to taste, and I don't even mind the sort of mushroomy flavor I notice with it. Oh, je t'adore, Epoisses!

They also had the 2010 Merliance (seen in first photo), a blend (and I'm quoting the Merliance site here) "consisting of two barrels of merlot, chosen to be representative of the vineyard and vintage, from each Merliance member: Clovis Point (Jamesport), McCall Wines (Cutchogue), Raphael (Peconic), Sherwood House Vineyards (Mattituck), T’Jara Vineyards (Mattituck) and Wölffer Estate Vineyard (Sagaponack)."

This won't be released until Spring 2013-- how cool to get an early taste! It's delicious, and I'm a Merlot convert! ABF was the one who convinced me to give Merlots another chance, especially Long Island ones. He's a smart guy, that ABF.

The classroom was right next door, and it's a huge, well-lit space with a sweet kitchen setup at the front (behind the panel). But no one was really looking at the kitchen-- we were looking at the seven (7!!) glasses of wine at our place settings, forming a ruby half-circle over a tempting plate of cheese. We had a glass from each winemaker AND the 7th glass was the Merliance blend. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday!

Mmmmm...cheese.

The moderator and cheese expert was Max McCalman, Arisanal's Dean of Curriculum and former Maitre Fromager at NYC's Picholine restaurant. He is the man who brought the "Cheese Clock" to Artisanal. He suggests looking at your cheese setting as a clock. Start with the mildest cheeses at the 6 o'clock setting, then work your way, deliciously, clockwise, ending with the strongest (in our case, a marvelously moldy Shaker Blue).

Our first cheese was the Chaource, and my WORD it went with every single wine so smashingly. It's a cow's milk cheese from France, where it's been made since the 14th century. It is GOOD. Get some.

We tried a bunch of other cheeses with every single wine, and those sips definitely started to catch up with me. I didn't bother taking shots of every single cheese and every single glass. I just sat back and let the panel do their work while I enjoyed the liquid fruits of their labor.

The wines were so delicious that they even won over Sara & Mike, who normally avoid Merlot in general. In fact, we were teasing Sara (of NYCNomNom) for finishing ALL of her wines before the class had ended! I then finished all of mine so she wouldn't be alone (because I'm a good friend-- and those wines were delicious).

Everyone on the panel was interesting, approachable, and truly passionate about their work, stopping to chat afterwards with anyone who had a question.

I was especially looking forward to hearing from John Leo, the winemaker at Clovis Point, a favorite of ABF's & mine. I went up to him after the talk to tell him what a great staff he has, how we love their wine (we are wine club members there) and their location, how often we bring friends out to try it as well, and he generously offered me a bottle of the 2007 Vintners Select Merlot, which my friend Mike then encouraged him to sign. John is a good sport-- he not only signed my bottle, but he posed for a photo with me after.

Yay, Clovis Point!

The wines were all delicious, but the Clovis Point and the T'Jara Merlots were my favorites, as was the Merliance! All were super drinkable wines I'd happily bring to any party-- or open at home any day of the week!

For more on Artisanal, go here! For more on the Merliance, visit their site here!

And go HERE for more of my visits to Long Island vineyards/wineries!

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Duck Walk Wines: North Fork

Duck Walk Wines is one of my favorites in Long Island, but until Mike & Sara's trip out with us, ABF & I had only been to the Water Mill location.

After a lackluster trip to Pindar (nonexistent customer service and less than wowing wines), I asked the ever-accomodating ABF to drive us 2 minutes down the road to DuckWalk's North Fork location. (See Sara's review of all the hot spots here!)

For some reason, I'd always thought of it as a smaller location, but it's actually impressively large.

There's tons of seating, a spacious bar, a stunning fish tank and even more outdoor space (which I saw when I stepped outside during an unfortunate coughing fit).

We started with the Duck Walk Chardonnay, which is the very first chardonnay to win my heart (and my tastebuds). Sara & Mike are big Chardonnay fans, and I think they liked the offerings at Duck Walk (though once again, I'm more partial to stainless steel-fermented while they prefer the oak-barrel version).

We also tried their Reserve Merlot (one of my favorite favorites), Windmill White, you name it--we sipped it!

Of course we had to try the dessert wines, which wowed me from my first visit there. The Aphrodite (a Gewurztraminer) is like a fruity explosion in your mouth--perfect for sipping after a lovely meal, pouring over ice cream, or standing alone as dessert all by itself. Mike & Sara went home with a bottle of this, and ABF & I have one waiting at home. It's so so so so so so good, and it might even be for sale at your local wine/liquor store (a few of my neighborhood stores carry it). If you want a showstopping wine, Aphrodite is it!

Connor was our guide on this visit, and after the dessert wines, it turns out he was just getting started. He kept pouring taste after delicious taste, and sharing bits of trivia, knowledge, and passion along the way. He was in no hurry to get us out of there, even though we arrived about 30 minutes before the tasting room closed.

Duck Walk serves their dessert wines with small chocolates. They always instruct you to taste the port, ice wine, or Aphrodite on its own first. Then take a small nibble of chocolate and taste the wine again. It's striking what a difference the chocolate has on the wine's flavor profile (and by "flavor profile" I mean "awesome deliciousness that practically defies description").

Duck Walk was the polar opposite of our experience at Pindar (which I'm pretty sure is their sister winery!), where no one bothered to explain what we were drinking or even ask if we had any questions. I'm so glad Mike & Sara's first visit to the North Fork ended here! Thanks to Connor and everyone at Duck Walk North for making our trip there such a blast! We've replenished our wine cabinet and made yet another fun memory on the North Fork! Cheers!

Duck Walk North
44535 Main Road
Southold, NY
(631) 765-3500

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Palmer Vineyards

A day-trip out to Long Island took my friend Jen A and myself to 3 stops: Palmer Vineyards, Baiting Hollow Farms Vineyard, and Long Island Spirits. Palmer was the first stop, and though it felt a bit early to have some wine, somehow we all managed.

Palmer is one of the smallest tasting rooms I've seen--our 2 buses immediately filled the room to overflowing. My friend Jen and I took a seat in a charming little booth and let most of the chaos die down before approaching for our picks.

Palmer is one of the oldest and most-awarded vineyards on Long Island's North Fork. Founded in 1983 by Robert Palmer, Palmer Vineyards sells their wine all across the country--several plaques and ribbons hang over the bar, attesting to the praise and warm reception for their product.

I selected the 2010 Gewurztraminer, the 2008 Cabernet Franc, and the 2010 Rose Merlot. (Left row of drinks, from top down)


Jen chose the 2010 Gewurztraminer and 2008 Cabernet Franc as well, along with the Sunrise/Sunset.

Neither one of us was a fan of the Cabernet Franc, but that's a tough one for us both. If you like your wines smoky, though, this is the pick for you!

We really liked the Gewurztraminer---bright and light and just a touch of sweetness. It was lovely in the beginning, though the finish was different from what I expected. If I were more of an oenophile I could explain this better, I'm sure. ;)

I enjoyed the Rose Merlot--it had a strong aroma and flavor of strawberries, not too sweet, one of my favorite drinks in the hot summer days--this was a winner, too. Light, refreshing, and dry.

Jen let me try a sip of her Sunrise/Sunset wine, and I thought this was a bit sweet, but we both think it would make a nice dessert wine, perhaps a perfect pairing with some chocolate-covered strawberries. Palmer says it's one of their most popular wines and is back by popular demand. It was okay, but I would still take the Gewurz or Rose Merlot first.

To me, the best part to Palmer is its adorable backyard space. There are seats on a covered patio and chairs and picnic tables on the grass, all in the shadow of the rolling vineyards. This would be an excellent spot for a small party, reception, you name it. What a darling setup!

Check them out and let me know what you think! I will be bringing ABF here soon!

Palmer Vineyards
5120 Sound Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
(631) 722-9463

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Clovis Point Cabernet!

ABF was in town from London, just in time for my birthday AND for wine club pickup week, so we hopped in his car and headed out for one of our favorite spots on Long Island: Clovis Point!

We were excited to see that Clovis Point was releasing its very first Cabernet Sauvignon, and from the first sip I could appreciate why they are so very proud of its debut. I very much enjoyed the rich, smooth, fruity flavor--consider this added to my list of Clovis Point favorites (and don't be surprised if I show up to the next party with a bottle or two!)

ABF & I grabbed a splash of their Cabernet and walked a few steps over to watch that day's cooking demo, waiting in delicious anticipation--it smelled so good!

Tom Schaudel is the chef at several restaurants, including A Mano. He was promoting his book, "Playing with Fire: Whining & Dining on the Gold Coast" (yes, whining with an H) and putting together a smoked duck & tagliatelle dish--homina homina!

The folks at Clovis Point have spoken highly of A Mano--I think once ABF is home for good (hopefully this fall!) we have to make a date to dine here! Tom was a very entertaining and informative person--he told us some of the crazy tales of patrons he's fed and gotten fed up with--more of that in the book!

The Cabernet was such a great pairing--it went so well with the chewy, smoky, delicious duck. What a treat--getting a tasty bite along with our wonderful wine! We enjoyed every bite and then each got a full glass to take out onto the covered deck.

The rain was coming down in sheets and sheets, but we were perfectly dry and enjoying the protected outdoors.

Live music, good energy, and a wonderful return to a spot we've both missed. Thanks again to everyone at Clovis Point--and congratulations on a delicious new release in your first Cabernet Sauvignon!

Clovis Point Winery
1935 Main Road
Jamesport, NY 11947
(631) 722-4222

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Wine + Horses ZOMG!

I don't know why it took me so long to find this place, but there is an honest-to-goodness vineyard/horse rescue on Long Island. That sound? My head almost exploding from the awesomeness!

Baiting Hollow Farms Vineyard is a bit off the beaten path. ABF & I saw a sign of it last summer and I made a mental note to find more info....then forgot. :)

BHFV was our last stop that rainy, freezing March night, so it was mostly empty. We had the place almost to ourselves as I wandered around and checked out the abundant seating areas, cafe, mini-boutique and more. Then we sallied up to the bar for a quick tasting.

An ardent fan of rosé wine, I started my 3-wine tasting with BHFV Merlot Rosé. It was sweet but not cloyingly so.

Lil Sis isn't a huge wine fan, so she tried their dessert wine, the Cheval Blue. I didn't taste it, but it smelled fruity, especially like strawberry. She can be tough to read sometimes, but I think she liked it. :)

BHFV isn't just a vineyard--it's also a horse rescue! Proceeds from 2 of their blends go to support this effort, so I felt like I kind of HAD to try the Mirage, named after one of their horses (see the darker red, below). This was a nice drinkable blend, and I took a bottle home with me. It's around 24 dollars, which is more than I normally spend, but hello, HORSES!

There's a lot going on in the space at BHFV; they have food, a few seating areas, and even a corner with merchandise (including some sassy slogans on T-shirts). It was close to closing so I don't really have a feel yet for this place--the staff seems pretty young so they are a little shy at first, but once we got to talking they were welcoming. I get it, it's almost closing time, etc...fortunately I'm the kind of person who will just go on up and introduce herself anyway.

One of the girls who just started working there was explaining that they have horses and even a miniature horse (which I ADORE), and they get a lot of visitors in the warmer weather. You can learn about the horse rescue efforts, work to end needless horse slaughter and more, and what you can do to help here on their website.

Did I mention PONY RIDES? (NOT for adults, I'm sure sigh/foot stomp) We'll definitely have to give this place another visit (or several). Horses + Wine. I mean really.

Baiting Hollow Farms Vineyard & Horse Rescue
2114 Sound Avenue
Baiting Hollow, New York 11933
(631) 369-0100

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