The State of Long Island Wine

Every time I visit ‘wine country’ on Long Island, I find myself hopeful that I will like the wine. Really. I honestly long for A Cabernet Franc that impresses me, a Merlot to recommend, or a Chardonnay I can purchase and be happy uncorking at home. Sadly, I always leave this vast and beautiful corner of New York State disappointed.

I think it is admirable that people who live here want to show some team spirit and “drink local.” I also find it commendable that local businesses carry a preponderance of Long Island wines on their lists and get away with it. What I cannot get past are the unsatisfactory flavor profiles and substandard structures of the majority of Long Island wines I have had a chance to taste.

I have visited striking wineries with modern tasting rooms and enviable decks with amazing views. The comment usually goes like this, “this would be a great setting for a wedding, but would they have to serve this wine?” Many of the reds seem exceedingly dense and one-dimensional and the whites devoid of character.

This is not to say that there are not some successes — if not exactly sensations. I have tasted very well made Merlots from Lenz Winery & Vineyard and relative newcomer Shinn Estate Vineyards, satisfying Roses from Wolffer Estates, and pleasant whites from Comtesse Therese and Paumanok Vineyards. They’re good. But are they good enough to stand up to a wine of the same varietal and similar price from another wine region? The jury is deliberating.

The terroir, if you will, on Long Island is most like the Right Bank of Bordeaux which is likely why you will have the most luck with Merlot and Cabernet Franc if you are drinking reds. I personally have found it easier rolling the dice with white wines on both the North Fork and the South.

I sincerely hope that things improve in the near future. Perhaps success will come from realizing which grapes are best planted in which vineyards on what soils. Perchance good fortune will come from talented and knowledgeable viticulturalists and winemakers settling in to this bucolic stretch of farmland. It looks like the potential is there so we will just have to wait and see.

Broadbentism: 1992 Leflaive Bienvenues Batard Montrachet

"Preceded by 1893 Ch d'Yquem (with foie gras) and followed by '26 Ch La Mission Haut-Brion, a rather bold, in fact essential divider. Served very cold. Light, malty, and opening up as it approached room temperature, revealing vanilla and a touch of honey; dry enough, firm, oaky Chardonnay flavour. It seemed to get sweeter on the nose and palate. Almost too sweet. At Christian Sveaas' great wine dinner in Oslo, April 1996.***" - MB

Now, Where Did I Put That Corkscrew?

To add to the list of the health benefits of drinking wine is the latest theory that drinking just a glass a day can slow dementia. New research, published in the medical journal, Neurology, shows that drinking wine is particularly beneficial to those already experiencing memory problems. Study participants who consumed a drink a day — mostly red wine — developed dementia at an 85% slower rate than people with mild cognitive impairment who never drank alcohol. Researchers did warn, however, that excessive alcohol should be avoided so don’t forget to stop drinking.

Haut Brion Stomps La Tour Haut Brion Label

Starting with the 2006 vintage, Chateau Haut Brion is incorporating one of its oldest labels, La Tour Haut Brion, into the Chateau’s other wines, specifically the second wine of La Mission Haut Brion called La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion. As the vines age past their present 21 years they may also be used in La Mission Haut Brion. The one discernible difference in La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion will be the amount of Cabernet Franc (28% in 2006) which comes from the La Tour Haut Brion vines. According to Haut Brion owner Clarence Dillon, the issue was one of simplification. We can’t help but note that La Tour Haut Brion is much simpler a name than La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion – phew!

Are You Winery Bound?

If you are planning a wine vacation anywhere in the U.S. check out Winerybound.com, a new site that helps you plan and completely map out your wine tasting travels. The best feature of the site is the getaway builder which enables you to create an itinerary and get directions from one winery destination to the next -- very helpful. For example, if you plan on visiting Sonoma, CA, keyword search 'Sonoma' and add wineries from the search results to the "add to getaway" feature.The site uses Google Maps to plot the wineries and provide detailed from/to driving directions.

[A world of advice to those of you who have never traversed the roads of, for example, Napa Valley wine country: personal experience tells us that Google Maps, as handy as they may be, will occasionally, and one would hope inadvertently, take you down the "scenic route" when there is a crossroad that will get you to your destination ten times faster. "Down the road a piece" can mean two entirely different things to you and to the tech-savvy universe that is Google. Double check your directions.]

The Winerybound idea is currently a little easier to grasp than the website execution but with some time to iron out the quirks and add more information and features, the site has the potential to become a great resource for wine thirsty travelers everywhere. Winerybound plans to create additional features that will educate visitors about wine pairings as well as add a blog that will let visitors in on useful insider information to keep in mind when visiting wineries. This, we also know from personal experience, can be as good as gold!

You can already find some helpful information for the wineries included on the site, from hours of operation and special features such as picnic facilities to winemaker names, annual production, website urls and more.

Check it out and happy travels!

G-Vine Ryhmes with Divine

If you thought gin was all about those evil juniper berries, think again. G-Vine gin from France is a different kind of gin altogether, infused with green grape flower and carefully chosen fruit botanicals. What makes G-Vine different at the most basic level is that other gin is made from grain spirit (wheat, etc.) and G-Vine is made from grapes. Specifically, G-Vine is made from the Ugni-blanc grape and distilled with grape neutral spirit.

Blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is that if you like "regular" gin, you will probably not like G-Vine. If, on the other hand, you hate the taste of traditional gin and perhaps find that those poisonous juniper berries make you angry (no personal experience here) then you might want to pick yourself up a bottle of this interesting elixir.

G-Vine is definitely smoother than other gins (we tasted it against Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray) which is to say that it tastes less like alcohol. It has a distinctly citrusy flavor to it which will probably appeal to many people who prefer a more gentle drinking experience. There are also lots of options for different mixed drink concoctions -- visit the G-Vine website for some gintastic ideas -- and you have to imagine that the folks at G-vine had a pretty easy time coming up with cocktail names like the 'G-Man' and the 'G-Spot'. If you don't want to get that fancy just try it in your next gin and tonic. Beware, they still snuck some of those juniper berries in there -- but just a smidge. Bottoms up!

1999 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva

For anyone who likes old world Rioja (earthy, spicy, great acidity and not all big fruit), the 1999 Rioja Reserva Vina Ardanza is definitely one to seek out. Plenty of old school Riojas can taste somewhat oxidized (sherry-like) but this one packs enough juicy fruit to make it an all around hit and wonderful with Spanish tapas of all kinds.

Tasted at Boqueria in New York City, everyone at the table found it unique and we thought it best described as elegant and very food friendly. The blend is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Grenache from 30 year old vines. La Rioja Alta is one of the leading producers in Rioja and, although they produce large quantities of wine, the focus is on premium quality as well as releasing wines when -- and only when -- they are ready to drink. All the wines are made in the traditional manner -- aged in American oak barrels, no filtration and extended aging in bottle before release. You can find the 1999 vintage at retail for $25 - $3o.

Incidentally, Boqueria (53 West 19th Street , btwn 5th and 6th Avenues) is a great spot with an authentically Barcelonian, casual vibe and great food, from tapas to larger plates.

Broadbentism: Tasting Young Bordeaux

One can assume that we are all familiar with the notion that the key to tasting many wines in succession (especially young wine or wine from barrel) is staying hydrated and refreshing and clearing the palate with water often. Winemonkey and I had fairly recently surmised -- after attending many big and boisterous tastings of hundreds of wines -- that sparkling water does the trick better than the still stuff. " Much superior!" we discerned.

Always ready to reveal both sides of any issue, here is what our -- dare we say -- wine idol had to say about our shrewd perception...

Decanter Magazine: Is it true sparkling water is better for this (rinsing the palate)?
Broadbent: Complete poppycock.

Oh well. Here's to 50 years experience in wine. :)

The Sky’s the Limit : Parker and US Air

You just can’t escape Robert Parker. This couldn’t be more true as reports of Parker notes on US Airways flights hit the news. Parker has joined with US Airways and BusinessWeek magazine to provide reprints of his BusinessWeek columns on the plane’s tray tables. The columns will be rotated every month and will be placed next to advertising units in economy and first class starting in July 2007. As if airline food alone wasn’t enough to make us nauseas! What are your feelings? Cheers! - Vino Girl and Winemonkey

Broadbentism: 1989 Chateau Giscours

"I have been a Mousquetaire d'Armagnac for many years but have only managed to get to one event, the 36th Grand Chapire, in 1994. It was a spirited occasion. After Armagnac as an aperitif, they served a strange local red, then Ch Filhot with foie gras. Next this full, fleshy, tannic, Giscours with magret de canard, followed by eau de vie and champagne - in that order. I slept well...**" - MB

Man’s Best Drinking Buddy

File under “creepy” or “ridiculously harebrained ideas”. Designer Alice Wang has created a line of products called Pet Plus that includes wine glasses for owner and dog. The doggie glass comes complete with a short stem and tilted bowl so that Rover can nudge his furry little face right in there. If that is not disturbing enough, the website claims that the products “act as a social supplement for those who wish to avoid human-to-human relationship temporarily but still have the need for love.” Don’t take our word for it – visit Alice Wang and see for yourself.