food and wine	« vineyards
Updated: October 18, 2009, 4:23 pm	Share    Print    Email

Friends meet under the vines over a great glass of local wine. Photos by Nicole B. Brewer

The tasting room at Duck Walk North offers a unique Pinot Meunier, a rare red.

Cutchogue, NY - Thousands flock to the North Fork of Long Island in search of vineyards and wineries to tour on fall weekends. There are over 30 to choose from these days and most are family owned and operated. But what are these visitors searching for really? A great bottle of wine. Something new? Or is is just the journey -- walking through the grapevines, talking with the people who craft the nectar of creation, the camaraderie of fellow wine lovers?

You decide as you take a tour of a few vineyards on the North Fork with me.

Living on the North Fork for the past 12 years I have come to appreciate the cultural significance of these acres and acres of grapes. Back in the 1970s the Hargrave Family settled and farmed the first vineyard on the East End, known today as Borghese Vineyard & Winery (17150 County Road 48, Cutchogue, 631-734-5111). The wines crafted at Borghese are of the more traditional style, so you won't find anything remotely sweet here. What you will find is a rich and exotic Pinot Noir 2005 Estate and a stainless steel fermented Chardonnay 2007 Estate. Current owner Ann Marie Borghese has brought along her love of art to the winery so numerous art shows paired with vintages occur throughout the year. Deborah, a tasting room attendant, remarked that, "the best of the best goes into the reserve wines" and I couldn't agree more as I left to continue my tour with a bottle of the Cabernet Savignon 2005 Reserve tucked in my arms.

The 2006 Riesling at Peconic Bay is very popular.

Another spot popular for the touring crowd is Duck Walk North (Main Road, Peconic, 631-765-3500) where wines of all varieties are blended under the watchful eye of the Damianos family. General Manager Alexander Damianos, has been working with the wines since he was 12 - starting at the family's other winery, North Fork's largest grower, Pindar. Heading up the team at Duck Walk North since May 2007, Damianos noted that the wines are unique because they "are a blend of 70 percent of the grapes from the North Fork and 30 percent of the grapes from the South Fork."

A fun wine to try and one that you won't find anywhere else on your wine tour travels is the 2006 Pinot Meunier, a Burgundian-styled red made from seven acres of grapes from the Champagne region of France planted in Peconic's lush loam. The taste is light and balanced with black currant and plum notes. A high energy crowd frequents the large tasting room week after week.

Families flock to Peconic Bay Winery (31320 Main Road, Cutchogue, 631-734-7361) to picnic and listen to the bands or play Bocce ball over some very delicious varieties. Run by the Lowerre family since 1979, there are 60 acres planted and harvested this year and the popular Cabernet Franc 2005 has already sold out. The most requested wine in the tasting room is the 2006 Riesling - it's a bit off dry and mellow. Also flying off the shelves is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 La Barrique Chardonnay which has won Best in New York for the past three years. Tasting room manager, Pascal Zugmeyer is passionate about wine and as a sommeiler is a great educator. Ever want to know just a little bit more, just ask Pascal for a few minutes and over a nice 2004 Merlot he'll tell you all you a tid bit or two about the red and white wines of your choice.

Pat and Ralph Pugliese enjoy the boisterous visitors at Pugliese Vineyard.

Party buses and limos pack the drive week after week all year long at Pugliese Vineyards (Main Road, Cutchogue, 631-734-4057) -- maybe it's for the casual atmosphere or the large arbor where you can relax with a bottle of wine near the pond.

Owners Ralph and Pat Pugliese sit back and appreciate the boisterous visitors in the double tasting room these days as their sons Larry and Ralph are now at the helm making the wines and working the grapes. Pugliese, Sr., can't say which of the wines are his favorites, though he leans towards the 2005 Raffaello White Port and the 2003 Blanc de Blanc brut Champagne these days, "Every year the grapes are different and you never know what you're going to get," he commented admitting that not knowing was the best part.

As one of the original wine families, Pugliese left Brooklyn after making wine in his basement with his friends. The Puglieses settled on the North Fork in 1980 and have been making wine on their now over 50-acre vineyard and are enjoying seeing the fruits of their labor be passed down to their grandsons.

Corey Creek Vineyard sits off of the Main Road hustle and bustle.

Tucked away from the Main Road noise, couples looking for a mellow afternoon head over to Corey Creek Vineyard (Main Road, Southold, 631-765-4168) to sample the 2007 Corey Creek Rose, a dry blended rose with honey notes. In the tasting room, manager Andrew Mester can guide you through a VIP tour and tasting of some of the more interesting wines from Corey Creek and sister vineyard, Bedell Cellers, just up the road in Cutchogue. He stressed that the winemakers are most determined to "create a unique product every time" and that "Bedell does some really interesting blends."

As I sampled the Main Road Red I took note of the open and airy ski lodge tasting room which was replete with copper counters and plenty of exposed wood. The large, elevated back deck overlooks the vineyard and is where most folks congregate for lunch with their favorite bottle. Owner Michael Lynne, CEO of New Line Cinema(of "Lord of the Rings" trilogy fame) has infused state-of-the-art science into the time honored traditions of winemaking helmed by winemaker Kelly Urbanik at the Bedell facility.

The last stop on my tour this time is the sprawling Osprey's Dominion Vineyard (44075 Main Road, Peconic, 631-765-6188). With over 25 wines available from the nearly 100 acres of grapes planted on the North Fork those looking to find medal winning wines need look no further.

Just this year at the New York State Fair the 2005 Reserve Merlot was awarded the silver medal. Owners Bill Tyree and Bud Koehler, along with winemaker Adam Suprenant, added a few more medals to their tally with the 2005 Cabernet Franc and the 2005 Flight Meritage. Offering live music all year-round, Osprey's Dominion is a fun place to visit and tour the grapes.

Medals grace many bottlenecks at Osprey's Dominion Vineyard.

How To Tour

A few notes about wine touring, always bring a tasting buddy. On this tour I brought along my mother who prefers sweeter wines. Since I prefer the more dry wines, together we were able to choose wines from each vineyard for a family gathering that everyone will enjoy.

Remember that wine touring is a tasting so you'll get to sample a sip or two of each wine offered from the flight, or wine list, and not a full glass of wine. Feel free to pour out anything you do not like into the bar top containers, no one will get offended, it's part of the tasting process.

Be sure to ask plenty of questions. The staff in the tasting room is knowledgeable about the wines and will suggest a few you might like if you tell them your preference. No sense trying a sweet rose if you know ahead of time you prefer a bold red. They can also help you find new favorites. Typically if you find something that you like you can pick up a few bottles and be rewarded with a case discount, anywhere from five to 20 percent.

If you'd rather not be part of the crowds - and the wineries get very packed on fall weekends -- plan your trip during the week or in the winter and you might be surprised with a few special items not on the printed wine list. It is during this quiet time that the winemakers experiment and sometimes, if you're lucky, they'll bring a bottle out for the guests to try.

Happy touring!