The light, uncomplicated
2007 Palmer Vineyards White Riesling ($17) is a not-too-dry sipper.
(September 18)
The
2007 Channing Daughters Sylvanus ($24) goes two ways: a delightful dry white wine with a floral aroma. The Bridgehampton winery's field blend, reflecting its Sylvanus vineyard, includes pinot grigio, muscatel ottonel and some pinot bianco. Try it with light, late-summer fare.
(September 11)
The 2007
Channing Daughters Mosaico ($29): a smooth, aromatic white blend from Bridgehampton, with superior fruit and a melodic Italian accent.
(August 28)
Pinot Blanc trails chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc in the white repertoire. But it frequently yields all-purpose, easily enjoyed refreshers. One of them is the
2007 Palmer Vineyards Pinot Blanc ($17), a clean and light summery option from the Aquebogue producer. It's ideal with seafood.
(August 21)
Find the
2005 Wolffer Estate Reserve Chardonnay. Creamy, toasty, lush, it represents an outstanding vintage. Try it with seafood, especially lobster, striped bass, flounder, halibut. About $18.
(July 23)
Bedell Cellars jump-starts holiday fireworks with its own sparkler: the
2004 B3 Blanc de Blancs. Small bubbles, big result. The single-block chardonnay has a lemony, appley accent; the label, an evocative image by artist April Gornik. The limited-production, $48 wine is available online from
bedellcellars.com; and at the winery, 631-734-7537.
(July 16)
Made for warm-weather fun, the
2007 Wolffer Estate Rosé is a dry, refreshing table wine, salmon-hued and full of fruit. It has strawberry and apple notes, and some citrus, too. Food-friendly and versatile. Pack it for a picnic. About $15.
(July 10)
The
2007 Bedell Cellars First Crush White is a light, appley-citrusy blend made for summer. The Cutchogue producer considers the slightly floral, easygoing wine a preview of a top vintage. Enjoy it as as a casual sipper or a good partner with fried chicken, fried clams, steamed mussels and simply prepared striped bass or cod. It's 82 percent chardonnay; 18 percent viognier. And about $18.
(July 3)
Bedell Cellars jump-starts holiday fireworks with its own sparkler: the
2004 B3 Blanc de Blancs. Small bubbles, big result. The single-block chardonnay has a lemony, appley accent; the label, an evocative image by artist April Gornik. The limited-production, $48 wine is available online from
bedellcellars.com; and at the winery, 631-734-7537.
Get the picnic basket ready. The
2007 Macari Vineyards Rosé deserves space in the cooler. Fruity, plum to cherry, with an eye-catching coral hue. Good with chili, cold cuts, ham, grilled salmon, Southeast Asian and Mexican fare. The Mattituck producer's rosé is mostly cabernet franc. About $15.
Maison Joseph Drouhin made seven beauties from the 2005 and 2006 vintages. Start with the
2006 Chablis ($20) and the
2006 Domaine de Vaudon Chablis ($23), a crisp, light duet; or the citrusy, fuller
2006 Premier Cru Chablis ($28) - ready to drink with no-nonsense seafood. Steely, seductive
2005 Chablis-Séchers ($33) and the refined, fruity
2005 Chablis-Montmains ($33) have five years in them. To invest time and money: the round, complex
2005 Chablis-Vaudésir Grand Cru ($81); or the concentrated, elegant
2005 Chablis-Les Clos Grand Cru ($88).
Lieb Family Cellars is a pioneer in pinot blanc on Long Island, elevating the wine. The
2005 Lieb Pinot Blanc Reserve continues the tradition of producing very good pinot blanc with a refreshing, clean white. The lively wine, fermented in steel, has a citrus note, especially tangerine. Try it with light shellfish and finfish dishes.
About $19.
The
2004 Lieb Chardonnay Reserve is a balanced, supple white, with a suggestion of pear. It has fine varietal character. And the wine pairs well with steamed or broiled lobster, cod, halibut and striped bass. About $19.
The
2006 Jamesport Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc arrives with a fanfare of tropical fruit and a call for shellfish. This crisp, refreshing white wine, with notes of melon, peach, mango and lime, is a fine successor to the winery's zesty '05 sauvignon blanc. Try it with scallops. About $22. Winemaker Les Howard also excels with the
2005 Jamesport Vineyards "Cox Lane" Reserve Chardonnay, a ripe, balanced white that's heady with peach. Sample with chicken. About $21.
Jamesport's food-friendly East End Series of more modest wines includes
Cinq, a satisfying red blend full of cassis and blackberry; plus a round chardonnay and a summery merlot. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training, a Cornell Cooperative-community organization aimed at restoring shellfish to local waters by teaching residents how to raise them. A 1.5-liter bottle of Cinq is about $28.
One of the newer additions to Long Island wine country is Medolla Vineyards. And the
2002 Medolla Merlot arrives as a food-friendly, satisfying red.
The Medolla family made wine in Campania before moving to Red Hook and now to Peconic. John and Denise Medolla's old-vines merlot is a medium-bodied production with fine fruit, a suggestion of cherry, and the promise of inviting wines to come. Try it with roast beef, pasta with meat sauce, grilled tuna. The merlot was produced and bottled by the Lenz Winery. A bottle is about $23.
Castello di Borghese in Cutchogue succeeded Long Island's first modern winery, Hargrave Vineyard. And it has produced consistently fine wines.
Especially for summer, a versatile and flavorful wine is the
2005 Borghese Chardonnay. This bright white was fermented in steel and then aged in French oak. The result is a creamy number with a suggestion of citrus. The wine pairs neatly with a seafood dinner. Try it with steamed lobster, clams, mussels, grilled salmon. About $15.
The
2006 Borghese Sauvignon Blanc also is ideal with shellfish, especially grilled shrimp, crab cakes and scallops. The refreshing, herbaceous white works well with Asian dishes, too, from Japanese to Indian. About $18.
Gewurztraminer yields distinctive, easily identifiable wines. The grape can result in a fruity, dry or viscous dessert wine, too.
The
2006 Corey Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer arrives with the trademark floral quality, and notes of litchi and peach. It's a lively, summery choice, dry and boasting good fruit. This gewurztraminer pairs especially well with spicy Asian dishes. But it's also a fine match for ham. About $30.
Ideal for a picnic, the
2006 Domaines CC Rose from Corey Creek is a light, fruity choice, with a suggestion of cherry. Versatile and fresh, and a partner for casual fare, from salads and cold cuts to chili and seafood stew. About $16.
Few wines say summer more than sauvignon blanc. Typically, the grape yields a wine with good acidity and herbaceous style.
The
2006 Macari Vineyards "Katherine's Field" Sauvignon Blanc fits neatly into the seasonal portfolio. It's an easygoing, crisp white, flavorful and versatile, with appealing varietal character. You'll detect notes of citrus. All of which makes the Mattituck wine a fine match with soft-shell crab, fish and chips, grilled shrimp and many Asian dishes, from Chinese to Indian. A bottle is about $19.
Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack stars with merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay. The winery also has two very summery winners for your next picnic:
The
2006 Wolffer Pinot Gris is a balanced, bright and versatile white wine. Winemaker Roman Roth added 12 percent chardonnay to the pinot. It's a wine with fine acidity and more depth than a case of pinot grigio. Enjoy this one chilled, but not overly so. The pinot gris pairs neatly with lighter finfish, shrimp, scallops and simpler preparations of chicken and pork. A bottle of the '06 pinot gris is about $24.
