With the start of summer has come a flood of new releases, many being whites from the banner 2010 vintage.At Aquebogue’s Palmer Vineyards, the spotlight has been on its first release of 2010 Albarino, a wine made from grapes normally grown in Spain. And there’s good reason for it. On the nose, aromas of fragrant peach, lychee and orange rind mix with floral and steely notes. On the palate, the wine has huge citrus flavors of lemon, lime, tart nectarine and a lingering tangy orange note on the finish. The acidity is punchy, too.Miguel Martin, Palmer’s winemaker, said the Albarino, which sells …

Viognier isn't a wine you see made in every Long Island winery, though the white grape is long famous for producing perfumy whites across the world, and even being used to add aromas to a few reds. Martha Clara Vineyards is currently selling its 2009 estate grown, steel fermented Viognier. On the nose, the wine shows fresh floral aromas of ripe apricot and zingy lime with a touch of clove and dried orange rind. The wine is a touch spritzy on the palate, reminiscent of a Vinho Verde, a tart white from Portugal. But the flavors are far more bold. Orange peel, lemongrass and nectarine are …

On June 2, Shinn Vineyard winemaker Anthony Nappa unofficially opened The Winemakers Studio, a tasting room that will showcase side projects from a few East End winemakers. North Fork Patch was there when it opened to the press. Below are Patch's tasting notes on a few of the wines poured there, a varied assortment of some of the lesser-known labels in this wine region. Winemaker: Anthony Nappa, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Anomaly - White Pinot Noir: $19 Citrus aromas mix with hints of gooseberry and lemongrass. Very tart and austere on the palate with loads of lemon and white grapefruit …

Where do you stand? Is plummy Long Island merlot your favorite, or are you more a fan of the cherry-driven and herbal cabernet franc? For those who aren't sure yet, here's a local franc that shows off the purity of what the grape can yield on the North Fork. Bedell Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc is an interesting wine. The grapes were grown, harvested, pressed and fermented under Macari winemaker, Kelly Urbanik, before being handed over to new winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich when he took over the helm. Olsen-Harbich is a cab franc fan, and decided to finish the '09 with minimal oak, showing of the …

This past winter, Peconic Bay Winery released three new labels to its lineup of wines, including a two entry-level wines dubbed "red label," and a black label, high-end wine it calls its Lowerre Family Estate. We recently got a chance to try these new local wines. The first of the entry-level Lot #1 2009 red, made from 100 percent merlot grapes and aged for a short time in French oak barrels. In the glass, clean aromas of a bing cherry, red currant and red plum mix with faint iron notes and hints of wet stone. The oak is barely noticeable on the nose. As for the palate, the wine is tight and …

At Roanoke Vineyards in Riverhead, Mother's Day marks the annual release of the winery's rosé, which makes it an early destination for people who know that when it comes to rosé wines, fresher is better. Roanoke's 2010 De Rosa Rosé is an intentional rosé, which means the red grapes were pressed and left on the skins only long enough to pick up a pinkish, salmon color. For this year's blend winemaker Roman Roth used 60 percent merlot, 20 percent chardonnay, 14 percent cabernet franc and 6 percent barrel-fermented cabernet sauvignon. Aromas include steely hints of fresh strawberry, lime and …

While the excitement over the great 2007 vintage on Long Island may take a while to shake off – at least until 2010 reds are released – 2008 wines like this recently released cabernet franc from Macari Vineyards are delivering deep flavors from an admittedly softer vintage. Macari's 2008 Cabernet Franc is made entirely from the cabernet franc grape and shows off a deep purple color. Aromas of green herbs, birch and cherry fill the glass, though the characteristics are more bright and clean than dark and smoky. That said, the nose still shows nice hints of cedary oak, but it floats behind the …

Roanoke Vineyards on Saturday held the third installment of its Winemakers' Smackdown event, a showdown that asked six industry insiders to taste wines blind and try to guess what's in their glasses. This time, Roanoke took the show on the road, packing a the back barn at the Jedediah Hawkins Inn with more than 100 wine enthusiasts, many who also work in the region. The contest, the brainchild of Roanoke Creative Director Scott Sandell, has become a marquee event in the region where barrel tastings, vintage verticals, futures dinners, release parties and the occasional musical performance are…

Sixteen wine lovers, ranging from insiders at Long Island wineries, bloggers, a journalist, wine salesmen and local enthusiasts put their noses and taste buds to the test on Saturday, competing for a chance to be on expert panel at the April 2 Smackdown Championship. The April event would be the third Smackdown put on by Riverhead's Roanoke Vineyards, a contest that asks a panel of Long Island winemakers, vineyard owners and experts to taste a series of wines blind and try to guess what kinds they are. The one who gets the most right, wins. On Saturday, Roanoke gave a few others the chance to…

For this column, I taste a lot of wines, some at tasting rooms, some at dinners and some as samples sent to me by local wineries. But while I can't give each one its own feature on the site, it doesn't mean I don't take my time tasting them and coming up with notes I hope you'll find useful in your own personal explorations of the local juice. So this week, here's a selection from that notebook. Martha Clara 2007 Cabernet Franc Look for dark aromas of stewed cherries and raspberries, herbal notes and hints of white pepper and clove. As for taste, flavors of bing cherry, chocolate, and tart …

There’s definitely a Long Island-style to the wines being made here, from herbal and cherry-focused reds to zippy steel-fermented whites with loads of lime, mineral notes and even a seaside saline quality to them. Add to them a Long Island style of oaked chardonnay, a wine that sits between the creamy, buttery and ripe style from the West Coast and the nutty yet acidic style from France’s Burgundy region. It makes sense geographically, I guess.Bedell Cellars 2008 Reserve Chardonnay fits the local mold. Its nutty and creamy vanilla aromas mingle with the scent of dried pears, golden apple, …

Cabernet sauvignon is another grape that is hit or miss on Long Island, due to our cool growing climate. While often adding a little depth and backbone to local blends, it's the wines where it's asked to stand alone that draw criticism, especially when regions like Chile, California and, of course, France have had such success. But throw in a hot vintage like 2007 (and 2010) on Long Island, and you're likely to find local cabernet sauvigon delivering what they should — depth of fruit, and a firm backbone that makes the wines age-worthy. Here's one from Long Island's biggest producer. The wine…

We've already seen a handful of 2007 cabernet franc wines written up in this column, but it's always amazing how they differ from winery to winery. In this case, the complexity is a real treat for wine lovers who enjoying searching for nuances in their glass. The wine: Clovis Point 2007 Cabernet Franc, an extremely inky, deep purple wine made from 92 percent cabernet franc, 8 percent cabernet sauvignon that's medium to full-bodied. Aromas (Nose): The aromas are very smoky, with gobs of blackberry and cherry fruit, hints of black licorice, thyme mixing with the burnt oak scents. Smells Old …

There are only a few styles of wine. Still, sparkling, fortified, red, white, rose and dessert. But orange wine? It's true. This little known, and little-made type of wine is made by letting the juice from white grapes spend a little time sitting on the skins during fermentation, which turns the juice a coppery color. Around the world its know as the "ramato" style, and Bridgehampton's Channing Daughters Winery makes a couple of them on Long Island. The wine: Channing Daughters Winery Ramato 2008 Pinot Grigio, an orange-colored wine made from 100 percent pinot grigio grapes in the ramato …

Earlier in the week we looked at a wine made from one of the most widely planted grapes, merlot. Now we're looking the other way, checking out one attempt as making a pinot noir wine. It's not an easy thing to do, as the jury is still out on whether this hard-to-grow grape, with its small finicky berries that do best in regions where the air is dry, the days warm and the nights are cool, can succeed on Long Island. The wine: Duck Walk Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir that's ruby-to-garnet in color and definitely light bodied. It spends a short time in French oak before being bottled. Aromas (Nose): …

Merlot is the most widely planted red grape on Long Island. In fact, it's debated to be the defining grape of the region. Heck, the grape has its own alliance named after it. But though it's celebrated across Long Island, the wines the grape yields vary from winery to winery, ranging from dark, spicy and plummy to bright and cherry-driven. This one might be right in the middle. The wine: Water's Crest Winery 2007 Merlot, a crystal-clear, ruby-colord wine that spends two years in oak before being bottled. Aromas (Nose): Deep fruit scents of plum, raspberry and cherry, verging on cherry candy, …

Sometimes you want something reliable, something you can keep a case of in the basement, and pull when you have guests or just an itch to drink local without spending a fortune. Luckily, there are plenty of Long Island wines that fit that bill. Including this one. The wine: The Lenz Winery 2004 Merlot, a rusty, ruby-colored wine that is unfiltered and made from merlot grapes grown on the winery's Peconic vineyard. Aromas (Nose): Gentle scents of black currant and cherry mingle with notes of wet stone and cedar. Aromas are muted but have plenty of finesse. Taste (Palate): Flavors of dried …

White wine lovers might feel a little left out in winter, when the ice-cold air makes a chilled-down chardonnay a less satisfying choice. However there are plenty of light-bodied, local reds that offer that red-wine warmth without the heaviness that white drinkers like to avoid. Here's one example. The wine: Bedell Cellars 2009 First Crush Red, a crystal clear, ruby-colored blend of 82 percent merlot and 18 percent cabernet franc that the winery says is made from the first grapes it harvests in the season. Aromas (Nose): Jammy notes of strawberry rhubarb, blend with bright red cherry, …

Snow days tend to send wine lovers rushing for the biggest, boldest and fullest red wine they can find. But with Long Island being a cool-climate region, it's not easy to find something local that fits the bill. Luckily, it's not impossible either. The Wine: Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 "Five-O" Red, a blend of 39 percent merlot, 28 percent cabernet sauvignon , 19 percent cabernet franc, 6 percent malbec, 5 percent petit verdot and 3 percent syrah that is inky garnet in color. The wine spends 14 months in oak, 20 percent new oak – which imparts more flavor – before being bottled. Aromas (Nose…

For the past few months we've featured this column on local wines, and the feedback has been great. That's why we want to step up the effort. First, we're changing the name to "The Wines of Long Island," to better capture what this column is about. We want to be your favorite, bookmarked and evolving catalogue of the hundreds of great wines being crafted on the North Fork, the South Fork and in a few other places on Long Island. This region is growing by the month, in size and reputation, so we need to help you keep track of all the great juice out there. Our philosophy is simple: We're not …