Toast the Storm with Martha Clara's Big 'Five-O' Red

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: 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): Dark, almost jammy scents of black currant, plum, dried strawberry and black cherry blend with hints of spearmint, cola, cocoa and vanilla. And as the wine opens up, the chocolate nuances bloom.

Taste (Palate): Deep flavors of black plum, black raspberry and cherry fill the mouth, followed by dusty tannins that play off notes of earth, coffee, baker's chocolate and oak and cedar on the finish. This wine will soften with age, but as a big, almost chewy wine, it's drinking well now.

Food Pairing: This Barefoot Contessa recipe for Easy Provençal Lamb would work perfectly.

Second Opinion: Wine writer Carlo De Vito in his blog East Coast Wineries said this wine had "big deep fruit up front, with dark raspberries, dark cherries, and stewed plums and prunes. Whiffs of vanilla, cocoa, and leather also come across."

Price: $21 at the tasting room.

Interested in submitting samples for review? E-mail henry@patch.com.