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Bouké White (Long Island)

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 | Long Island, New York, White Wine, Wines Under $20 | 2 Comments

I’m not a huge fan of Long Island wines, and I’ll spare you my usual explanation of why. Suffice it to say, generally I think they taste weird and cost too much. That doesn’t mean I don’t try them, though. Last fall I received a sample bottle of Bouké 2007 White Table Wine ($18). (Don’t forget that sassy accent mark over the “e”). Since I was newly pregnant and not drinking, I stuck it in my wine fridge, waiting for early summer.

A couple of weeks ago I made some jerk-spiced chicken and grilled some garlic-scape-infused summer squash with it. (How’s that for fancy sounding?) I thought that this wine, a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Gris, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Gewurztraminer, would pair well. While our dinner cooked outside, Drew uncorked the bottle and poured us each a glass. The nose was citrusy with a bit of tropical fruit there, too. Quite promising. I took a sip and gave myself a moment to think about the flavors and it hit me: this wine tasted like lemon-scented Mr. Clean. That sounds a lot worse than it was. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but Drew agreed that there was a vague cleanser taste to the wine and it was a little odd. Not a great start.

Luckily, with a little time and the glass and with the food, the wine was quite enjoyable. The flavor evolved to a nice cleanser-less citrus taste, combined with a little Granny Smith apple and bright acidity. The flavors mellowed even more the next day and it held up well. So all in all, I thought this was a fairly decent wine, though not one I’m sure I’d pay $18 for. Personally, there are other similar whites that I like better. If you’re looking specifically for a Long Island wine, though, this one would not be a bad pick.

Celebrate New York Wine Month in April!

Friday, March 28th, 2008 | Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York, Niagara, Wine Events | 4 Comments

Image source: Uncork New York!

Although some might lead you to believe that the only wines produced in New York are those from Long Island or the Finger Lakes, there are in fact five main regions. The other three are the Hudson Valley, the Niagra Escarpment, and the Lake Erie Region. We have 32,000 acres of vineyards, with more being planted every year and approximately 175,000 tons of grapes are produced annually. There are 212 bonded wineries in New York, including Brotherhood — America’s first winery (located in the Hudson Valley Region).

April is New York Wine Month and many New York wineries will be unveiling their 2007 vintages in April, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate the fruits of their labor. In addition, a major “Taste of New York” public television series produced by WXXI in Rochester will begin airing in April, along with publication of a “Taste of New York” cookbook featuring New York wines and foods.

I’m going to spend the month of April focusing on wines from The Empire State and I am going to do my best to taste one from each of the five main regions. Truthfully, I am not a huge fan of Long Island wines, but maybe I’ll get lucky and find one that doesn’t taste like lemon pith or dried up autumn leaves. At any rate, it’s a great excuse to explore!

North Fork Granny Smith

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 | Long Island, Meritage, Red Wine, White Wine, Wines Under $20 | 3 Comments

I just tasted a bunch of wines from Macari in Mattituck. Actually, with 3 exceptions, I tasted all of their current wines. I must say, the wines performed fairly well when compared to the other North Fork stuff I’ve tasted. In general I found them significantly lighter in body than what I am used to from California, France, Chile…well, almost everywhere else. For the most part, the flavors were solid, with a  common earthiness among the reds, and a miscellaneous acidic tang to the whites. These, both, being positive traits. I just can’t get away from the watery mouthfeel common among these wines.

There were two standouts worth seeking out. First, their Bergen Road 2004 is a sort of North Fork Meritage. It’s heavy on Merlot with about a quarter each of Cab Sauv and Malbec, and just a touch of Petit Verdot. Full-flavored and woody with some nice spicy notes and light tannins, it was a pleasant take on the classic Bordeaux blend. Again, a little thin and watery in the mouth. The flavors would suggest a lush, velvety finish, but the body isn’t quite there to deliver. The $40-something price tag is no laughing matter, either, but if you want good, solid flavor from the North Fork, this is worth a try.

The real standout for me, however, was a white called Early Wine, the 2007 vintage. It is Chardonnay with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc that is picked, fermented in steel and bottled rather quickly- all in a matter of months I think. (It was only bottle number 2 of 10 or so I tasted so be kind - my memory ain’t what it used to be.) If I didn’t know this was a wackadoo Chard I would have thought it a Babich-ish New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the nose. Fairly aggressive aromas of green and unripe fruit. Think kiwi and lime and those little tiny bananas still green on the tree. In the mouth it was all Granny Smith apple. Big, tart, delightfully puckery and totally mouth filling. Somewhere on the finish was a teasing promise of sweetness that was never quite delivered…and for some reason, that made it even better.

Despite its pedigree, this oddball Chardonnay has no business in the Chardonnay section. This is definitely a wine for lovers of crazy-tart Sauvignon Blanc. And at about $15 on the shelf, it’s worth checking out when you’re just in the mood for something different.