Monday, July 5, 2010

Welcome Newbies!

Hello all. Or, to be more realistic about my current audience, hi Mom! Welcome to the North Fork Newbie.

First, a quick introduction: My name is Carey. I live and work in New York City, and spend some of my free time in the North Fork of Long Island. After immersing myself in a comprehensive wine class more than a year ago, I have developed a passion for the subject. I certainly wouldn't call myself an expert (yet!).  Instead, I simply take pleasure in tasting wines from numerous regions, grape varieties, and vintages, and focus on refining my own abilities to recognize subtle smells and tastes one can find in a great wine. And, as a New Yorker passionate about wine, I take pride in the wine-making region closest to the city - the North Fork.
                                                          











Now, I'm sure you have some follow-up questions, so let me indulge you...

What's your connection to the North Fork? I did not grow up there; in fact, it was just two years ago that I first visited the region! However, it was closer than I thought. As a child growing up in Connecticut, I spent a lot of time on the state's southern shore. On a clear day, you could spot a stretch of land along the horizon, just across Long Island Sound. This mass of barely visible land was cloaked in mystery. Although it was just a few miles across the water, I had never been, as it would be a multi-hour journey by car (sadly, no bridges, but there were ferries!). I'd often think about what those "strangers from another state" were doing. Little did I know that some of these strangers were working hard to cultivate what was at the time, a burgeoning wine industry. What's more, I had no idea it would someday be one of my favorite escapes from the city.

How poetic. So what exactly is the "North Fork"? The North Fork - about a two-hour drive from New York City - is one of two regions making up the eastern stretch of Long Island, where the Peconic River empties into Peconic Bay, creating a two-pronged "fork" of land. The area south of the bay is the Hamptons, while the land along the bay's northern border is the North Fork. The Hamptons is hip, trendy and chock-full of A-list celebrities, while the North Fork is its gentler, down-to-earth sibling. In the North Fork, you have access to nearly everything that draws New Yorkers to the Hamptons, plus one other thing...

Wine country, which includes about 40 wineries adorning a 20-mile stretch along or between two main roads, Routes 25 & 48. The earliest vines in the North Fork date back to the 1970's. Since then, there's been considerable growth in wine production in the region. Yet despite this deep history and proximity to Manhattan, one of the world's culinary meccas, I have struggled to find many restaurants or retailers offering a critical mass of (if any) Long Island wines.

Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, there are a handful of reputable wineries in the Hamptons. However, this pales in comparison to the extensive offerings you can find in the North Fork.
                           











Carey, that's great, but why the blog? Good question. First, this blog will encourage my friends and I to record our thoughts on the tasting rooms we visit and wines we consume. When tasting a new wine, taking some time to record your thoughts and observations can be very helpful. There are so many nuances from vintage to vintage, region to region, and producer to producer, that it's nearly impossible to catalog them all in your head. As such, tasting notes can be a great reference when you're seeking a particular wine to accompany a meal, enrich a special occasion, or just satisfy a particular craving.

And for those of you with a limited knowledge of wine, no fear! Reading someone's tasting notes are actually a great way to hone your own ability to see, smell and taste the many (and sometimes, surprising) characteristics in a fulfilling wine.

My goal: to visit each Long Island winery and share my thoughts with you.  From the observations I chronicle in this blog, I hope to provide you with a good reference point when planning your own visit the Long Island wine country. More broadly (and ambitiously) speaking, I'm trying to do my part to raise the profile of the North Fork :)

I'm hooked. And also thirsty. Which North Fork wines should I try? I like the enthusiasm! Stick around, and hopefully I can help you. I encourage you to take a look at the "Long Island Wineries" page above, which includes a complete listing of Long Island wineries. As my friends and I frequent each winery, I'll post a new blog entry and update the aforementioned list by adding summary thoughts, recommended wines, and an overall rating. And, to any readers who have experienced some North Fork wines yourselves, feel free to share your thoughts as we go along.

Up next: A crash course in wine, followed by some notes from a recent Long Island Rose tasting. But for now, I leave you with this...an evening shot from the backyard of the summer house we are renting in the North Fork. Picture yourself here, and just add some fresh fish from the grill and a glass of summer wine, cooled to perfection. No need to wait and age...uncork and enjoy the North Fork experience now!
        

3 comments:

  1. Carey! This is AWESOME. And just got me really excited for a weekend of grilling and drinking wine. But it's 7:01am, and I'm sitting at my desk starting at my work screen. Perhaps you can post your next edition on a Friday afternoon or something? ;) -Katie

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  2. carey... this is great!
    this is a great way to live vicariously through you!!!

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  3. Carey, well written and documented. Makes me want to come to North Fork and sample the wines myself. Keep up the good work. Gary

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