With over 55 vineyards and wineries out on Long Island there are a lot of winemakers being kept busy. On this cloudy Sunday afternoon I decided to take a winery run to the North Fork of Long Island and sample wines made by women winemakers.
The Old Field Vineyards 59600 Main Road, Southold
Winemakers: Rosamond and Perry Bliss
Haven’t been to this out of the way vineyard for a while. They planted vinifera grapes in 1974 which makes it along with the old Hargrave Vineyard (now Castello di Borghese) which was established in 1973, the oldest vineyards on the Island. At this family run winery, you get the full rural experience. You’ll be surrounded by barns with chickens running around the property and you sample their wines made by a mother and daughter winemaking team in a rustic 1860’s tasting barn.
NV Rooster Tail
Mostly Merlot with about 10% Cabernet Franc. Opaque dark red to black in color, closed nose of slate and crushed black fruit, thick, chewy and dusty fruit with firm acidity at the finish.
One Women Winery 5195 Old North Road, Southold
Winemaker: Claudia Purita
One of my favorite wineries to visit when I’m out East. Another family run operation with probably the smallest tasting room on the wine circuit. When I walked in I spotted a bottle of Petite Vedot on the table which was a new bottling for them so I had to give it a try.
2016 Petite Verdot
Inky black with a purple rim, dried rosemary and crushed rocks on the nose, tight, dusty fruit with mouth coating tannins on the finish.
Peconic Cellar Door 2885 Peconic Lane, Peconic
Winemakers: Robin Epperson-McCarthy, Alie Shaper
One of the newest tasting rooms out East, it’s an off-site tasting room in an old general store featuring the wines from a pair of women winemakers. It’s also next door to another tasting room, the Winemaker Studio.
2017 Saltbird Sauvignon Blanc “Migratus”
Barrell fermented, gold in color, cooked asparagus on the nose, very viscous for a white with cooked fruit on the finish, moderate to low acidity.
Macari Vineyards 150 Bergen Avenue, Mattituck
Winemaker: Kelly Urbanik Koch
And another family run winery, this one established in 1995 with a couple of tasting rooms on the North Fork wine trail.
2016 Cabernet Franc “Lifeforce”
This wine has been fermented in a concrete egg. It’s a lighter version than most Cabernet Francs you find on the Island, closer in style to what you would find in the Loire. Clear light red in color, roasted nuts on the nose, crisp red licorice fruit.
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