Women Winemakers – SocialVino

I took another trip up to Port Chester, New York to attend another one of Zachys curated wine tastings.

Zachys is a fine wine shop and auction house founded in 1944, they host several wine tastings throughout the year at their store in Port Chester.

This event was a tasting “honoring the trailblazing women who craft exceptional wines, run renowned chateaux, and manage vineyards around the world”.

At the event 35+ wines were poured from the United States, Italy and Argentina.

White

2023 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills): Clear light gold, sweet floral notes on the nose, juicy with kiwi and green herbs on the finish, moderate tannin and acidity.

2023 Grgich Hills Estate Fume Blanc (Napa Valley): Clear light yellow with green tints, big funky earth notes on the nose, juicy with stone notes, nice grip.

2023 Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc (Burgundy): Clear light gold, tropical fruit and green herbs on the nose, tight with a nice mouthfeel ending with a nice balance.

Red

2016 Fattoria Le Pupille Syrah “Le Pupille” (Tuscany): Opaque dark red, brick rim, sweet tar, cooked fruit and crushed black berry on the nose, chewy and chunky fruit with a chewy dark chocolate finish, dusty balance.

2020 Tolani Tenuta Montbello “Picconero” (Tuscany): Dark purple, ripe red fruit, gun metal and chocolate on the nose, chewy black fruit with slate notes, firm tannin.

2021 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque medium purple, stone, graphite and crushed black fruit on the nose, dense and chewy black fruit, chunky and dusty tannin, nice grip.

2022 Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge (Burgundy): Clear light purple, perfume of barnyard, dirty tar, chewy black fruit with barnyard notes on the finish, nice grip.

2022 Rudd Crossroads Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville): Clear medium brick, crushed red leather and pickle juice on the nose, chewy black fruit and tannin, nice grip with a long, dusty finish.

2022 Antinori Chianti Classico Gran Selezione “Badia a Passignano” (Tuscany): Clear light brick, crushed rocks, tar and tree bark on the nose, chewy fruit with tar notes, nice acidity.

2023 Domain Drouhin Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills): Clear light purple, dusty tar and cloves on the nose, juicy with chocolate and leather notes, nice grip.

2023 Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc (Burgundy): Clear light gold, tropical fruit with green herbs on the nose, tight with a nice mouthfeel ending with a nice balance.

2023 Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast): Clear light purple, tar and green herbs on the nose, juicy red fruit with cola notes, nice balance

2023 Turley Wine Cellars Zinfandel “Old Vines” (California): Clear medium purple, tar, saline and cigarette smoke on the nose, chewy and juicy dark chocolate fruit with tar notes and ending with good acidity.

2023 Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, purple rim, perfume of violets and ripe black fruit, tight with firm tannin.

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee (Sonoma Coast): Clear light purple, sweet strawberry on the nose, juicy red berry fruit, nice grip.

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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.

Tag: Women Winemakers

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