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Wine of the Week: 2008 Lenz Merlot

April 8, 2015 in Tasting Room Series, Travel, wine by traveleatlove | No comments

Wow is the word for this wine. Earlier in the week we debated on whether or not to open one of our beautiful new white or rose wines and decided against it because it was cold, windy, and raw. We reached into our cellar and found one of the last bottles from our North Fork Long Island wine trip, a 2008 Merlot from Lenz..  It was a very good choice, but now I want more.

Lenz Merlot

Garnet in color, this wine is a rare gem, with round bursts of black and overripe plum, a little bit of dust, earth, and black pepper. It is absolutely delicious. It’s the kind of wine to help that transition between winter and reluctant spring, and it would be perfect with a slow cooked meal like pulled pork or a hearty soup.

If you have read this blog in the past couple of years, you know I love Long Island wine and wine country, especially this time of year. For information on a spectacular North Fork Long Island wine country getaway, check out some of these posts from the archives:

Greenport, NY – Harborfront Inn, Noah’s, and Blue Canoe

Cross Sound Ferry to the North Fork – a delightful way to travel for a weekend getaway from the Boston area

Kontokosta Winery

Wine Tasting in Long Island – Sparkling Pointe, Shinn Vineyards, and Croteaux

Harbes Farm

Touring and Tasting at the Beautiful Bedell Cellars

Tags: Greenport, Long Island, merlot, North Fork, Travel, wine, wine blog, wine of the week

Wine Wednesday: Castello Di Borghese 2010 Reserve Merlot

September 17, 2014 in Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | 3 comments

Let’s take it back to the North Fork of Long Island for this Wine Wednesday, shall we? The Wine of the Week is perfect for a tailgate, and since it’s that time of year, even though I don’t watch football, I can play along with football food and drink, especially if it includes good wine.

Our summer felt like it began in April when we visited the North Fork  for some wine tasting. We got to spend time by the sea and at farms and at wineries; it was exactly the tone I wanted our summer to have, and we succeeded.

Castello di Borghese Merlot

We took a really fun winery tour at one of Long Island’s oldest wineries, Castello di Borghese, where we got to see where the wine is made and stored as well as where the grapes were grown. We also got to take away some beautiful dried lavender, an inspiration for my own gardening. We recently cracked open a 2010 Reserve Merlot from Castello di Borghese, and we were speechless. Time had passed since our trip, and we had forgotten how beautiful this wine is. It’s super velvety smooth and elegant, exhibiting notes of berry and cocoa, perfect for sipping slowly and pairing with food like a chipotle chocolate chili or a really good BBQ. See? I told you I could bring wine country to football food.

Castello di Borghese

Castello di Borghese is a must-visit winery on the North Fork; if you find yourself planning a trip definitely leave yourself some extra time to be sure you take the tour and taste through all of their wines. I think a North Fork trip would be perfect in the fall, with fewer crowds, cozy fireplaces, and lovely foliage. I just wish I had more free weekends for all of the fall travel I want to do!

Happy Wine Wednesday!

Tags: Long Island, Long Island wine, merlot, North Fork, wine, wine of the week, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

Wine of the Week: 2010 Kontokosta Merlot

June 25, 2014 in Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Still floating along on the great memories (and bubbles) from our North Fork wine tasting trip, we find ourselves trying to relive it with sips of wines we picked up along the journey. As I wrote before, our afternoon at Kontokosta was simply amazing and so memorable, from the scenery to the wines to the people we met. We’ve been slowly opening the bottles of wine we purchased that day, choosing special at home date nights to sit and savor.

One of those nights was the perfect night for grilling and chilling. We sat on the patio, grilled some salmon with BBQ spices, and pulled the cork on a bottle of 2010 Merlot from Kontokosta.

Kontokosta Merlot

Merlot is SO great for barbecues. This wine’s soft, fruity notes open up to become more intense, think stewed cherries and blackberries, with a little bit of herbs and spice mixed in. These fruit and spice notes pair very well with the smoky flavor of grilled meats basted in sweet, spicy, sticky sauces. We drank this Merlot after it had been chilled in the wine fridge, then popped in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Merlot can be great with a little bit of a chill, making it fit right in at your Summer feast.

What wines or 4th of July cocktails do you plan on serving up?

Tags: Long Island, Long Island wine, merlot, North Fork, wine, wine of the week, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday, winery

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