Daily Archives: May 14, 2018

Martha Clara Vineyard – Jessie Chen

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The vineyard that I went to was Martha Clara Vineyard, which is located in 6025 Sound Ave, Riverhead. I went there with my friends and their parents.

This is me in front of the Martha Clara Vineyard sign.

Right when we enter building, I saw how beautiful the inside is. One side of the building is a gift shop area, whereas the other side is where they sell their wines. The gift shop reminded me of Autumn and it seems very homey.

This is the entrance of the building.

This is the gift shop side.

The gift shop is selling many items related to wine.

Books are displayed near the entrance door

One of the wine displayed in the gift shop

We explained to the worker that we emailed beforehand before visiting. One of the employee named Margaret decided to give us a little tour and told us the history behind this vineyard.

The people from left to right are Irene, me, Margaret, and Tiffany.

Margaret explained that Martha Clara Vineyard was first owned by the Entenmann’s family (the pastry company), who were planning to open the place for horses. However, they noticed the vines growing in their land so they changed it to a vineyard. The owner, Robert Entenmann decided to name the vineyard after his mother. Thus, this place was named Martha Clara Vineyard. Afterwards, they sold the place to the Rivero Gonzalez, a Mexican family.

As Margaret continued to guide us to the building, we saw a wine tasting area and an upstairs to where guests can taste their wine privately. It also cost money to do wine tasting.

Tasting counters and area

Tasting counter

A private wine tasting room that is upstairs

As we continued further in, we saw a dining room and an outdoor chilling area to drink wine.

A sign in front of the dining room

The dining room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guests can chill outside with their wine

The back side of the building along with chairs and tables for guests to hang out in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Margaret lead us outside, she provided us information about the vineyard. She mentioned that they have 200 acres in total, where 100 is used on the vineyard. She also mentioned the soil they grow their vines in is sandy loam. Since they are surrounded by water, the Peconic Bay and Atlantic Ocean keeps the temperature steady. According to their website, “temperatures in the area are controlled by seabreezes that aerate the vineyards” (Martha Clara Vineyards, 2015). They have a maritime climate. Their fall are warmer as well, which helps avoid frost in the winter. She warned us to not go near where the vines are. However, we can look at it in a far distance. When we asked her where the equipment or brewery is, she told us that it is 2 miles away in another location called Premium Wine Group.

*An interesting advice that Margaret gave us when we asked how she became successful is to not have a boyfriend because they will get in your way.

There are Peach trees and sunflower fields.

There is a stop sign to warn us to stay away from the vines.

This is a zoomed in picture of the grape vines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After looking at the vines, we decided to go back into the building to purchase wine. Margaret told us that Long island wine prices are higher than other places. Although they are more expensive, my friend’s father still bought some bottles for the hell of it. As we looked at the wine, we saw awards and medal plates hanging on the bottles. This tells us that, their wines are good. There are also signs that listed the dryness of the wine to how sweet they are. The signs also listed if they are aged or fermented in oat barrels along with the percentage of the grape varieties.

This is the cashier counter

Wines that are stacked nicely to be sold. The 2015 Solstice Rose wine are 40% off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medals on the wine bottles

The sign tells if the wine is aged or fermented in an oat barrel along with the grape variety. The sweetness level is also shown.

After leaving the vineyard, we went to visit the Premium Wine Group. Right when we arrived there, we only saw the tasting room. We asked an employee where the production and their equipment are. They told us that they do their productions and have their equipment in another location called Jamesport. We didn’t know where that is nor do we have enough time to go, so we left afterwards.

This is the Premium Wine Group building

Entrance to the tasting room

Inside the tasting room

Since we didn’t see any production facility nor find any equipment that was used to make their wine, I researched a bit about it. In the video, Fermentation – MCV Farm News Bulletin, Juan Micieli- Martinez, a winemaker stated that they have picked “Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer. Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling” for their white wine and “Pinot Noir and Merlot for Rose” (Martha Clara Vineyards, 2017). He also mentioned that they do hand and machine picking and mixed them up, resulting “lower average brix levels” (Martha Clara Vineyards, 2017) for taste. He said that for white wine, they put the fruit in a “distend and put into the press. While in the press, the grapes are gently squeezed. The juice then falls into the press tray where it is collected into a receiving tank. The juice is then chilled and allowed to settle for a short period of time. The clean juice is transferred to another tank. Once transferred, heat is lightly applied to the tank to warm the juice to about 55 to 60 degrees. At this temperature the yeast is hydrated and then added to the tank” (Martha Clara Vineyards, 2017). According to the video, they use steel tanks and press trays as their equipment.

Juices are being pumped into the receiving tank. This is taken from the video, Fermentation – MCV Farm News Bulletin

This is the steel tanks taken from the video, Fermentation – MCV Farm News Bulletin

In another video called Red Grapes – MCV Farm News Bulletin, Juan Micieli- Martinez mentioned that “Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, these two varietals takes the longest of time to ripen” (Martha Clara Vineyards, 2017). He also mentioned that red wines are harvested by hands and machines and are destemmed to tanks with their seeds and skins. The wine gets their tannin from the whole grape. After fermentation, they drain the tank and transfer the skin to the press. After pressing, they transfer the wine to a barrel and added bacteria for second fermentation. This softens their red wines.

The grapes are being pressed in the tank for red wine. This is taken from the video, Red Grapes – MCV Farm News Bulletin

Reference

Martha Clara Vineyards. (2015). ABOUT US. Retrieved from http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.php

[Martha Clara Vineyards]. (2017, October 5, 2017). Fermentation – MCV Farm News Bulletin [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKNCQ4sRlas

[Martha Clara Vineyards]. (2017, October 19, 2017). Red Grapes – MCV Farm News Bulletin [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n_HiiMEwF8

Coney Island Brewery

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I visited Coney Island Brewery located at 1904 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224 on Friday, May 4th. They are closed on Monday – Wednesday but are open are open Thursday – Sunday (12 p.m. – 10 p.m.). It was a beautiful day to be around Coney Island as there are so many things for one to do there, from enjoying a walk at the beach to riding on thriller rollercoasters to the endless amount of food courts, its the perfect place. First and foremost, I am so glad to be stepping out of my comfort zone throughout this entire course that has allowed me to visit places I never imagined I would. Who would have thought that I would be learning so much about wine someday? Not me! Aside from that note, I chose to visit Coney Island Brewery mainly because I live nearby but once I did a little research before visiting, I saw how amazingly funky and retro the the place is. I wanted to visit a place with a story and Coney Island Brewery provides exactly that. They offer free tours as well (everyday – 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.), in case anyone is interested in visiting the place around the summer. Though the place is very small / intimate, that doesn’t stop customers waiting in line to have a fresh taste of the beer they produce. The staffs are very friendly and helps you feel comfortable, especially if you’re a first time “curious” customer, like me. Once you enter, you see that there’s so much going on at every turn you take. From the earthy decor to the stainless steel tanks, your eyes are in for a treat. I learned that they have 8 house-brewed beers on tap which rotates regularly in which depending on the season, they make limited release, specialty styles of beer. What really caught my eye was their humor and how they named each beer in a crazy unique way (ex: Mermaid Pilsner, Fangtooth, SuperFreak and much more). But thats not all, even the way they brand their bottles is very unusual than how regular breweries would do, which sets them apart. I love that their not trying to fit in with their competition but rather trying to be their own competition and rise at each given opportunity. Fun fact: They are the official partner of the Mermaid Parade that takes place annually at the Coney Island Boardwalk. They also host many events at the brewery which is great for business as they are able to attract more customers. Its great that they are active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc., in which they are able to network amongst millions of people worldwide. The brewery has private package deals such as a VIP Tour & Tasting / Beer Garden Table Rental / Brewery Buyout and the Beer Dinner Experience for those interested in hosting a party. Overall, I had a wonderful / fun experience visiting the Coney Island Brewery. I am so glad to have a platform such as this to share my journey with you all and as Mrs. Goodlad once said,”keep reaching out of your comfort zone.”

Coney Island Brewery’s Logo

Coney Island Brewery (Outside View)

Different flavored “taps”

Bottle branding

Bottle branding

Island To Island Brewery

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Danii Oliver is the owner of Island to Island Taproom in Flatbush, Brooklyn but not only is Island to Island a Brewery it is also a Fermentary and Juicer. One of the few where you can get home made juices, fermented juice mixed with a spirit as a cocktail or in-house beer. She started with juicing a few years ago when she wanted to start living a healthy life, soon noticed the juice fermented over time and turned the fermented juice into Komucha and decided to play around by adding malt and playing around with  other fruits and vegetables blends.

List of House Beer and Ciders

Brewing technique in Island to Island is Craft Brewing, all grain or no grain at times but no extracts only wholes foods grains, fruits and vegetables.  She also uses a technique called Seed to spirit which is the life cycle of fruits and vegetables over time. Grains which are sprouted like chai seeds or almonds which can become spirits through the process of being in alcohol or being stilt.

tasting

Strawberry Blond(ABV 4.5%)- FRUIT ALE, Trini Love(ABV 4.4%)-FRUIT ALE, Mango Chow(ABV 4.5%)-FRUIT ALE, Dreamy(6.7% Collaboration with Harlem Brewing Co.)- TRADITIONAL BEER

When I asked about the machines used in her brewery she said “Pumps are the only machines. They pump liquid from one vessel to the next” And factors that can affect the brewing process are Ingredients, time, air, yeast, bacteria, the brewer, the tap lines, the keg quality, storage. They have recently bought in a master brewer and certified cicerone (beer sommelier) Norie Manigault to help refine the recipes before they start to brew in the bars basement.

Behind the Scene in Island to Island Basement

Island to Island is a New York State- grown farm Brewery. So 80% of the ingredients used are New York state ingredients like Apples, raw honey, barley, rye, wheat, corn, oats, hops and seasonal fruits and vegetables such berries, melons, peaches, cherries, pears, apricots, pumpkins, peppers, herbs, flowers, potatoes, greens, grapes, figs, carrots, beets, turnips, radish etc.

20% of her ingredient used are International. Ingredient used to make some of her fruit ales are Sugarcane, coconuts, sorrel, agave, tamarind, starfruit, mango, pineapple, guava, oranges, limes, peppers, spices, ginger, molasses, cassava, turmeric, wormwood and soursop.

Purple reign (ABV 7%) – CIDER and Saint Hilarie Knowles(AVB 4%)- FRUIT ALE

They have a drink called Jun which is a kombucha like drink made with Honey and Green tea. She would usually give it to customers who may be intoxicated and the Jun would aggressively eat the alcohol in your system to help you sober up.

Jun

Anyone can come to Island to Island for a drink. They offer Cider, Fruit Ale, Beer, Grain-free beer and IPA’s and tradition beer. Danii wants all walks of life to be able to come into Island to Island Brewery, pregnant women, elderly and teenagers to come into a Bar environment and grab a alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer or ale and just enjoy each others company in a cool laid back environment. This place is also good for Vegan and people that are interested in juicing and cleansing beverages for there body.

I really enjoyed my time at Island to Island, It was interesting to learn that beers, ciders and ale can be made in non- traditional ways that may be more healthy and give people a wider variety to choose from when i comes to consuming beer, ciders and ale. It was also awesome to learn that Danii is an Alum from City Tech with a Business Degree and showed interest in coming back to talk to student in the Hospitality Department about her Business, which i think would be a pretty cool idea.

Tasting at the Bar

 

http://islandtoislandbrewery.com