Kings County Distillery is New York City’s oldest operating whiskey distillery, the first since prohibition. Founded in 2010, Kings County makes handmade moonshine, bourbon, and other whiskeys out of the 118-year-old Paymaster Building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Kings County Distillery use New York grain and traditional distilling equipment to make distinctive spirits. I visited Kings County Distillery on April 13 with my aunt. We both got there little early before the tour started and everyone else. I was able to do a quick look around on the 2nd floor building where the tour starts at.

The law in the United States requires that straight whisk (with the exception of corn whisky) must be stored for at least two years in new, charred oak containers. Other forms of whisky aged in used barrels cannot be called “straight”.

Whiskey barrels made from Oak have three broad effects on the spirit As an additive. It adds to the taste and aroma of the spirit by providing desirable elements from the cask. Charring essentially opens the wood up, making it easier for bourbon to extract flavors. It also catalyzes key chemical changes that are essential to bourbon.

This is a picture of two guys that blend whisky  Their job is to blend different types of whiskeys and sometimes also neutral grain spirits, coloring, and flavorings. It is generally the product of mixing one or more higher-quality straight or single malt whiskies with less expensive spirits and other ingredients.

The production of whisky from barley to bottle (top), swan necked copper stills. large fermentation tanks where yeast is added. Yeast is a micro organism that eats up all the sugar and converts it to alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation and it is the same method used for making beer. Alcohol needs to be extracted from the wash and this done using a process called distillation. The wash is transferred into large copper pots called stills.

During the tour I got to try all 5 of these flavors.

1.Straight bourbon. It was smooth, the smell was really sweet to me, easy to taste.

2. Peated bourbon, this is mixed with scotch

3. Honey Moonshine, this is parfit for drinking in the spring I was told.

4. Chocolate whiskey, I really enjoyed this one.

My journey in Shinn Estate Vineyard located in Norfolk, New York was phenomenal. It is a family owned vineyard and farmhouse.When arriving to the vineyard we were welcomed by a group of ladies who were very attentive and very eager to give my family and I a tour around. They started of by allowing us to get familiar with the vineyard and the different section of where things are grown and what occurs as time goes by. 

 

The Shinn Estate was found in 2000 by Barbara Shinn and David Page where they planted their first vines. They began to see results in 2002 after their hard work of creating a enviroment that was going to help the vines become strong enough to bring the wine. They accomplished seeing the first wines in this year. During 2015 they partnered with Legends which made “one wines” in the World Trade Center which are served in the seating area outside as the sun hits on you on a beautiful weather.

During our tour around the vineyard we were indicated by eight marker points in which different things occur. In the first marker point we were shown how the workers in Shinn Estate farmed organically and biodynamic in the vegetable garden and how the honeybees create their little houses because of the attraction upon the flowers and vegetables that are blooming throughout the seasons. The second marker showed how the vines grew on their dependance upon the sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis where sunlight falls on the leafs and allows energy to land upon the vines. The third marker separated all vineyards right in the middle allowing us to be able to see how they were all divided and grown apart. Throughout marker four to eight we get more into the details of how the soils produces the wines and how they are nurtured to give people a decent wine to drink. They mostly blend sauvignon blanc and semillon.

I would recommend this vineyard to anyone who would love to learn more about wine. Especially those perhaps trying to become a sommelier some day you receive great information on how the processing of wine is being done.They give you a great insight on everything about it. I had such a great time and would love to go back, we had such wonderful weather on the day of our trip which made everything so much better to be able to explore. It is a good escape from the stressful life of the city into the tranquility of the vineyards. Hope you guys enjoyed my trip to Shinn Estate and hopes this helps you see the great things you can learn about wine.

 

 

At May 5^th, my parents drove me and my friends to Martha Clara Vineyard that is in Long Island.  It is in 6025 Sound Ave, Riverhead. The weather in Long Island was cool and sunny. When we arrived at Martha Clara Vineyard, there were a lot of mini trees that surrounds between the building. When we look inside the building, we saw a gift shop. They sell wine glasses that’s painted in sunflowers, ocean waves, owls, and other designs. Near the gift shop they have wines that are made about 5 years ago. On top the shelves, they displayed medals of their achievements. Each of the shelves label the information of the grape varieties, case productions, the intensity, and the cost per bottle. Many of the Martha Clara wine labels have a picture of the map that starred the location of the vineyard or the house that Entenmann family lived in.

 

 

The stairs in the bar leads to a small tasting room where people can enjoy the view. Next to the gift shop, there is a bar where people get their wine. The next room leads to a dining room where people have snacks and wines. The arrangement that they set on the table are all branded of Martha Clara Vineyard. The settings are all modern wood-style. They even have an open view where people can go outside and enjoy the sunny and cool breeze.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve been given a tour of the place by a woman named Margaret. She talked about the history of Martha Clara and how was the wine produced. The vineyard had been running the business for 30 years. She told us that Robert Entenmann, the previous owner named it after his late mother Martha Clara Entenmann. Later then, The Rivero-González family, purchased Martha Clara Vineyard. They are one of the most renowned Mexican wine producers in Parras, Coahuila. Their business had made Martha Clara Vineyard a success. The vineyard that they grew was over 200 acres. Margret showed us the vineyard the grapes were produced. She mentioned the soil they have in their field is sandy loam. She talked about the maritime climate helps the grapes to be cooler since they are surrounded by beautiful waters. She also mentions it helps avoid the sudden change of temperature. Although we couldn’t get access to where the grapes are in a vinification process, she gave us various locations where Martha Clara is currently running on. About 2 miles from the Martha Clara Vineyard, we went to a building called Premium Wine Group. It is another building where they have a tasting room where they have customers try various of the wines that is from the gift shop. Inside the tasting room, they set an outdoor and indoor where people can either listen to music outside or sit in a comfortable couches and bean bags inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout my experiences in the vineyard, it was a wonderful experience that I enjoyed. I never knew that they get customers to come around 11 am. Even Margaret, who is very knowledge about the wine production. She told us that she had been working in the vineyard for 5 years which is impressive. It made me realized that there are lot of people who are passionate of wine. This experience had taught me that then next time if there are some people who are looking for a vineyard, I would recommend the Martha Clara Vineyard.

JOIN THE FAMILY. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.php

Martha Clara Vineyards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.liwines.com/winery/martha-clara-vineyards/

Martha Clara Vineyards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.liwines.com/winery/martha-clara-vineyards/

 

Visit to Pindar Winery

For my wine and beverage class, I decided to visit a winery called Pindar. This winery is located in the heart of North Fork wine country, about 90 miles east of Manhattan. Because I went on a Monday early in the morning, there was no much traffic and it took me about 1:30-2hrs to get there. Public transportation does not take you there for which I had to ask my uncle to take me there.

Initially, I was looking to visit Brotherhood winery. However, I could not go there because I work and study, both full time. Therefore, my schedule only allowed me to request off on a Monday which is the day Brotherhood winery closes. For this reason, I had to look for an alternative winery. Then, I found Pindar winery, which I thought it could be interesting due to the fact that this is a family owned business and it is Long Island’s best-known wine producer. Furthermore, I was even more impressed when I saw all the medals they won.

This winery was founded in 1979 with Dr. Herodotus “Dan” Damianos, who helped to create the winemaking industry on Long Island in the early 1980’s. They started with 30 acres of farmland and now they have over 500 acres. This winery continues to be owned and operated by the Damiano’s family.

During my visit to the vineyard, I was impressed by the size of the winery. Of course, 500 acres is a big number, but once I got there it was, the vineyard looks like it has no ending part. This winery has a tasting room together with a wine shop, a production facility and the vineyard.

I visited the winery on March 26^th and unfortunately, because it was March I was advised they do not offer any wine tasting so early in the year. However, the personnel of the winery, John, still welcomed me to see the wine tasting room, the vineyard and the outside of the production facility because the facility is open to see it inside only with the tours.

The tasting room can accommodate 3,000 guests. The tasting-room light bulbs are efficient, compact fluorescents, tasting sheets are recycled, and tasting glasses are washed in a modern, high-efficiency dishwasher that uses a fraction of the water a conventional dishwasher does.

The employee, John, mentioned when they have wine tasting, the regular price for 5 choices of wines from the menu they provide is only twelve dollars, which I found it very reasonable.

About the employee, I have to say he was knowledgeable and he provided me with some pamphlets and reinforced the information I saw it in their website before my visit. For instance, he reconfirmed in the vineyard, they grow 17 varieties of grapes and about 23 together with blends varietals. Their maritime climate helps them to grow different grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. Of course as it was March, it was still cold and a little windy.

In terms of vinification, he indicated for fermentation they have both oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

Moreover, even though, the process in all long island wineries is about the same, he pointed out their Champagne process can outstand comparing to other wineries. Their Champagne differentiate them from others because they utilize the classic method “Champenoise” and they use 100% Pinot Meunier grapes. In addition, this Champagne is cellared on its own lees.

Furthermore, they have a limited production call Dan’s collection. Their Dan’s Signature Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are both made in a reserve style, using handpicked grapes and aged in American oak.

The employee, had a good customer service skill and he said he had 7 years of experience in this winery and it took him about two to three years until he started developing his palate to distinguish wines. This reinforced what my professor mentioned in class and the employee reconfirmed “the more you taste a wine, the more you develop your taste”.

This winery produces 70,000 cases of wine a year, making them the largest vineyard on Long Island. Theyir selection of wines includes wine from bold red blends, to steel fermented, fruit-forward whites.

Sustainable agriculture is used, from the vineyards to the tasting rooms. For this reason, the organic waste in this winery is being returned to the earth instead of wasted in landfills. They are pioneers in the movement away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides that benefits both grapes and the community. They utilize a geothermal heating and cooling system for its wine-making tanks -a zero-emissions system that reduces the use of fossil fuels.

Throughout this unique experience, I would certainly recommend everyone to visit a vineyard and I would definitely want to come back for the wine tasting tour. After my visit, I realized sometimes we ignored many great and interesting places that we have within few a hours away. Like in this case, this winery is only about 1:30-2hrs from New York, but once you get there you feel like in a completely different place. This winery has great things to offer in addition to their wines, such as, their production facility and vineyard itself. Anyone can be impressed by the size of this winery, which gives a contrasting view from the city and it is worth the visit.

Reference:

Pindar Vineyards. (n.d.). Pindar Vineyards. Retrieved on March 20, 2018 from https://www.pindar.net/