Kings County Distillery, co-founded by Colin Spoelman and David Haskell, is New York City’s oldest, largest and premier whiskey (corn, bourbon and rye) distillery since prohibition clocking in 8 years of service. Colin Spoelman got his beginnings before that where he just had his license and started distilling from his Brooklyn apartment from a five-gallon Hobby Still. When Kings County Distillery got their license after prohibition, they distilled that first legal gallon of whiskey, with emphasis on legal because still to this day it is a federal crime to distill without a license. Before 2009 a Craft Distillers license in New York state was $13000 a year with a 3-year commitment. In that same year they acquired the Farms Dealers license which was offered for $128, but with that they had to agree to a couple of conditions: 75% of all their ingredients must be sourced from New York State farms and they also have a cap on the amount of spirit that they can produce which is about 75000 gallons a year.  They were fully established in April of 2010 operating business in Bushwick before moving to their current location at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. They are known for their hand made moonshine, bourbon and other whiskeys. All products are distilled on site and some are aged on premises as well but most of their aging process takes place at their offsite warehouse in Williamsburg.

The tour of the distillery was very interesting and informative. We were given a tour of the Booseum, which is where they keep all their failed products for showcase. Then we went down to the distillery room, then we had a tour of the aging room before heading over to the tasting room to try some of their whiskeys. The tour guide/ tasting room personnel was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all questions we had. The distillation process is: first, choosing the sugar source which in their case would be grain (barley and corn) which they purchase from Organic Farms in the Finger Lakes. Secondly, the extraction of the sugar: the grains are mixed with warm water creating what is called a mash. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, so the yeast can be activated. Thirdly, fermentation: with the addition of the yeast, sugar then turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The yeast multiplies until most of the sugar have been absorbed resulting to a beer. One site they use open fermentation in an open huge oak barrel for three to five days before transferring it to a bulk spirit tank where the collection of hearts can also be used to infuse whiskey.  Fourthly, the distillation process: the mash is distilled in batches in pot steels where ethanol is increased through this process. Then it is placed into a steel where the beer turns in whiskey.  Lastly, the aging process: the spirits are placed in wooden casks which adds flavor, color and texture making the final product. Just like wine the longer the whiskey ages the more flavor it has and the darker in color in gets.

References:

http://kingscountydistillery.com/

Learn About Distilling

Sugar Source: Barley

Sugar Source: Corn

Fermentation of beer. Fermentation takes place in an open oak barrel for 3 to 5 days

Pot Still (Distillation): Converting beer into whiskey. The mash is distilled in batches in pot steels where ethanol is increased through this process.

Bulk Spirit Tank: Collection of hearts can be used to infused whiskey.

Aging Room

The different colors in relation to how long they are aged.

Tasting.

ME!!!!

My visit to Martha Clara Vineyards was intriguing to say the least. It is in the North Fork of Long Island American Viticultural Area region located in Suffolk County, roughly a two hour drive to the very end of the island. The vineyard grows fourteen different grape varieties, for whites they grow: Chardonnay, Gerwurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier and Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Melbac, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and last but not least Syrah ((n.d.). from https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp). “Thanks to its coastal location, ocean breezes help to moderate temperatures at any time of the year. Winter temperatures are significantly milder than most of the state of NY, the coldest month is January with average temperatures of 30°f to 35°f and the warmest month is July with average temperatures of 70°f to 80°f.” (https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp). Vinicultural practices consist of spacing eight foot spacing between rows so that each row can get enough sunlight throughout the day and the soil is not covered in shadow from the from the vines (Viniculture in LI, Part III: Martha Clara Vineyard). There is no current on-site winery on the premises. Martha Clara Vineyards currently produce their wine through Premium Wine Group, a contract winemaking facility for its vinification practices. Of course, Premium wine group offers a list of services right in the heart of the North Fork of Long Island to a variety of vineyards to assure the proper process of winemaking is being handled with care and expertise and stored in primarily Oak wood barrels or steel tanks. The winemaking facilities include a tank rooms, and barrel rooms for storage which are all temperature controlled, and a crush pad to destem and crush the juice out of the grape. They also offer bottling and corking for production (Premium Wine Group). The knowledge of the tasting room personnel was exceptional. They knew exactly what they were talking about, how to visualise, smell and taste, spoke the language of wine and created a great atmosphere for the rest of the wine connoisseurs that were being attended to while I was there. I tasted five of the fourteen varieties they offered from my personal choosing and the employee walked me through step by step to help better understand the aroma and taste of the wines. I would recommend Martha Clara Vineyard to any wine enthusiast, the variety and culture of the vineyard speak for itself, it is a pretty long drive to the very end of the island, but it is worth every minute. They take of each guest they way they take care of their wine, with love and care. 

References

(n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2018, from https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp

Premium Wine Group |. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://premiumwinegroup.com/

Viniculture in LI, Part III: Martha Clara Vineyard. (2018, October 29). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://blogwine.riversrunby.net/viticultural-practices-in-li-part-iii-martha-clara-vineyard/

On November 27th, I decided to take on a brewery tour visit at the Brooklyn Brewery!
From City Tech, I took the A, C to 14th street, Transferred to the L train and got off at Bedford Avenue. From Bedford Avenue, took me about 10 minutes to get to 79 North 11th Street 11249.

I bought the ticket for $13. $13 spent was for the tour experience without the tasting. I went in there thinking that I wasn’t going to drink but I ended up trying 4 different types of beer! When I got to the cite, the front desk that worked at the Brooklyn Brewery gave our tour attendants a complementary beer and safety goggles as well to make sure we are safe while going in on the tour.

I was lead by our tour guide Matt and the tour lasted for 45 minutes. The first part of the tour he spoke about how they brew their Bell Air Sour- which was the 2nd drink I had during the tour. Not only was I enjoying the beer (Finished it quickly so I can take notes and forgot to take a picture, haha!) I was literally amazed on how this brewery house looked like. I thought to myself, (this is where beer is made and packaged, I’m astonished of the brew machines they are massive!)

He also gave us a brief history and facts about the company. And how and what do they use to Brew at their cite? Well, he mentioned that at the Brewery House, the beer that they brew are through 4 hotfermented tanks. Matt explains that Water, yeast, and Malt are the main ingredients of Brewing beer. Water being the most important out of all of them and explaining the New York as the best urban water that comes from the Cat Skills. Being that water is the most important ingredient of brewing, it is essential that the brewing comes from the cleanest water to enjoy nice cold beer. Matt explains that their beer is made up of 90% of the beer and that the water is “Charcoal Filtering Water.” To explain more detail, on the Brooklyn Brewery Blog Post, a question was asked about Charcoal Filtering water. The question was “Do you use any special treatment for the water you use at the brewery (filtering, adding minerals, etc)?” The use of charcoal filtering water is to “remove any excess chlorine or debris from the water system” (Moss).

Matt goes on and explains the different types of Malt for the beer they Brew. He mentioned four types, “Malt, Marley, Rye, and Wheat.” I asked him about the approach to agriculture. He explains that Barley and Malt are from Germany and used in their brews for almost a Millennia. Hops are also a vital ingredient in their brews and are most famous in their new profound beer, the “Sorachi ace.”

During the brewing process, beer for fermentation is mixed with warm water. A ton of warm water. After that, liquid is separated and spits our all of the debris. The debris and solids, “hops and barley are sold as cattle feed or turned into fertilizer” (Deaton). After the the beer is brewed then bring them to a boil and add fruits and this is where the fun part starts with all the different types of flavors and personalities of beer come to life in our taste buds. Flowers are added that day and then bring them to a whirlpool to mix everything up together. The whirlpool helps the beer to to become clean liquid and is then placed in the rapid chiller.

Matt states that Ale or Lagers take 3-6 weeks in rural temperature during fermentation.

One machine that astonished me was the “Bottling line” machine. This machine was what stood out the most because (as Matt was enlightening us with so much information and facts about their brewing process) it was the only machine that was active and looked like the only machine that was working.

This machine is basically where all the bottles are being finalized, cleaned up, bottled up, and packaged. The machine flips the bottle, sprays water at to keep it clean, and then fills it up with beer 99% of the way. It also adds warm water to the bottle to push our oxygen afterwards, then finalize it by capping it. The machine picks up 24 bottles and drops it into 4 six pack.

Afterwards, we were then lead to a tasting room for beer. Automatically I thought to myself, “will this be like wine class where we taste wine and spit everything back out?” No we did not! we actually drank the beer but Matt wanted to teach us how to enjoy the beer as well and the characteristics of it. He explains that as we observe the beer, we should be looking at the head of the beer (Thats already poured into a white glass cup) Check to see if the foam is carbonated in the outside of not. Do a drive by sniff. The beer that I tried was called the “Defender IPA.” One of the guests mentioned that after the Drive By technique, he smelled “Cherry’s” and I smelled Raspberries. Matt then asked whether if the body of beer is “Thick or thin?”  Afterwards, we drank the beer and it was actually really Robitussin, spice, and cinnamon flavor like in my mouth. It was almost as if there was a party!

Afterwards we also head on and tried another beer which was called the whitehall beer.

My overall experience at the Brooklyn Brewery was outstanding. I absolutely enjoyed my time there. I even spent another good half hour just trying to indulge and wrap up my experience at the tour. For anyone who is looking to check out a brewery or just didn’t get a chance to! I would recommend this spot. They also have a bar and spacious seating area to socialize and play some games.

As I exited the brewery, I came across these different rooms of the house which I thought was informative and organize.

References

Deaton, Jeremy. (2017, August 15). Beer is the greenest Beverage. https://nexusmedianews.com/beer-is-the-greenest-beverage-d6dca0c33ebc

Moss, Dan. Ask a Brewer I MAR 6. http://brooklynbrewery.com/blog/ask-a-brewer/ask-a-brewer-mar-6/

Matt. Brooklyn Brewery. Brooklyn Brewery Tour. 27th, Nov. 2018. Tour

I went to Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard on October 21 at 12 pm with two classmates, Mei and Preeya. Sannino Vineyard is in the North Fork of long Island, New York. The three major AVAs are Finger Lakes AVA, Hudson River AVA and Long Island AVA in New York State. The Finger Lakes region is the largest wine region in the state. In the Hudson River AVA, chardonnay is one of the most successful grapes being produced today. Long Island wineries began in 1973. The Long Island AVA, the Hamptons AVA and the North Fork AVA are all on the eastern end of the island (Austin, 2017). At the Sannino Vineyard, they offer several different types of wine tour experiences. We chose the vine to wine tour. It costs $50 per person, including the wine tasting and cheese plate. It was worth it. It was supposed to be a one and a half hour tour, but we stayed there almost three hours.

Actually, it was a really bad day to tour the Vineyard.  The weather center issued a gale warning on that day. It was a beautiful day with the clear blue sky except for a strong windy. We arrived at the vineyard around 11:50 am. Our tour started at 12pm. There were 5 people for the tour, including Mei, Preeya and me. A couple joined the tour too. Bill Kovacsik was a guide. When we walked in, they served us welcoming drink, which was white wine. We went to the tasting room. Bill explained what it takes to make an exceptional wine, starting with the vines, soil and climate conditions which all impact the type of wine being produced. The North Fork is bounded by Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay. Therefore, Long Island enjoys a maritime climate, which offers protection from spring frosts and damaging winter low temperatures. East of the North Fork, spring frosts can be a limiting factor for grapes. Fewer vineyards are located on the South Fork, due to escalating land values and a slightly cooler growing season relative to the North Fork. Soils are naturally acidic and low in organic matter. Many vineyards on sandier sites benefit from irrigation (Extension, 2018).  Bill Sanok came and joined the tour while Bill Kovacsik was explaining about the vine. He studied the agriculture. Bill Sanok also explained about the wine agriculture history in Long Island, New York. The vineyard has many estate wines to choose from, such as cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, White Merlot, and Chardonnay. We went out to see the vines.  They harvested Merlot just before the day, so we could not see it on the vines. We saw the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on the vines. Bill Kavacsik explained how to protect grapevines from birds and animals. They use bird netting. They cover the grapevines. Even though they use nets, birds still feed on the grapes, near the net. He also explained the difference between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region of France in the 15^th century. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives when planted in the gravely soil as was found in the Medoc region along the left bank. Gravel-based soil is well drained, yielding to the conditions that this particular type of vine needs. Merlot grows much better in the clay and limestone-based soils that are found along the right bank in the Gironde estuary region. This type of soil holds a much cooler temperature resulting in delayed ripening. Today, both wine grapes are grown in a variety of locations. Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a small and thick grape. This is why there is so much tannin in Cabernet, as the tannin is found in the skin itself. Merlot grapes must be picked immediately after ripening or they will over-ripen and lose their acidity (Sarah, 2014). We could not stay outside for a long because of the wind. We went to the back of the building to see the vinification. There were 3 different machines for crushing, pressing and fermentation outside and many inert vessels and French barrels inside for aging. They use French barrels. Bill Kavacsik said one French barrel costs $1,000. Most red wines are aged 22 months in the barrel at Sanninos. We had 6 glasses of tasting wine with a cheese plate. Bill Kavacsik mentioned how cheese makes wine taste better. Cheese improves the wine’s aroma. Cheese also changes the wines and makes them more enjoyable. Our last tasting wine was spiced wine. It was my first time to taste spiced wine. It was North Fork red blend wine, infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. They served it warm. It was sweet wine with high alcohol. My favorite tasting wine was a rose, 2017 Bianca Dolce. It is a semi-sweet rose made from 100% merlot grapes.

Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard is a small vineyard. It has a cute indoor area that has a nice size bar and comfy couches. The outside area has a large seating selection with a beautiful view of their vineyards. We could not enjoy it outside because of gale. I would definitely recommend this vineyard. I learned a lot about wine. Both Bill Kavacsik and Bill Sanok were very knowledgeable and friendly. Actually, Mei and Preeya bought the rose wine for my surprise birthday gift. I definitely recommend the rose wine.

Testing Room The tasting room is small and cozy.

The Tasting Bar When you walk in, there is the tasting bar. The lady welcomed us with a smile. The tasting bar is small and cozy. There is a large window looking in on the wine making room.

The Vineyard The outside area has a large seating selection with a beautiful view of their vineyards.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes They cover the grapevines for protecting grapes from birds and animals.

Equipments There are 3 different types of equipment for crushing, pressing, and fermentation behind the building.

French Barrels One French barrel costs $1,000. Most red wines are aged 22 months in the barrel at Sanninos. There are a lot of the barrels inside.

2017 Bianca Dolce Semi-Sweet rose made from 100% merlot grapes: this was my favorite tasting wine. It costs $16 plus tax per bottle.

References

Austin M. (September 13, 2017). 3 regions in New York that produce the best wine. Chicago Tribune

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/drink/wine/sc-food-new-york-wine-region-0915-story.html

“Extension” (2018). Cornell University.

https://grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/extension/new-york-grape-growing-regions/

Sarah. (March 21, 2014). Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Merlot: Differences & Similarities. WINECOOLERDIRECT

https://learn.winecoolerdirect.com/cabernet-sauvignon-vs-merlot/

   When I got this assignment at the beginning of this semester, I was very excited and can not wait to do this assignment. So I and my friends went to a vineyard call Paumanok Vineyard at the end of September. It was a raining day. The place is located at 1074 Main Rd, Aquebogue, NY 11931. It was located in the North Fork of Long Island of AVA. When I got there, I fell in love with that place, everything is green. I love nature so nature. But luckily, we can visit the vineyard and go around before the rain falls down.

   Paumanok Vineyard was founded in 1983 and owned by Ursula and Charles Massoud. It has around 127 acres. When we got in this vineyard, the tour guide led us to the place of grape immediately. in this vineyard, it grows a lot of different kinds of grapes variety, such as Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling, etc. This place has “Sandy, gravely sub-soil” and the climate is maritime. (Barnes, 2017) It is because there is a lot of water around this place.

   When I arrive in Paumanok Vineyard, my first impression was wood. To me, everything in this house was made of wood. This place has a large vineyard outside of the house. Inside the house, there is a counter and bar station. It was made of wood. The floor and the tables also made of wood. To me, this place was natural and fresh. This place also makes their own wine. They got a lot of machine of winemaking and bottle the wine. This place is really big.

   After the guided tour, we had a wine tasting. We had a wine tasting. The wine tasting in the vineyard and in the class is totally different. The tour guide helps us choose 5 wine and introduce to us. Then we tasted what the lady introduced to us. We had a taste of 2015 Festival Chardonnay, 2017 Chenin Blanc, 2016 Dry Riesling, 2016 Dry Rose and 2014 Melot. They all made by Paumanok Winery. The 2015 Chardonnay is a white wine which costs $19 per bottle. It has 12% alcohol. It is a fruity wine and it has a mango and pineapple flavors. It is balanced and finishes long. It also has a note of salty sea. (Iijima, 2018) The 2017 Chenin Blanc is also a fruity wine. it has a grapefruit, pineapple and melon noted. It tastes like lemon. This a little bit sour wine is good to pair with a shellfish or seafood dishes. The 2016 Riesling has 11% alcohol level. It cost around $22 per bottle. This wine was fermented in the stainless steel tank. It has a noted of lime, green apple, and white flowers. It is acidity wine and it can pair with a light dish such as white meat dishes and lighter fish. 2016 Rose has a noted of red berries and cinnamon. It has a taste of strawberry and raspberry. (Peartree, 2018). The last wine, 2014 Merlot was aging in the French oak for 16 months. It is a 13% alcohol level. (Parker 2017)

The French Oak barrels

Machine for making bottles

Grapes that grow in the vineyard

cheers for wine tasting

myself in the Vineyard

The wine tasting place

(n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2018, from https://www.paumanok.com/history.html

Kareem Massoud, Paumanok Vineyards in Long Island. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2018, from https://grapecollective.com/articles/kareem-massoud-paumanok-vineyards-in-long-island#

Paumanok, Chenin Blanc. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2018, from https://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?search=20041

Dry Riesling. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2018, from https://vinoshipper.com/wines/paumanok_vineyards/dry_riesling_366

The winery that I visited with my friends was called “Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard” located at 1375 Peconic Ln, Peconic, NY 11958. The Sannino Vineyard is included in the American Viticultural Area (AVA) called North Fork AVA in Long Island. The Sannino Vineyard offers educational tours costing $50 per person, hence the reason we chose to visit this vineyard.  Continue reading →

Wine Beverage Analysis
By: Luciano J. Sorrentino

For this assignment, I had the privilege to visit a vineyard in Long Island.

Long Island is a peninsula two hours east from Manhattan, New York. This place is home to great seafood, hikes, aquatic sports, history, but one quality sticks out amongst the rest, Wine. Viniculture is the study of growing wine and they seem to do a pretty superb job. I recently investigated one winery by the name of Paumanok Vineyard. My initial impression of the place was underwhelming, per the coziness of the wooden barn. I automatically retracted from this first impression upon opening the front door, it gave off this warm, quite, and hospitable vibe. We were greeted with a warm smile by everyone. The barn consisted of a fully equipped wine bar, with one associate and seven tables to choose from indoor and about ten picnic tables in the outside deck facing the Cordones and Canes. What originally brought me to the Vineyards was my interest in Chenin Blanc, which is a rare grape varietal to be grown here on American soil. Originally from South Africa and The Loire Valley of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines. Once widely planted in California, it had largely disappeared from fine wine regions by 2000.”In the last few years, though, at least a dozen California producers have started making chenin blanc, joining a handful who never stopped, along with producers in Oregon and New York”(Times Mag. 1) Only to find out they were sold out upon arrival. No need to weep they had many wine tasting options at a very reasonable price. I was delighted to pick the Festival flat which consisted of four es Festival Chardonnay 17’ I found this option very dry with notes of pear and lime peel. Secondly Cabernet Franc 16’ there’s no other way to put this, the wine was corked or maybe I just got the bitter end of an old open bottle. It tasted like red wine vinegar the bartender seemed to care less, even though I knew deep down she should have poured me another to redeem their reputation. The third wine beverage I tried was a Dry-Rose 17’ yummy with notes of lavender for some odd reason. Last but not least my favorite. A semi-Dry Riesling 17’was well balanced on the palate fruit forward with notes of peached and candy apple. “We had screw caps on big reds from Long Island, a variety of fermentation techniques from Pennsylvania, stem inclusion on cab franc from Virginia, pet-nat and non-vintage reserve wines from Maryland,” said Ed Boyce of Black Ankle Vineyards, picking up on the wonkier parts of the conversation. “Innovation is alive and well”( Washington Post 1).”The Paumanok cultivating practices were Founded in the spring of 1983 and consist of over one hundred and twenty seven acres and follow all AVA laws growing between 1100 and 1400 vines per acre. Production is limited to twelve thousand cases per season, creating a demand for their wines”(Ed.Gov 1). Vinification practices take place in an old barn that went through a modern makeover with a steel fermentation tank and lab. Quite small to be honest. I questioned how they were able to produce such amounts of wine in a small area, in return I received no answer, due to a lack of knowledge of the sales woman. I only wanted to ask more questions when I realizing it was a dead end. This enticed me to read every piece of literature they had on premises. A study was taken to see who were attracted to this industry Data were gathered from 113 of the 502 members of the American Wine Society who attended a national conference in November 1995. About 58percent were male and 43 percent female, 33 percent single and 67 percent married. The majority of those queried reportedly earn over $101,000 per year( Google Scholar 1)

Steel cauldron/ fermentation tank

Wine descriptions

On a chilly day in October, I visited two wineries in the Hamptons on Long Island, Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Duck Walk Vineyards. Both wineries are located in the Southampton area. The climate on Long Island is maritime, with cool weather and ocean breezes. The Hamptons A.V.A. was officially established in 2001.

Our first stop was Wölffer Estate Vineyard, one of the best-known wineries on Long Island. On first impression, the winery seemed very stylish, but also very touristy. Wölffer Estate’s labels and bottle designs are different from traditional wines in that they utilize a lot of color and pictures on the bottles, which give their wines a pop culture look. I first decided to visit Wölffer Estate Vineyard because it came with high recommendations from friends and colleagues. I appreciated that Wölffer Estate is trying to be “different” and to stand out from the competition. Upon entering the winery, one can immediately see a set of huge tanks through a window, where Wölffer Estate fermentsits wines. Upon passing this area, there is a gift shop on the left where one can buy Wölffer Estate wines and other goods. The narrow hallway opens to a large dining hall area designed for sampling wines over fresh prepared snacks with friends.

Wölffer Estate offers a tour and wine tasting for $65 per person. During the tour, the guide showed us the property and the cellar downstairs, while sharing information about Wölffer Estate’s history and wine. One thing I specifically liked about Wölffer Estate’s wine is that they use French oakfor several varieties of red wine when aging.Even though Wölffer Estate is perhaps most famous for its Rose, they still putting a lot of effort into their other wines. While the tour and tasting was enjoyable, Wölffer Estate was not my favorite winery. I sampled two different tastings, the Autumn Flight and the Grand Flight, as well as their sparkling rose, but I could not find a favorite wine from the tasting. For instance, while the Grapes of Roth Dry Riesling (2017)was my favorite from this tasting, overall I thought the wine was just okay. The wine is crisp and has a hint of sweetness, but I prefer a more full-bodied wine. I also tried their Claletto Cabernet Sauvignon(2014) that uses the “Amarone” style, meaning the wine is made from partially dried grapes. The wine, which had notes of blackberries, plum and the aroma of French oak, tasted a bit too complex for me.

Following my visit to Wölffer Estate, I visited a smaller winery called Duck Walk Vineyards, located a quick ten-minute drive from Wölffer Estate. Originally, my group was not planning to visit this vineyard, but since Wölffer Estate left us feeling a bit disappointed, we decided make a brief stop at Duck Walk. Duck Walk Vineyard was established in 1994. Their flagship location is in Southampton, but they also have another location on North Fork, Long Island, which opened in 2007. Duck Walk owns 140 scenic acres and produces 35,000 cases of wine per year. Their flagship location features 36 acres of grapes, which sit behind a Normandy Chateau-style building in the township of Water Mill. Though it was certainly less stylish and more understated than Wölffer Estates, I personally liked Duck Walk’s building more because it was welcoming with a warm vibe. Their varieties of grapes include Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Melot, Pinot Grigioand more. My group did a tasting at their bar. A tasting at Duck Walk costs $10 for four samples. One can pick any four wines from their broad menu and will receive a generous pour. The bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable about Duck Walk’s wines. When I asked him what is “reserve” means with respect to the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (2015)(my favorite wine of the tasting), he explained that the reserve means the better grape juice from first flow, or the “free flow. The wine has intense fruit notes such as black cherry and plum, and a very smooth finish. When I told the bartender I was doing research for a class, he introduced me to Mike, who is extremely knowledgeable about wine and about Duck Walk Vineyards. He gave us a quick tour of the grounds. He first told us about the building. The bricks are from Mexico, sand blasted for a weathered look, and entire roof is copper. He then pointed out the tanks that they use for fermentation. The stainless steel tanks hold 5,373 gallons of liquid. Because they are made from stainless steel, they are easy to clean and keep impurities out of the wine. Additionally, each tank has a dimpled jacket, which helps control the temperature of the tanks. Duck Walk does also use seasoned oak barrelsfor aging for some wines, such as their Duck Walk Red Gatsby.

While both Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Duck Walk Vineyard were enjoyable to visit, I much preferred my experience at Duck Walk Vineyard to Wölffer Estate. The staff at Duck Walk were extremely friendly, knowledgeable about their craft and, perhaps most importantly, seemed truly passionate about sharing their wine with guests. Our experience at Wölffer Estate was quite different. In addition to overall better wine, Duck Walk also had a more affordable price range. Overall, I would recommend Wölffer Estate for an outdoor gathering with friends or family during the warm season, and I would recommend Duck Walk Vineyard for a friendly and educational wine sampling and purchasing experience.

References

Andrews, B. (2017, August 02). How Library Wines Help Build a Legacy. Retrieved from https://daily.sevenfifty.com/how-library-wines-help-build-a-legacy/

Certified specialist of wine: Study guide 2018. (2018). Washington, DC: Society of Wine Educators.

GOLDBERG, H. G. (1994, April 03). L.I.’s Largest Winery Bets on the South Fork. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/03/nyregion/li-s-largest-winery-bets-on-the-south-fork.html

Wines. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://liwines.com/wines/

For this assignment, I chose to go to Sannino Vineyard in Long Island, New York with Ellies, and Mei. We booked a tour at 12 p.m. Bill Kovacsik who was our tour guide was greeting with a smile and started the tour with a glass of chilly chardonnay. Because of the cold weather, we spent most of our tour in a tasting room. Bill was a former professor at New York University in Singapore. He started the tour with the basic knowledge of wine in general. Deciding on the type of grape to grow is the first step in vinicultural practices. Sannino located in The North Fork of Long Island American Viticultural Area (AVA). Terroir is a site or land in French which play a very important role in this decision making. In Long Island, especially North Fork where the Sannino Vineyard is located, the soli in this appellation is drainage and silt (lisustainablewine.org). Another factor to consider is climate. Long Island is a maritime climate where both Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean cool off the narrow peninsula (lisustainablewine.org). As we all learn in class, water helps to moderate the temperature which is an impact on the quality and the ripeness of grape. Bill mentioned that one of the challenges that vineyards in Long Island have is humidity. Humidity causes mold and mildew. After knowing what type of the climate and soil in Long Island are, then decided to choose the right grape varieties is made. Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon are the leading grape varieties in the region (newyorkwines.org).

Moving on to the next step, Vineyard Pruning. Pruning will manipulate the potential of grape produced. Bill told us that the grape vine’s root is about 20 feet deep in the ground. The bud break is the consequent of the pruning system. Just a tip that Bill told us during the tour, how to differentiate American bud and European bud is that American bud is hairy. The last step the Bill mentioned is a harvest. The facts that vineyard manager needs to contemplate are brick level, ripeness of the seed, concentrated berries, alcohol is half of the sugar level, acidity, and tannin. At the Sannino, they offered both oak barrel and tank fermentation. Their oak barrels are from France, America, and Hungary. France oak is thinner than American oak and for the Hungarian oak, Bill said it is cheaper and have a spicy flavor. Red wine from Sannino is fermented in an oak barrel while white and rose are fermented in tank. They age their wine in oak for 22 months for the aroma and flavor. Another fact Bill told us was 80 percent of women are buying wine. The tour also included wine tasting. One of the reasons we chose this tour because of the varieties of wine tasting choices that Sannino offered. Other places only offered either sparkling wine only or red and white wines. The first wine we were tasting was the chilly chardonnay at the beginning of the tour. It was very well balanced with a refreshing touch, perfect for starting the tour. Second wine if I remember correctly was rosé. The next one was an oaky Syrah and following with Cabernet Franc. The last one was unique. It called Spiced Wine which infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The wine was served warm.

Resources:
Our soils. (2018, November 21). Retrieved from http://www.lisustainablewine.org/our-soil/
Discover the Long Island Region. (2018, November 21). Retrieved from https://www.newyorkwines.org/wine-regions/long-island
Our climate. (2018, November 21). Retrieved from http://www.lisustainablewine.org/our-climate

Tasing Room/Oak Barrels

Vineyard

Equipment 

Chilly Chardonnay

Wine for sale 

Beautiful grape vines (Cabernet Sauvignon)