A group of friends living on Long Island may decide to have monthly dinners, or even weekly gatherings if they can arrange it. Perhaps they are all originally from different parts of the country and now live on the island and work in the city, having decided the commute is worth it. Having Local Wine at these regularly scheduled dinners is a must for this particular group. That means wine produced right there on Long Island. Fortunately, many varieties are available that will allow the friends to taste numerous flavors and never stray from the local producers.
People unfamiliar with Long Island probably have no idea how many wineries are located in this region. Wine producing was not a traditional activity here; the first vineyards weren’t planted until 1973. Now, more than 40 wineries in the area produce a broad range of flavors, some that are award winners.
At each get-together, the friends might want to have a bottle of red and a bottle of white on hand. When dinner is held on a holiday, Local Wine from Long Island might include a sparkling version as a celebratory beverage. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are available for white varieties, as is Riesling when a sweeter flavor is called for. The group might like to try Pinot Blanc from a local producer too.
In regard to red wine, numerous brands of Merlot are produced in this region, and the group can try some local Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc also. Cabernet Franc has a lighter taste and a paler color.
In fact, they could concentrate on Chardonnay and Merlot alone for many weeks if they wanted to sample all the Long Island brands available at a store such as Towne Cellars Wines & Liquors Inc. That might be the plan for their dinner gatherings the following year if they especially like those flavors.
Nothing has to be set up in a rigid schedule, however. That’s the beauty of having so many wines crafted by local producers, and new ones are released every year. Wine producers tend to be a creative bunch, which is advantageous for their customers.
