Something to Wine About: Wines at Peconic Cellar Door
If you’re searching for a blissful way to bid goodbye to summer and hello to fall, look no further than Peconic Cellar Door on Long Island’s own North Fork.
Located at 2885 Peconic Lane, in the heart of Long Island’s Wine Country, the roomy tasting venue is at the same time beachy and cheerful, comfy and cozy. Your hosts, Alie Shaper and Robin Epperson-Mccarthy, are warm, welcoming, generous, and fun. They are also the supremely talented winemakers of the Chronicle line up of wines offered at the Peconic Cellar Door.
Two wines that are perfect for summer’s farewell and autumn’s debut are the non-vintaged Haywater Rosé and the CANette Apple and Ginger White Wine Spritzer.
Starting with the Haywater Rosé, this wine has captured an ocean breeze in your glass. The nose is of raspberry, watermelon, and ocean. On the palate is pineapple, lemon, and citrus. There is also a delightful salinity beer drinkers who love Gose style beers might be familiar with.
This unoaked wine, made from merlot and Long Island’s signature grape, cabernet franc, is extremely dry with wonderful, balanced acidity on the finish. While rose is a good idea all year long, as wine makers Robin and Allie both attest, this beautiful rose is like a late summer sunset.
Both winemakers encourage wine lovers to open it in February and pretend it’s July. Non-vintaged wine is when the juice from grapes from different years’ harvests can be used in the wine. This wine is an absolute steal at only $15.
The next wine, CANette Apple and Ginger White Wine Spritzer, is wine’s answer to cider. This delightful spritzer is not overly sweet, and it’s full of all your favorite fall flavors. How they’ve melded the apple and ginger with the white wine is genius. A four pack retails for $24.
