Feature

The Long Island Top Ten

Lawrence Osborne, author of The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World, offers his personal (and sure to be hotly contested) selection of the East End’s finest wines, in no particular order.

By Lawrence Osborne
Published Aug 9, 2004

(Photo: Noah Sheldon)

Macari Brut Nonvintage Methode Champenoise
A sweet and yeasty bubbly from the radical organic estate in Mattituck ($20.99).

Lenz ’96 Methode Champenoise
This sparkler is dry, with notes of orange rind and spices ($29.99).

Paumanok Chenin Blanc 2003
A light, cleanly fresh offering from Charles Massoud, tasting of white cherries ($15.99).

Bedell Viognier 2002
With its bitter almond finish, this version of the Rhône varietal is, like all Bedell wines, complex and delicate ($29.99).

Corey Creek RosÉ 2003
Hints of strawberry and rhubarb. A square, rustic, straightforward wine with quite a bit of tannin ($15).

Shinn Estate Vineyards
Merlot 2002 This is what is called a “vineyard wine,” meaning it’s not overly manipulated or styled by the winemaker—simple, earthy fruit without pretense ($23.99).

Bedell C-Block Merlot 1999
A ripe wine filled with a taste of pine resin and juniper ($29.99).

Lenz Estate Merlot 1998
As befits an aged wine, this offering from Eric Fry is firmly integrated, with deep structure and extended fruit. Austere and restrained ($24.99).

Paumanok Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon 2000 A rich, deep, unctuous condensed wine with a whiff of smoke ($19.99).

Jamesport Late Harvest Riesling 1998
Burned sugar vies with bright, tangy acids and the tannic taste of cold tea ($39.99).

Where To Drink:
The restaurant Home (20 Cornelia Street; 212-243-9579), owned by David Page and Barbara Shinn of Shinn Estate Vineyards, has the widest array of Long Island wines. Vintage New York, with stores in Soho (482 Broome Street) and the Upper West Side (2492 Broadway, at 93rd Street), has many Long Island wines, as well as those from around New York State. Bonus: It is open seven days a week.