Wine-ing on Monday

Let's face it- Mondays are never easy no matter what you do or who you are. This Monday, North Fork, New York woke up to a gray day. As I sipped on my Colombian coffee fresh from my Keurig, I decided to check on the newly planted vegetable and herb seeds, which are currently living in flats in my garden room. Much to my delight, little green sprouts were popping up in almost all of my tiny squares. This was very exciting to me and helped start the week on a very positive note. I look forward to writing many-a-blog on the creations that these fresh harvests will precipitate.

On the drive east via Sound Avenue this morning I thought of my readers. For all of you wine enthusiasts out there, you must plan to take on Wine Country on a Monday! You can map out your trail and the wines you'd like to try by visiting the Long Island Wine Council site at www.liwines.com, or go to www.northfork.org to plan your entire stay here.

Why on a Monday, you ask? No matter what time of year, most wineries remain open on a Monday. You'll receive more personalized service and VIP treatment when the tasting room is quiet. Weekends tend to attract many visitors, some of which are out for a party and may disturb your overall experience. If you're serious about enjoying your wines, while having some interaction with the tasting steward as well as enjoying some space at the bar, this is the way to go.

So, what am I drinking today on this dreary Monday? Raphael's Naturale Red 2007. This is a brand new release for the Peconic winery and was included in their March Reserve Club. It's extremely unique in its notes and also in the way it's made, which deserves a great deal of attention. Richard Olsen-Harbich, Raphael's winemaker, shared his notes with us.

Naturale red is produced using a natural winemaking philosophy. The grapes are handpicked, sorted, de-stemmed and crushed using traditional foot treading. The must was allowed to ferment using wild, indigenous yeasts. No refrigeration, sugar, enzymes, acids, fining or filtration was used in production, with only minimal amounts of sulfur added at bottling. The result is a completely pure expression of our vineyard terroir. This wine is a benchmark example of how red wine will be produced at Raphael in the coming years.

Aged in a mix of new and older American oak, Naturale shows the complexity of flavors that indigenous flora brings to the wine making process. An earthy nose evokes ripe berries, forest floor, tobacco and mushrooms while the flavor is a brooding, powerful blend of blackberry, beach plums and spice. This wine was produced from a single acre of Merlot clone 181 - the famous Petrus clone. A bottle of Naturale red retails for $25.99 in the tasting room.

This wine will be interesting to pair. I'm going to make chicken skewers this evening with a marinade that will consist of soy, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic and onion. I will include pieces of yellow onion on the skewers only. On the side will be curry spiced couscous. I'll be sure to confirm if my wine pairing suggestion works but from my wine tasting thus far and Richard's notes, I think this will work perfectly.

You'll find more information on Raphael's wine selection, vineyard estate and Reserve Club at www.raphaelwine.com.

Signing off from North Fork, New York.