Howlingly Great…Wolffer Vineyards Estate

This past Labor Day weekend was one of the best in my life. For my birthday last April my wife gave me a private tasting at Wolffer Vineyards in The Hamptons.She bought the tasting at an auction for Cancer Care. She scheduled it for the Saturday before Labor Day. Oh my God. What a surprise. I was initially skeptical. Most wines I have tried from Long Island are sweet and just icky really. But, this was The Hamptons and it was wine, I wasn’t about to turn that away.

First let me say Wolffer is one of the most beautiful vineyards I have ever been too. Nestled in The Hamptons, surrounded by, you know, luxury and famous people. The vineyards and visitor area are in pristine condition.

The weekend was a little off, supposedly the East Coast was going to be hit by Hurricane Hermine. People were staying off the beach but inland areas were inundated. Our quiet time at the vineyard turned into an elbows and _ssholes scare. But, the Wolffer staff is at a minimum very professional. As soon as we checked in, Roman Roth the winemaker, showed up to take us on a private tour.

Immaculate, that is what I can say. After a tour of the facilities we started the tasting. The first was the Summer in a Bottle white, a refreshing blend that is perfect for a summer afternoon “porch” wine, you know – that wine you drink by itself, just because. we followed this with the Grapes of Roth dry Riesling. A delightful, dry, crisp riesling that again is refreshing and light. Finishing off the whites with a rose’. I know -I know but keep up with me. This is one of the best rose’ I ever had. Crisp but fruity. Elegant and light. Refreshing. A perfect summer wine.

Roman took us into the Library, he chose for us to try, a 2001 Merlot. Can I say,magnificent!!!!! One of the best wines I have ever been privileged to try. Smooth, depth. structure. Light tannins that only beg your mouth for more. Beautiful nose just a magnificent wine. After the library we sat at a private table in the barrel room. A cheese and meat plate appeared as well as more wine.

When you thought things couldn’t get any better. At the table, a bottle of Caya Cab Franc appeared. I am a sucker for CAB Franc, a Loire aficionado. But the Caya will give the best of Loire a run. Just luscious. We were ending the reds with Fatalis Fatum, this red Bordeaux style blend is magnificent. This wine will stand with any Bordeaux. Just at this time Marc Wolffer, the owner, came in. What a great time. Being able to sit at a table with the owner and winemaker is a dream come true. What a great evening, listening to the vision of the wines and actually being able to taste that vision come to fruition.

The last wine of the evening was the Diosa Late Harvest. One of the best dessert wines i have ever tried, including some of the Sauternes I enjoyed in France. Full, rich, creamy and elegant. Not sugary sweet but naturally sweet. A perfect end.

I also want to acknowledge the non-alcohol wine that Roman brought for my daughter to try. The Ver-Jus (Green Juice) he gave to my daughter was very nice. A quality product. One can tell that the same amount of attention is given to every product.

By the way, we left with several bottles of wine along with a bottle of gin-a new venture- and one I am sure will be a success.