Four Things You May Not Know About Long Island Wine

By now, I think just about every wine drinker living on Long Island knows that we have our own local wine country. While many restaurants have been pitifully slow to add local wines to their lists, most wine shops across the Island have at least a handful of local bottles available even if they aren't the regions best.

But knowing that the wine industry exists on the East End and knowing much about it are two entirely different things. Despite a lot of hard work on the part of the Long Island Wine Council, the Long Island Merlot Alliance and the individual wineries, it can be hard to et the word out. With that in mind, here are four things that you may not know about our local wine community:

Going Green. One of the best reasons for drinking local wine versus wine shipped from across the country or around the world is the sustainability of it. Well, a handful of local wineries are taking that to the next level. At Jamesport Cellars, if you bring empty local wine bottles in, they give you discounts and free tastings (depending on how many bottles) as part of their recycling program. Several vineyards are being managed in far more responsible ways than in the past as well, including Osprey Dominion, Lieb Family Cellars, Macari Vineyards, and especially Shinn Estate Vineyards where they have begun the process of organic certification - quite a feat in this cool, humid region. Lieb Family Cellars is being managed in a more responsbile way. More Than Merlot.

Merlot is no-doubt the signature grape of the region. It consistently makes many of the best wines and performs well even in marginal growing seasons - not a rare occurrence here. But it would be a pity if, ultimately, Long Island were only known for merlot. Many grapes do tremendously well here and offer the kind of diversity that few regions can match. Cabernet franc, with its spicy and herbal nuances, is a personal local favorite, but there are wineries doing some interesting (and even great) things with chenin blanc, riesling, pinot blanc, sparkling wine, dessert wine, petit Verdot, malbec, cabernet sauvignon (in the warmer years) and sauvignon blanc. More on sauvignon blanc in a moment though. Explore all of Long Island wine and there will be a wine you fall in love with.

Summer + Shellfish = Sauvignon Blanc. There is a saying in wine circles that if it grows together, it goes together and this is perhaps (putting aside local merlot and cab franc paired with duck for a moment) no more apparent with local sauvignon blanc paired with locally grown vegetables and the bounty of the water surrounding this overgrown sandbar. Sauvignon blanc is already staking its claim as the white wine future of Long Island and it will only get better. Look for bottlings from producers like Raphael, Channing Daughters, Macari, Shinn Estate and Osprey Dominion.

Not Over-Priced. For some reason, Long Island has earned an unfair reputation for over-priced wine. Are some of the wines over-priced? Absolutely, but the same is true of literally every wine region in the world. And, if you look beyond some of those $40+ reds, you can find some real bargains - remember that there are values at every price point, not just under $10. Some of my favorites bargains under $20 include Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Coalescence ($14), Shinn Estate Vineayrds NV Red ($15), Lieb Family Cellars Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc ($17), Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Scuttlehole Chardonnay ($16) and the Nautique line - white, rose and red - from Peconic Bay Vineyards. Lenn Thompson, a proud Pittsburgh, PA native, moved to Long Island a decade ago and promptly fell in love with the region's dynamic and emerging wine industry. An Internet marketing guru by profession, he founded www.NewYorkCorkReport.com in early 2004 to share his passion for the wines of New York and give the region the coverage it deserves. In six short years, the site has become the premiere source for independent New York wine commentary, reviews and news. Formerly the editor of the Long Island Wine Gazette, regional editor for Appellation America covering the Long Island and Hudson River Valley regions, Thompson also contributes regularly to other local publications. An admitted riesling and cabernet franc fanatic, he's intensely passionate about drinking local and the many local wine regions of America. He lives in Sound Beach with his wife Nena, three-year old son Jackson and trusty beagle, Ben Roethlisbeagle.