While we were visiting Long Island, we decided to go on a fun winery tour. We selected Vintage Tours which came with high reviews. The tour guide, Jo Ann took the group to 4 different wineries, starting with the Laurel Lake Vineyards. We were all very excited!
Laurel Lake Vineyards is named after its location, Laurel, and yes, there is a lake named Laurel Lake nearby. It is located on the North Fork of Long Island. We were informed that this place was acquired by Chilean and American vintner friends, and have lots of passion for wine making.
Their building looked somewhat small from the front, but inside was quite large. Maybe it looked so much bigger because it was empty. The staff told us that they are preparing for a wedding, so they cleared out the floor.
They certainly seemed to have lots and lots of wines, of all sorts. They offer Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Moscato, Riesling, etc., etc… Our tasting was pre-arranged by Jo Ann of Vintage Tours, so they already the special tasting menu ready for us.
We got to taste total of five different wines, and it started with 2014 Chardonnay. It is a light, crisp, fruity wine, with hint of pineapple, lemon, and mineral flavors. It certainly was refreshing, and gave clean start to the wine tour. It was indicated as “unwooded” so it was made in their stainless steal barrel instead of in the wood barrel. With that, it had this very clean, crystal clear look.
After the first wine, we were led to a large room one level below from the tasting room, where they had several stainless steel barrels. In this room, one of the owners, Jose from Chile gave us detailed information on wine making. It was quite interesting, and we could really tell how passionate he is on wine making. He explained the different result that the wines will have with wood and stainless steel fermentation, difference between the grapes for red wine and white wine, and so much more.
Then, we moved even lower into their basement, where it was cooler at around 75 degrees, therefore the room does not need any type of temperature control. This room was filled with wood wine barrels, and he let us try their “Reserve” wines.
From the information I received throughout the winery tour, I heard that each winery name some particular wines “Reserve” in their own way. At Laurel Lake, they name their unfiltered wines as their “Reserve” wines. They are fermented in French Oak barrels, and therefore has more color and strong flavor than the wines fermented in stainless steel barrels.
We first tasted their 2013 Chardonnay Estate Reserve. After being fermented in French oak barrels, then aged for ten months. I could smell the toasty oak, and a hint of vanilla that comes from the French oak. It was strong and spicy. Since I like more of a sweet wines, it was a bit too spicy for me, but it certainly had strong, solid flavor.
The second one was 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. It had very deep red color and very strong flavor as well. A bit more fruity than the Chardonnay Estate, but still spicy. Both Reserve wines were indeed very rich, strong, and fully flavored. I think it was a bit too strong and spicy for my taste, but I am glad I got to taste these Reserve wines.
Back to the tasting room, we got to taste their 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, so that we can compare it to their Reserve. It had lighter color, more clear than the unfiltered Reserve, and lighter taste as well. It had great aroma with flavors of ripe berries. Much easier to drink than their powerful Reserve.
The last tasting from her was their 2014 Gewurztraminer. This wine is fruity with the aromas of spices and red roses. It was refreshing and clean, a nice ending to the wine tasting.
With that, we decided to take a look around while sipping the last glass. They had a small gift shop area near the bar, with cute, funny, and/or useful items. Albert Wine-Stein sounded like a real smart guy.
Out in the back, they have a large deck with a great view of their vineyards. I can imagine how nice it would be to sip a cold wine with side of something delicious out here, while gazing at the beautiful green field of vines. Although, I believe they do not allow outside food here, be sure to check beforehand.
Back in the tasting room, I noticed they had a small selection of chocolates on the bar, but kind of tucked away. If we needed something to go with our wines, we could have paired them with chocolate! Since that was not offered to us, I didn’t even know they had chocolate for sale until right before we left…
Overall, it was an interesting tour. We certainly learned a lot about wine making, very educational, thanks to Jose. One thing I didn’t like was that we had to use the same glass for all five wines. I prefer getting a clean glass between red and white, in order to get the true taste of each wine. I didn’t find a wine I love form this winery, but it was a great experience.
Another interesting thing I learned during the Vintage Tour by Jo Ann is that grapes for sweet wines like Riesling does not grow well in Long Island. Therefore, the wineries who want to sell them will get grapes from upstate New York, by truck loads, and then ferment them at their winery. We might need to arrange a weekend trip to wineries in upstate New York in the near future!
Laurel Lake Vineyards – 3165 Main Rd, Laurel, NY 11948