Welcome to our new wine blog, The Vine Line

We're kicking off 2012 with a new blog about all things viticultural, compiled by the multitalented Bob Reina, a long-time resident of Queens and Long Island wine buff. Salut!

When I established my summer residence in Mattituck on Long Island’s North Fork in 1988, the region then sported 12 vineyards and wineries, most of which produced wines of acceptable quality that seemed “a little expensive for what they were.”  Fast forward to 2011 and the East End now boasts 50 sources of uniquely styled wines that compete handily with the best of comparably priced wines from Europe and California.

It’s fitting that I start my regular wine blog with a profile of Paul and Ursula Lowerre’s Peconic Bay Winery, one of the pioneering wineries on the North Fork, which has matured into a world class producer of white, red, rose, sparkling and dessert wines in a variety of styles, but all of which showcase the North Fork terroir at its best.      

Founded in 1979,  Peconic Bay became Long Island’s third winery, and, in addition to planting its 56 acres with the traditional Merlot and other Bordeaux Red blends, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, has begun to experiment with Viognier and is already marketing a hard apple cider and, my favorite, the Sono Renata Immature Grape Brandy, a grappa-like digestif.    

Winemaker Greg Gove keeping watch over the fermentation tanks

Winemakers Greg Gove and Zander Hargrave (the latter the son of North Fork wine pioneers Alex and Louisa Hargrave) produce over a dozen quality products catering a variety of tastes, ranging from the $12 Hard Apple Cider to the rare Lowerre Family Estate Red ($56).

   Solar panels at Peconic Bay

Peconic Bay is probably the greenest winery on the North Fork, with 70% of their energy supplied by solar panels supplied by Long Island’s Green Logic (it’s convenient that the sunniest season on the North Fork is the fall when the winemaking machinery is working the hardest).  

Rocking out in Cutchogue

The winery also spearheaded the concept of the Long Island winery as a live music destination. They were the first to have live music every weekend (now a fixture almost everywhere on the North Fork) and in 2010 sponsored the now annual North Fork Rock and Folk Festival, which brought the likes of Richie Havens, Mountain, and Johnny Winter to sing and pick among the vines.

I ran the gamut of many of Peconic Bay’s latest releases at a tasting at the winery recently. The 2010 Steel Fermented Chardonnay ($24) is in the classic North Fork unoaked style, with a citrusy silky finish and strong acid to mate well with local seafoods. Peconic Bay did not overdo the oak, however in their 2009 La Barrique Chardonnay, which to me is very similar to its steel brother, just giving up a little grapefruit to gain a touch of butter.     

I normally expect Long Island Rieslings to be slightly sweet, but the winery’s 2010 Riesling ($24) actually seemed drier than either Chardonnay, with a fruity and light-bodied texture but with a strong structure to stand up to spicy food (the Thai Chicken Green Curry at Tony’s Asian Fusion in Mattituck comes to mind).    

It’s the Merlot grape that put the North Fork of Long Island on the map and the winery’s 2009 Red Label Lot #1 ($24) is a classic example of the soft but approachable 100% merlot with just enough tannic structure to stand up to hearty dishes.  The 2009 Red Label Lot #2 ($24) blends 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon for a more traditional Bordeaux-style blend. The wine’s 12 month residence in French oak gives it a tannic structure with a bit of tar on the back of the palate and the longest and silkiest finish of any North Fork red I’ve experienced. I ended with a special treat, the 2007 Lowerre Family Estate Red ($56), a blend of the winery’s choicest lots of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (38%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (2%). Aged for 26 months in French oak, the wine’s seductive blend of berries, tannin and tar only give us a hint of how this ageworthy wine will develop in years to come.

Finally, Peconic Bay has launched a new retail store (technically a satellite tasting room) this past November in the Tanger Outlet Mall in Riverhead. The store features over 200 wines from Long Island, the Finger Lakes and the Hudson valley for purchase and tasting.

WHERE TO BUY

36 Avenue Wines & Spirits, 30-14 36th Ave., Astoria, 718-361-8865

Northern Liquor Depot, 7304 Northern Blvd., Flushing, 718-458-0026

Queensbury Liquor Store, 112-24 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, 718-268-2290

Little Neck Wines & Liquors, 254-39 Horace Harding Expressway, Little Neck, 718-229-4600

Court Square Wine and Spirits, 24-20 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, 718-707-9911

Maspeth Discount Wine & Liquors, 69-15 Grand Ave., Maspeth, 718-505-8460

Bob Reina, a Long Island Wine Country resident for over 20 years and a Queens resident for over 30 years, teaches wine classes in Douglaston and on the North Fork of Long Island and sponsors special wine tasting events and dinners throughout the NY Metro Area. He also writes the “In Vino Veritas” column for the St. Anastasia Church Bulletin and is a Contributing Editor for Stereophile Magazine.On the musical front, Bob plays piano in the improvising jazz quartet Attention Screen and in the classic jazz John Atkinson Trio, as well as keyboards in the R&B band Souled Out and the classic rock band Stimulus Package. In his spare time, Bob is an Account Executive at Prudential Capital in Manhattan. Got a wine question? Email Bob at Robert.j.reina@earthlink.net

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U Dzika offers ‘obiady domowe’ or homecooked Polish food in a neighborhood better known for Argentine butchers.

When one thinks of 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Argentine butchers and Latino eateries spring to mind. It’s one of the most unlikely places in Queens to find a Polish restaurant. (They tend to be located mostly in Ridgewood and Maspeth.) Unlikely or not, U Dzika opened its doors about a month ago. Owner Beata Pietrzak named the place U Dzika, or “the boar” not as a reference to the food, but to her husband, Alex. Last time I visited he sheepishly admitted “u dzika” is Polish slang for someone who behaves in a clumsy, hyperactive manner, like a boar crashing through the forest. Nevermind the name, U Dzika serves Polish grandma cooking of the highest order.  

A massive plate of Polish grandma food including a wonderful gołąbki, or stuffed cabbage.

In response to a request for something I might eat a Polish grandmother’s house, Alex presented me with enough food for a small family. A hulking gołąbki, or stuffed cabbage, occupied one sector of the plate. Stuffed with a mixture of freshly ground beef and pork and rice, the goląbki was so tender it must have stewed in its rich tomato broth for hours.  Sides included kapusta kiszona (sauerkraut), buraczki (pickled beets), mizeria (cucumber salad), and wazanky (Polish pasta.) Smothered with bacon, onion and mushrooms, wazanky is like a deconstructed pierogi. The price for this massive feed? A mere $6.50. 

There are 10-12 dishes available daily, but Alex always includes two old standbys: “Gołąbkis and goulash, you have to have every day.” Whether you call it “homemade food,” “obiady domowe,” or “comida hecho en casa,” U Dzika proves that in Queens comfort food knows no boundaries.

Keep on eating,

Joe DiStefano

U Dzika, 86-14 37 Ave., Jackson Heights, 718-844-3697

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When Java Village first opened a little over a year ago, the gudeg, or young jackfruit ($2.50), blew me away. It’s stewed for three hours in coconut, cumin and coriander and it has such a meaty consistency that it’s a dead ringer for Southern barbecue. Gudeg is just one reason Java Village is among my favorite Elmhurst restaurants and my go-to spot for Indonesian. It boasts a 70-item menu packed with what I like to think of as Indonesian soul food, much of it served from a vast steam stable, plus daily chef’s specials.

Java Village’s Chef Dewi.

Chef Dewi and everyone else at Java Village hail from Indonesia’s second-largest city, Surabaya, the capital of East Java. Last time I stopped in, she told me I had to try two of the daily specials, so I did.  

A plate of Javanese soul food.

Back in Java, daun sing kong is made with yucca leaves but Chef Dewi substitutes kale. I’ve never had the original, but the greens ($3 for a small plate/$5 for a large) cooked in coconut milk, turmeric, onion, ginger and chili have a mellow, sweet flavor with just a hint of heat. A portion of ayam bumbu rujak—or chicken coated with a mixture of coconut milk, chili, and onion—is just $3.50.  It is quite spicy and quite good.

Ayam kecap: messy, but delicious.

Ayam kecap ($2.50 for five), or honey chicken wings, is named for kecap manis, a sweet soy sauce that along with ginger and honey is one of the ingredients in the sticky glaze. Unlike some of Java Village’s other dishes, it is not all spicy but it is finger-licking—and hand washing—good.

Tahu isi, a Javanese specialty.

There are also has plenty of snacky items. Dewi turned me on to tahu isi ($2). A gigantic block of tofu stuffed with rice noodles, celery, and carrots and then deep-fried to a golden brown. Munch on a fresh green chile along with the pillowy treat. Bakwan jagung ($1.50), is a fried corn fritter shot through with shards of kaffir lime leaf. And then there’s kering kentang ($3.50), or Javanese potato chips. The spuds are tossed with chili peppers, sugar, peanuts and fried shallots. There's also a goodly amount of salt and a touch of kecap manis. Each bite is simultaneously crunchy, sweet, salty, nutty and fiery. Kering kentang is great cold, but it's even better when eaten still warm. 

I’m not really into the Super Bowl, but I could easily see myself bringing some Javanese wings and chips to the big game next week.

Keep on eating,

Joe DiStefano

Java Village, 86-10 Justice Ave., Elmhurst, 718-205-2166

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New Park Pizza, my favorite for old-school slices, was one of many places mentioned by the panel of esteemed eaters at the Edible Winter Warm-up on January 24.

Sunday’s first annual Edible Winter Warm-Up at L haus was a hit with music and plenty of local restaurants and purveyors representing. I enjoyed everything I tried—especially Testaccio’s pasta e fagioli—but the highlight of the day was the food for thought served up by the panel on The Queens Food Scene. Joining me were Lee Anne Wong, a former Top Chef contestant who now consults for the show; Josh Ozersky, food writer and founder of Ozersky.TV; Zora O’Neill, co-author of Forking Fantastic! Put the Party Back in Dinner Party; and Dave Cook, the man behind the wonderful blog Eating in Translation. Cook provided a slideshow with photos of everything from Malaysian food festivals to taquerias. Before things got started I asked by show of hands how many people in the packed room lived in Queens and practically everyone proudly raised their hand. A lively discussion featuring everything from the borough’s best burger to Thai groceries that sell crickets and a Venezuelan snack shop that specializes in shredded beef sandwiches served on fried plaintain buns ensued. 

The slideshow sparked a debate about the borough’s best pizza. My pick was New Park Pizza in Howard Beach. Sure, it’s old school, but it’s great. Both Wong and Ozersky cited Sac’s Place in Astoria for its great coal oven pies. Ozersky also called out Nick’s Pizza in Forest Hills. O’Neill lauded Rosario’s Deli in Astoria as having the “pizza of her youth.” Never been to that one, but it’s now on my to-eat list.

Then we chatted about Astoria for a bit. Wong called out Ali el Sayed of Kabab Café for his Egyptian home cooking and Bistro 33 for its refined French-Asian cuisine. I enjoy the fiery fare at Poodam’s, Cook’s pick for Thai, but his mention of the Halal Sandwich Shop on Steinway Street stumped me. O’Neill tipped the audience off to Agnanti for Greek and Djerdan for its bureks. Meat maven Ozersky mentioned Greek Cypriot restaurant BZ Grill for its utterly delicious pork gyro. He also cited Joe’s Best Burger in Flushing as Queens’ best. To be honest, I spend so much time eating regional Chinese food in downtown Flushing that I scarcely notice the fast-food looking place that shares my name. For steakhouses, Ozersky’s pick was Argentine meat specialist La Portena in Jackson Heights, particularly for its mixed grill. He also called out Café Arzu, which lies literally around the corner from World’s Fare HQ, for its Bukharian-style lamb and beef kebabs.

 On the subject of street food I pointed out the Ecuadorean vendors on Warren Street off Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and Ozersky kvelled about the dollar kebabs from the Traditional Xinjiang Barbecue cart located near Kissena and Main Street, or as he likes to call it, the Mutton Man. Patacon Pisao, a spot in Elmhurst serving carne mechada patacón, a shredded beef sandwich that I like to think of as Venezuela’s answer to the Big Mac, was Cook’s pick. And O’Neill raved about the Egyptian kebab guy on 30th Avenue just west of Steinway.   

 The Q&A session with the audience also unearthed some gems, including the row of Korean restaurants known as Eater’s Alley, located in Murray Hill on 149 Street on the south side of Northern Boulevard, which I can’t wait to explore. When an audience member asked about vegetarian fare, EQ’s publisher, Leah McLaughlin, suggested Sripaphai’s separate vegetarian menu. My pick was the Temple Canteen inside the Ganesh temple on Bowne Street in Flushing for its gigantic dosai, or rice and lentil flour crepes. A question regarding Italian food yielded the following list of faves: Manducatis, Sapori d'Ischia, Parkside, Manetta's, Don Peppe's, Manducatis Rustica, and Trattoria L'Incontro.

Even though some 20 restaurants were mentioned during the hourlong panel, we barely managed to scratch the surface of the food scene in Queens. Next year I’m holding out for a daylong seminar.

Keep on eating,

Joe DiStefano

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