A change of scenery: our vast landscape of potato fields has gone but at least some agricultural land is preserved with grapevines. And very often it’s the merlot grape. Why?
Varietals: Spuds and Grapes
I had to slow down—way down—when a truck loaded with potatoes made a sluggish, lumbering turn onto the Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton.
If, in the more likely case these days, it had been a truck with construction materials, I would have been mildly annoyed. But the sight of a big, plodding potato truck with its oddly graceful, vaguely funnel-shaped back profile was pleasing. After all, how often do we see potato trucks rolling off the fields these days?
It was once such a common sight starting in late summer, going into November. But that was when we still had something like thirty thousand agricultural acres in Suffolk County, most of it planted in potatoes. I don’t know how much acreage in potatoes we have now, but it is definitely inconsequential enough that the sight of a truck loaded with potatoes is noticeable and can make me feel nostalgic.
Just as our climate and soil are hospitable to maturing potatoes, by a stroke of luck, they are also suitable for growing viniferous grapes. Not only has this saved a great deal of farmland, most evidently on the North Fork, it has given us a vital industry—winemaking—and the rich culture that accompanies it.
Many varieties of grapes are grown in the region, but according to winemakers and vineyard managers, the merlot grape does particularly well here. Greg Gove, the winemaker at Peconic Bay Winery, has had decades of experience in the Cutchogue area. He explained that our climate, similar to Bordeaux, enables the merlot grape to mature at the right time, and it is a grape where clusters ripen evenly for a more predictable harvest.
Traditionally, the merlot grape is used by the great chateaux of Bordeaux in their classic blends. It is used most prominently in the Pomerol and St.-Emilion appellations, but appears in various percentages in all the neighboring districts. California produces notable merlot wines, often considered equal to those of France and superior to much of the wine producing world. Long Island is a relative newcomer in turning out ambitious merlots, and there is at least a reasonable chance merlot will develop into the premier wine of the region.
Merlots are generally drinkable when young, and some have good aging potential. The color should be rich and ruby but will usually not be as dark, dense and concentrated as cabernet sauvignon, with its thicker skins and longer ripening period. Merlot tends to be round, supple, sometimes even fat and opulent, with a nose reminiscent of plums, cherries and perhaps a bit of spice. I find some ordinary merlots tend to hit a single plummy note, but the better ones display complexity and several dimensions of flavor and taste.
Virtually every winery on Long Island produces merlot, and several produce a meritage, a registered American name for blends similar to those of Bordeaux. Gallucio Family Wineries produces one of the best meritage wines, Cru George Allaire. The 2000 vintage is composed of 70% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc, and sells for $26 at the winery or online. It’s big, lushly ripe and full of taste thrills. Smooth, with a layered texture, with toasty oak and black cherry and berry flavors, this wine is impressive enough to serve to your most serious oenophile friends. I did, to Chris Harris, who has one of the best cellars in East Hampton, and he thought it was terrific.
The 2001 vintage, which I barrel tasted in late summer, promises to be another winner when it is released next spring. Gallucio’s 2001 Clos Juvin, a premium edition of their meritage, and a potential blockbuster wine, will be released in early 2004.
The joys of merlot are many, varied and delicious. Just our local ones could keep my tastes engaged for a long time. It’s not exactly a tradeoff, but at least it is some compensation for the loss of our potato fields.
