Uncorking A New Winery
By Lenn Thompson
Sparkling wine, whether called Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Cremant, fizzy or just plain bubbly, is one of the world's great pleasures. It is the most romantic of wines, and it is a mainstay at events like weddings, New Year's Eve, and other celebrations.
But far too often, the sparkling wine served at special functions, especially weddings, is bland at best and acrid at worst. And, because weddings are many peoples only real exposure to sparkling wine, these experiences leave them with, well, a bitter taste in their mouths. Fortunately for us here on Long Island, there are some terrific sparkling wines being made here in our backyard - hidden among the endless bottles of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay, but for some reason, locally made sparkling wine doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves. One of the North Fork's newest producers, Sparkling Pointe, is out to change that.
Why? Well, sparkling wine is the only style of wine they make.
The seed for Sparkling Pointe was sown nearly 20 years ago when owners Tom and Cynthia Rosicki first met. As their love grew, so too did their love of Champagne. They become lovers of the "romance and magic of Champagne." As residents and lovers of the North Fork, they wanted to bring some of that magic to Long Island.
The wines are made by Gilles Martin, formerly of Martha Clara Vineyards, from grapes purchased from other growers. The Rosicki's have planted their own vineyard and hope to use their own fruit in future vintages. Industry veteran Steve Mudd is managing their young vineyard.
Martin is an experienced North Fork winemaker who has also worked in the Champagne region of France. You could say that making sparkling wine is his "thing." Without production facilities of their own - a winery is in the works - the wines were made at Premium Wine Group, a custom winemaking facility in Mattituck.
Recently, Sparkling Pointe released its first two wines to the public - Sparkling Pointe 2004 Brut ($29) and Sparkling Pointe 2004 Topaz Imperial ($33). Brazilian artist Claudio Paciullo's work adorns both labels.
These wines made their public debut at Brooklyn Uncorked earlier this month and while I didn't taste them there - I was put off a bit by the pomp and circumstance of their tasting table, which had tuxedo clad gentlemen at the helm - I tasted them afterwards at home with good results.
The 2004 Brut is reminiscent of the Brut sparkling wines Martin made for Martha Clara Vineyards in his time there. Poured into flutes, it's pale straw in color and has an aggressive, frothy mousse that fades perhaps a bit too quickly. Clean apple dominates the fresh nose with an undercurrent of toasty yeast and just a little floral character. Straightforward and refreshing, the palate isn't overtly dry and offers similar apple and yeast flavors. The finish lingers nicely and invites another sip - or another bite of food.
The 2004 Topaz Imperial was my favorite of the two. A pale gold in the glass, with just the most subtle hint of pink, the nose is much more expressive and complex with layers of white cherries, lemon zest, crisp apple and fresh-baked biscuits mingling. Rounder and a bit fuller on the palate, it's decidedly fruiter up front and creamy with berry and tree fruit flavors. Dry and featuring terrific acidity, this is a beautiful wine with a nice lingering finish.
For now, these wines are only available at www.sparklingpointe.com
