Long Island Shinndig
Elyas Beria

	Shinn Estate produces standout wines on Long Island's North Fork

It was early September and I found myself in a car with three friends heading to Long Island wine country. I have to admit that I was not too hopeful that we would taste many interesting wines. There are some well respected producers on Long Island but I’ve never felt that Long Island wines provide good value. It’s easy to find phenomenally better wines from many other parts of the world but I thought it would be irresponsible not to explore these wines especially since they are made relatively locally.

After a few hours on the road the scenery gradually softened and we found ourselves in wine country. We immediately headed to the first of several wineries on our list. As I had suspected, most of the wines we tasted were nothing special and a few were insipid. One sobering experience involved tasting an especially bad wine, then being greeted by a sign with a big red hand on it warning any unsuspecting wanderer that due to deadly pesticides the vineyards were not safe for humans to walk around in. I muttered some expletive and thought, “I just drank that!”

Fortunately, there was a shining oasis of calm, comfort, hospitality, and good wine in what was shaping up to be a desert of unsavory wine. Shinn Estate Vineyards on Long island’s North Fork has its heart in the right place. Run by the wife and husband team of vineyard manager Barbara Shinn and New York City chef David Page of Home Restaurant, Shinn Estate seeks to bring sound winemaking and environmental practices to the Long Island wine landscape.

We made an appointment to meet David and Barbara so there were no other visitors there to beg their attention. They very graciously gave us a comprehensive tour of their vineyard, emphasizing at every step of the way their heartfelt belief that their selected practices are best for the land, the grapes, and the people who drink their wine. During the course of our conversation I began to understand Long Island’s spiritual connection with Bordeaux and that connection is alive and well.

They only grow Bordeaux varietals and use Bordeaux blending principles as their guide when constructing their wines. The results are well-balanced and snappy wines. In a nod to Bordeaux, balance is emphasized more than just fruitiness or raw power. Although possessing a little less body than they could, they are still impressive for Long Island. They are fruit bombs or extravagantly intense but, posses poise and dignity while at the same time being friendly and accessible—very much like David and Barbara themselves.

Let’s hope that the zeal and passion they have for sustainable agriculture and beautifully balanced wine takes root in Long Island. The realization of their vision would benefit us all.

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You too can take a tour of Shinn Estate Vineyards. Tours are given Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 1:30 PM. The tour costs $8.50, which includes a wine tasting afterwards. Call 631-804-0367 for reservations. Visit shinnestatevineyards.com for more information.