Happenings in the Heart of Wine Country

Peaceful, serene, pastoral, picturesque and crystalline, the North Fork in the winter is an amazing place. The wineries and most of the restaurants are open. The carousel at Mitchell Park is enclosed for those who seek protection from the elements, but for the brave at heart, the skating rink is open right next store, where they rent skates and serving hot chocolate. The crowds have diminished and you and your special person have been transported back to a more romantic time. This is experiencing North Fork in the winter.

And to help you experience it, Andrew’s Legacy is offering a mid-winter special. From January 13 to February 9 two nights for $295 tax included! Stay at one of Trip Advisors most highly rated North Fork B&B’s for a whole weekend at less than what many charge for a single night. Also included in this special are free wine tastings, discounts on wines and the ability to walk to 6 major wineries!  (Same price for all rooms, a single night stay of $190 also includes tax.)

Some friends stopped by to visit us for the New Year and we decided to go to a winery on Rte. 48 in Southold called Sparkling Pointe. What makes this winery unique on the North Fork is the fact that they make, serve and sell only sparkling wines created in the traditional French Methode Champenoise. This method uses a double fermentation which produces a bubble in the wine that is more sophisticated, palatable and soothing as opposed to the single method that creates a larger more aggressive bubble, like the ones in soda.

The winery itself is spacious and beautiful. Decorated in a neutral palette of whites and grays and enhanced with silver, gold and crystal it is reminiscent of the colors and qualities that exist in the wines they create. The Venetian crystal chandeliers add an air of elegance and the multitude of expansive windows gave you great views of the gorgeous sunset and connect you to the vineyards that surround the winery. On one end of the winery they have a large gift shop with an impressive selection. On the other end of the winery the production facilities can be overlooked from a raised balcony. The fireplace in the main tasting room was warm and inviting, and what I assumed to be the VIP Bubble room lounge appears cozy yet sophisticated.

Being a local I thought the glitziness of a crystal-chandeliered winery may seem out of place on the North Fork where most wineries operate out of converted potato barns. But owners Cynthia and Thomas Rosicki have managed to tie it all together and make the sparkling theme work. With the help of Steve Mudd, a vineyard developer and manager, and French winemaker Gilles Martin, they produce an award-winning array of sparkling wines. They use only the first press of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurnier grapes. Together they have turned something that could have seemed out of place into something that really stands out. There is also a heavy Brazilian influence. Images of carnival were being played on several large screened TV’s, brightly colored mural sized paintings hung on the wall and a carnivale themed diorama greets guests as they walk in. The reason stated for this is the owner’s love for Brazil. Although I had trouble making this fit, the paintings did add a refreshing splash of color to an otherwise monochromatic color scheme and sections of the paintings are used on the wine bottles, making for interesting labels.

I tried the 2007 Brut and was amazed at the delicious “perfectly ripened pear” flavor. The Pinot Noir dominated the bouquet and made for a most enjoyable tasting experience. Our friends consider themselves not to be sparkling wines lovers, but decided to do a tasting and ended up converts. They bought a few bottles of their favorites. One of our friends remarked we should make sure we recommend this winery to our guests as part of their tour, not only because of the variety that it would add, but also because it could be the sparkling jewel in an incomparable North Fork day.

This was the dramatic North Fork sunset that greeted us as we pulled into the Sparkling Pointe parking lot. There are so many gorgeous sunsets at this time of year, it’s not a matter of wether you can catch one, but wether or not your camera can do it justice.

When you first enter the winery there is an extensive gift shop to your left.

When you enter the expansive tasting room, it’s hard to miss the dramatic Venetian crystal chandeliers. It seems these owners thought ahead and created a tasting room that can accommodate during peak tasting season.

The tastefully appointed VIP Bubble room has sunset views and a view overlooking the production facilities.

The impressive production facilities appeared to be pristine.

At the end of the tasting room a delicious glass of sparkling wine and the fire warmed us after the sun set.

It’s been fun blogging about our holiday traditions and what it’s like to spend Christmas on the North Fork of Long Island. All of our halls are decked, and I am including a picture of our dining room with the table set with Elizabeth’s collection of Ruby Glass and glass beaded garland draping the curtains and surrounding the light. We’re ready for Christmas dinner. Every year we try to have a different type of fowl, Turkey, Cornish hens, goose, maybe this year it will be Long Island Duckling with a tangerine glaze! But our chickens are safe since they are only for laying eggs. I included one of my favorite pictures of them, exploring the wonders of the holidays. The outside of the house is decorated and Santa is holding court amongst grandmother’s silver plated tea set.

We still have openings for the week between Christmas and New Years’s, which is a great time to unwind from the stress of the holidays while keeping in the holiday spirit going a little longer. Looking forward to seeing you soon and Happy Holidays, from the Macnish’s at Andrew’s Legacy Bed and Breakfast.

Santa holding court over grandmother’s silver-plated tea set. Santa is an Old World Christmas tree topper in a candlestick holder.

The halls are decked! The dinning room at Andrew’s Legacy, set for breakfast, or for Christmas dinner.  Wired green glass beads engulf the center light and red ones festoon the curtain tops. The feather tree is in the window and Elizabeth’s collection of ruby glass awaits the next meal.

Entitled “The Wonder or Christmas,”Brown leghorn hens examine a wreath our friends the Milfords made for us. They appear to be fascinated by the wreath, but are more than likely just figuring how to peck those bright red berries off.

And finally the outside of the house is decorated for the season, wishing everyone a happy and joyous holiday.