DAN'S PAPERS, May 23, 2008 Page 105 www.danshamptons.com
Dan’s North Fork
One Fabulous Winery Eric Fry Talks To Us About Lenz Winery And Their Spectacular Wine This Summer By Debbie Tuma Located in the heart of the North Fork vineyards, in Peconic, Lenz Winery was opened in 1983 by former owner Peter Lenz. He planted the first crop of grapes in 1978, and later sold the vineyard to Peter Carroll in 1988. In 1989, winemaker Eric Fry started, and he has been creating the fine Lenz label ever since. “I try to make the best possible wines, by tasting the grapes and using my 30 years of wine experience to perfect this process,” said Fry, who prefers the European-style wines to the California ones. “I like the European style wines that are fruit-for-
ward, which means the first thing you taste is the fruit, as opposed to the California wines, which often have an oak taste first.” Of the many wines sold at the Lenz Winery, he said Merlot is the primary red wine, since these grapes grow and ripen best in their vineyards. “I tend to make a long-aging wine, that is ready to drink when opened,” he said. Fry is now releasing his 2002-2002 wines that have been aged for five years, “because wine improves with age,” he said. He is also selling his Cabernet Sauvignon, which is bright, fruity and soft. The Lenz white wines include their famous Gewurztraminer, which in German means “spicy grape,” and this wine has a zestiness about it. Their other white wine, the Chardonnay, comes in three styles. The first style is their White Label Chardonnay, which is a crisp, fresh and light Chablis-style. The second style is their Gold Label Chardonnay, which is very oaky and rich. The third style is their Old Vine Chardonnay, which is a balanced blend of these two styles, and is well integrated. Lenz also has a champagne-style sparkling wine called, simply, “Bubbly.” Lenz Winery, which is one of about 40 on the North Fork, is unique in that it is an “estate winery,” which means they grow their own grapes, and they do not buy or sell grapes. It has some of the most mature vines of the region, and the staff micro-manages each vine, to make the best wine of their exacting standards. “Most wineries buy and sell grapes, but we do not—we grow the best possible grapes to get the best wines we can get,” explained Fry, whose extensive wine experience began at Mondavi Vineyard in California, took him to France and Australia, and then continued back at Jordan Winery in California.
Before coming to the North Fork, he worked upstate at Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region. When asked how the climate affects the grapes on the North Fork, Fry said, “We tend to have a cool climate here, which means the grapes ripen slowly in the fall, creating a fruity wine. But this year so far, we’ve had cooler temperatures than usual, which have been in the 60’s rather than the 70s, so we are now hoping for some sun. Although it’s been a slow start, I’m sure the sun we get this summer should
still make our crop a good one for the fall.” Fry invites the public to come to Lenz Vineyard for their regular wine tastings of all his fine wines. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, and then their hours change for the fall/winter season. This summer they will be having several Merlot and Chardonnay tastings events, as well as the popular D. Rosengarten grilling class. They also do weddings. For more information, check their website at lenzwine.com
1142493