A Summer with Pindar Vineyards

^{This post has been sponsored by Pindar Vineyards. The following message is intended for those 21+. All opinions expressed are my own. Please enjoy responsibly.}

Pindar Vineyards, located on the Northfork of Long Island, has been a longtime friend of Living the Gourmet, and we’re sampling four of their wines right on time for the summer grilling season.

We’ll be taking a look at their acclaimed Mythology, their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and their eminently approachable Pythagoras, a Bordeaux-style red blend. As we’ll discuss later in the pairings section, all four of these wines are excellent complements to grilled meats and barbecue favorites.

As always, we’ll start off with a quick crash course on Long Island as a wine region. From there, we’ll take a look at the wines themselves, and I’ll suggest some pairings to help you really get the most out of each bottle.

Now, without further delay, let’s get tasting

The Where – Long Island, New York

When thinking about Long Island, what comes to mind is almost always the Hamptons, suburbia, or the urban buzz of Brooklyn and Queens. What exists between these three defining features of the Eastern Seaboard’s longest of islands is often a hazy blur. Yet, it is within that blur that one of the USA’s most successful wine regions happens to exist

From a grape-growing and winemaking perspective, Long Island is an unlikely triumph – and that’s putting it mildly.

In contrast to Greek or Italian winemaking, both of which draw from traditions older than recorded history itself, winemaking on Long Island is barely four decades old. To start off, most of Long Island’s vineyards are located along the island’s forks. By comparison to, let’s say Mendoza or Napa, this makes for exceptionally cramped geography, and there are obviously no foothills or volcanism to take advantage of. In contrast to Italy, Long Island’s maritime climate features torrential rains that can rot away crops, and, on the other end of the spectrum, droughts that can starve away even the hardiest of vines.

The climatological maladies don’t end there. With Long Island’s maritime climate comes flooding (lots and lots of flooding), hurricanes, our infamous Nor Easters, harsh winters, and boiling summers. This is all in addition to exorbitant land prices. Taken together, Long Island seems like an area most winemakers would seek to avoid.

Yet, despite all of that, Long Island is considered by countless critics to be the home of some of the best wines in all of the Americas, with the Wine Industry Advisor commenting in a January 30th article of 2018 that “Long Island wines have earned their place among the top tier of American wines.”

Yet, this all leaves us with the question as to what accounts for the success of Long Island wines. The answer is almost painfully simple – dedicated winemakers, planting carefully selected vines on carefully selected plots, that are then meticulously cared for. In other words, Long Island wine is – at least in part – a testament to ingenuity and dedication.

The Bottles – A Showcase

Today we’re sampling four bottles:

Up first, we’ve got a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.
Next, we’ll be taking a look at their 2019 Mythology.
After that, we’ll be reviewing their Pythagoras Red Table Wine.
Finally, we’ll be taking a look at a 2023 Sauvignon Blanc.

Aromatics and Tasting – The Review

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve opens with aromas of dark fruit, such as blackberries and ripe plum, supported by a hint of leather and tobacco leaf. Deeper into the glass, we have a bouquet of herbs with a sprinkling of spice, chiefly cloves. There’s a dusting of chocolate mixed with cassis somewhere towards the end of the bouquet and syrupy vanilla. Very pleasant and richly complex aromatics from start to finish. On the palate, the dark fruit notes carry over very nicely from the bouquet, lush blackberries frame in vanilla notes and a touch of caramel, carried on a medium body ending on a lasting finish. Delightful.

The 2019 Mythology introduces itself with ripe dark fruit notes, such as cassis and plum, dusted with pleasant herbal notes, and a background spiciness. Oak and tobacco notes make themselves known, perforating through the other aromatics from time to time. On the palate, red cherries and ripe red fruit are front and center, with some of the jam notes from the bouquet carrying over. Vanilla and almond notes make themselves known. The wine is well structured and ends on a lasting finish.

The Pythagoras Red Table Wine introduces itself with rich and intense aromatics, a dusting of black pepper and tilled earth off the top of the glass, followed by notes of tobacco and ripe plum. There’s a hint of anise hiding in the background, or that might just be me lingering on the bouquet too long. The palate is rife with berries and just a hint of herbal notes. Unpretentious, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Sauvignon Blanc greets with aromas of juicy green apple and ripe pear, accentuated by a refreshing minerality, with just a hint of lime or tropic citrus. On the palate, the green apple and citrus carry over quite nicely, with buttery notes, and perhaps just a hint of oak in the background. A very pleasant sauvignon blanc from start to finish.

What To Eat – The Pairing

With the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, you want to stick with by-the-book Cabernet Sauvignon pairings, and that means grilled and roasted red meats, such as steak, lamb, and venison. This wine would be a great match with hearty dishes such as hearty country ribs or grilled souvlaki. This wine can also be enjoyed with sharp cheeses, such as cheddar and blue cheese, or with a lush antipasto board. For a creative and festive pairing, consider our pork and veggie kebabs, which are a personal warm-weather favorite of mine.
With the 2019 Mythology, I could easily see this pairing deliciously with something like Steak bruschetta with a sweet pepper relish For a more traditional pairing, consider a steak board prepared with roasted potatoes, homemade tortillas, and sundried tomato and parsley chimichurri. You might also consider a roasted rack of lamb crusted with plenty of herbs and garlic.
The Pythagoras, which is a Bordeaux-style red blend, is best served with hardy entrees, particularly things like roasted pork shoulders, and roasted lamb, prepared with a crust of herbs and garlic, perhaps with a side of orzo with red sauce. Roasted chicken, seared steaks, and hardy fish dishes are all potential pairings. Bordeaux red blends tend to do well with ‘substantial’ entrees, and the Pythagoras is no exception.
With the Sauvignon Blanc, your safest bet is classic Sauvignon Blanc pairings. That means oysters, grilled shrimp, seafood salads, and ceviche. Leafy green salads, especially those topped with creamy dressings, goat cheese, or blue cheese, would also pair nicely. And, of course, grilled chicken and vegetable stir-fry would also pair deliciously.

And that’s our review. If you tried any of today’s wines, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you.

Cheers!