Dan's Papers - May 6, 2008 - Over the Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

There are far too many New York residents who don't even know about Long Island wines. And that's a real shame.

Long Island wineries have had mixed success breaking into the Manhattan market. Limited marketing budgets are partly to blame - but ignorant snobbery against local wines is the main cause, I think. Why do so many New Yorkers turn up their noses at local wines? Well, this is America and Americans want the "best" of everything, regardless of where it's made. "Best" goes inside quotes because too often we let others tell us what is best, rather than trusting ourselves. And because relatively few "experts" are lauding Long Island wines as the world-class products they are, plenty of people don't give them a shot.

And, because these wines aren't in high demand in the city, few top bottles make it into shops and onto restaurant wine lists. Sure, there are a few Long Island wines here and there, but not enough for people to create their own informed opinion.

So what can Long Island wineries do to attract New York consumers, build on their reputation and - hopefully - create demand? They can take part in events like Brooklyn Uncorked on May 14 at BAM Cafe in Park Slope, Brookyln.

Organized by the Long Island Wine Council, Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End, Brooklyn Uncorked will bring together 30 Long Island wineries, top local breweries and food vendors and restaurants - all in one place. Think of it as a one-stop shop for locally focused foodies. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and tickets are $50.

Last year's edition sold out and it showed - the room was packed with people. This year, they've decided to expand the event into BAM's lobby so that more wineries can participate along with local breweries like Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Heartland Brewery, Sixpoint Craft Ales, and Southampton Publick House.

The wineries pouring at the event include Bedell Cellars, Bridge Vineyards, Castello di Borghese, Channing Daughters, Clovis Point Wines, Corey Creek Vineyards, Duckwalk Vineyards, Jamesport Vineyards, Jason's Vineyard, Lieb Family Cellars, Lenz Winery, Long Island Meadery, Macari Vineyards, Martha Clara Winery, Old Field Vineyards, Osprey's Dominion, Palmer Vineyards, Paumanok Vineyards, Peconic Bay Winery, Pelligrini, Pindar, Raphael, Roanoke Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Vineyard 48, Waters Crest Winery, and Wölffer Estate Vineyards.

Stinky Bklyn and Whole Foods Market will be serving cheese, Wine Cellar Sorbets will be scooping their delicious wine-based sorbets, Bodum will be pouring freshly pressed coffees, and Grown-up Soda (GuS) will be serving natural sodas to the designated drivers in the room.

If I had one criticism of last year's event it was that there wasn't nearly enough food available for attendees. When you're pouring that much wine, you can't let people drink it on empty stomachs.

It sounds as if organizers have solved that problem. Local restaurants from the Park Slope and Fort Greene neighborhoods, including Bonita, Flatbush Farm, iCi (where I had a pre-event lunch last year), La Maison du Couscous, Little D Eatery, Palo Santo, Smoke Joint (where I had a post-event dinner last year), and Stonehome Wine Bar, as well as Great Performances caterers, will be on hand with their delicious fare. Music will be provided by WLIU radio. Glasses are courtesy of Reidel.

It promises to be a great afternoon and evening of local delectables. If you already love local wines, it's a great opportunity to taste the latest and greatest. And if you don't, come give them a try again. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.