Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008 - Over the Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

I think that I like Lisa Donneson, founder and proprietor of Bouke Wines, one of the North Fork's newest wine producers. I think that I like her and I know that I like her first two wines. Donneson, a Long Island native who earned her diploma in wine and spirits from WSET, founded Bouke, with local veteran Gilles Martin as her winemaker in last year.

Her goal? To create "Wines that showcase the best of Long Island - the ripe fruit forward style of the New World, the structure and high-quality grape varietals of the Old World, and the harmonious balance of fruit, acidity and alcohol that can be achieved in a maritime climate." The impressive thing is that she's done just that without making the wines expensive, luxury items that can only be opened on special occasions. No, she wants you to open her wines every day and enjoy them.

As she worked on the blends with Martin, Donneson was looking for, generally "quality, personality, complexity, great taste, balance, and compatibility with food." Those attributes are nothing new. One would hope that any producer is striving for those things. But she continues on, telling me she sought "a gorgeous color, seductive aroma and smooth mouthfeel - a sensual experience!" That isn't something that you hear ever day.

To make her Bouke 2007 White Table Wine ($18) and Bouke 2007 Rose Table Wine ($15), she used grapes purchased from growers on the North Fork, relying on Martin's experience working there, beliving that he is "intimately informed with the local vineyards and knows the best resources." For now, she doesn't have any immediate plans to plant a vineyard, but it could happen someday, telling me in an email "Who knows? It's a dream."

The Bouke 2007 White Table wine is made by blending 40% chardonnay, 32% pinot gris, 18% sauvignon blanc. The expressive nose is surprisingly complex at this price point, showing predominant apple and citrus aromas accented by those of white flowers, pineapple and spice. The fresh, satisfying palate is medium-light in body and offers green apple, peach and lemon zest flavors with more spice. There is just the right acidity here to keep it lively. Make sure that you don't over-chill this wine. You'll miss out on some of the depth and complexity.

In a local wine world where some are charging $20 for rose, it's refreshing to see that Donneson is charging $15 for her Bouke Rose Table Wine, which is made from 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Rose comes in many guises and styles, and this is one that I enjoy quite a bit. It's a bright cherry-pink in the glass and the nose is both fruity, with red cherry and strawberry coming through, and earthy, with dried leaves and hay aromas. It is medium bodied and offers straight forward, satisfying flavors that mimic the nose. It is well balance and damn near ideal for BBQ chicken. I really like that you can tell this was made with North Fork red grapes - it's that earthy character that gives it away. In that sense, I guess it captures Long Island's terroir, not something that many roses do.

Bouke wines are available online at www.boukewines.com and at the co-op The Tasting Room on Peconic Lane.