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Macari
Vineyards
Sound Avenue, Mattituck
By Christopher
J. Davies
Photography
by Lindsay Silverman
As I drove
heading east on 495, I set my goals for finding a really unique
winery to feature for this article. My travel companion, photographer
and friend Lindsay Silverman, was equipped for one of those
presidential fund/raisers, carrying with him two camera bags
loaded with several new Nikon SLR’s, lenses and a CoolPix
950 digital camera. Lindsay was anxious to find some exciting
new scenery to photograph.
Having
heard so many good things about Macari Vineyards lately, I
decided to make them our first stop. Macari is located a little
off the beaten path, off Sound Avenue in Mattituck. If you
are not familiar with Sound Avenue, it is the furthest north
avenue that runs east to west. It runs parallel on the north
side of the more traveled main road (Route 25).
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After
getting off the last exit on the expressway, we passed the Tanger
Factory Outlet Stores and waddled around the Riverhead travel
circle. After that it was a clear breeze to Mattituck. To get
there, I drove straight down route 25 into the little town of
Jamesport. I took a left at Manor road, a mile later passing
the Jamesport Manor Restaurant, a rather gothic looking restaurant
that operates in a 140 year old manor house. They serve great
food but from the exterior, could be confused as Herman Munster’s
North Fork digs. About a mile further, I made a right onto Sound
Ave. Macari Vineyards is located about a mile east on the left
at the corner of Sound Ave and Bergen Ave.
As we pulled
into the driveway I was immediately impressed with the modern
architecture of the Macari’s Winery building, which I later
found out was designed by New York Architect Carol DiCicco-Vinci.
After parking my car, I asked Lindsay to survey the vineyard
for possible shots while I headed for the tasting room. Macari’s
Don Brisson was there busy conducting a tasting with a half
a dozen folks from out of town.
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After
exchanging brief introductions, Don continued to tend to his
customers while I took a moment to examine the interior of
the building. Having a fine appreciation for good design and
craftsmanship,I became instantly awed by the Macari’s
attention to details and quality materials. The room is large
with vaulted ceilings that create a very open feeling. This
is further enhanced by natural window light and accented by
large diffused domes that combined create soft light which
is comfortable to the eyes.
The interior
decor is a magnificent balance of earth tones,wood,marble
and sleek metal fixtures. This combination works well and
will be part of my design wish list when I build my next home.
The walls are finished with an authentic squash yellow Florentine
application. If you have been to Florence or Venice you will
recognize this Finish. It’s the real McKoy. Can’t
be duplicated in kit form at Home Depot. Not surprising that
it took a master craftsman 12 days to create.
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OK. Enough with the building and on to the wine,you say? Not
yet! After only 5 minutes of arriving at Macari Vineyards
I was starting to discover a pattern. And my number one thought
was QUALITY. I was equally impressed with other details such
as the manner in which Macari displays its products. Rather
than stacking cases of wine in an island display,Macari uses
compact tables with meticulously arranged wine bottles. The
term "less is more" can be applied here. The end result
is a more spacious atmosphere that focuses your eyes towards
the wine displays. I believe this great effect was used by Hitchcock
in a few of his films.
At minute
7, I was unable to control my urge to taste a glass of Macari’s
award winning 1997 Merlot. This wine received a silver medal
at this year’s London International Wine and Spirit Competition.
It’s no wonder. Having visited the North Fork for a more
than a dozen years, I had believed the reds were lacking. Not
the case here. The Macari Family has recognized red wine’s
exploding popularity (70% of all wines consumed nowadays are
red according to recent industry studies).
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I had the pleasure of meeting Joseph T. Macari Sr., Joseph T.
Macari Jr. and Alexandra Macari.They reminded me of my Italian
relatives on my Mother’s side, very friendly people who
make you feel at home when you visit their home. Or in this
case,their winery. When I remarked that Long Island reds have
come a long way, they told me that they had decided to take
their time to concentrate on perfecting their soil which in
turn rewarded them with a great harvest.
I was
thoroughly impressed with the concentrated but smooth finish
of this Merlot. My companion Lindsay mentioned that he usually
had trouble digesting Merlot’s because of the Tannins.
The Tannin level of this Merlot is well controlled and passed
Lindsay’s stomach test with flying colors. My final impression
is that Macari 1997 Merlot is an exceptional value in a red
wine priced under $20 !
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The second wine I tried was the Macari 1997 Cabernet Franc which
is a medium bodied red that is easier to consume than a full
bodied cab on a hot summer day. Although soft in body, this
wine has strong aromatic qualities. The Macari’s wine list
accurately describes this wine as "a soft,approachable
red wine enjoyable in its youth". In my opinion,this would
be a great wine for enjoying with barbecued meats, Long Island
Duck or any pasta dish !
I spent
some time with the Macari’s Marketing Director Ryan Quinn
learning about their vision for making fine wines. Their plan
does not include shortcuts. Every step they described involves
careful thought and much patience on their behalf. Although
they have owned most of their 360 acres for almost 40 years
now, they started this vineyard only five years ago. A project
of this magnitude takes extreme determination and courage.
The Macari family have these ingredients down pat.
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I also took note of the varied planting methods that were used
in different blocks of the vineyard. The addition of limestones
around the base of the vines which has a positive long term
effect on the soil. Another one of those Macari details!
The estate
is massive at 360 acres making it one of the largest vineyards
on Long Island. Many of the acres have been left in natural
form with heavy tree growth towards the north end of the property.
There is plenty of room for future expansion over time.
I also
learned that the Macari’s have ordered a shipment of
olive trees which they hope to plant soon on a test basis.
I am not aware of any successful olive groves on Long Island.
But, I am anxious see the Macari’s succeed as I am a
big fan of cooking with olive oil.
After
viewing the winery’s state of the art wine making equipment,barrel
room, testing room and wine cellar I made it back to the tasting
area. This time for a taste of Macari’s 1997 Barrel Fermented
Chardonnay. I fell in love with the slight oak taste that
was backed with a buttery flavor. This is a must try for Chardonnay
lovers.
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As I prepared to leave, Joseph T. Macari Jr., the winery president
reminded me that I did not try all of his wines. I regret that
I could not do this during my first visit but plan to get back
to Macari Vineyards on July 31st for the Sound Symphony Orchestra
classical concert which is being put on by the East End Arts
Council. My wife and I plan to get there early to taste the
1998 Rose d’une Nuit, 1998 Pinot Blanc, 1998 Sauvignon
Blanc, 1998 Viognier and 1997 Estate Chardonnay.
If you
plan to visit the Long Island Wine Country’s North Fork,
make Macari Vineyards one of your first stops. Macari wines
are available at many retailers in New York, from Longislandwinesellers.com,
and at fine restaurants in New York and Europe. For details
call (516) 298-0100 or e-mail: macari@peconic.net.
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