Visiting Lenz Winery on Long Island

What to do on a slightly foggy, drizzly Saturday. Go to Long Island and do some wine tasting! Actually, it wasn't a spur of the moment, impromptu decision, but was in the works for some weeks so regardless of the weather, we would be on the Ferry over from New London to Orient Point.
Our first stop was at Lenz Winery.

It opened at 11 a.m. so we were the first ones there and made the acquaintance of Jordan, our pourer behind the bar. Our tastings included the following:
2008 Old Vines Chardonnay
2007 Cuvée
2008 Cabernet-Merlot blend
2007 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 Old Vines Merlot
2008 Estate Selection Merlot
1999 Cuvée RD
We learned that Eric Fry has been the winemaker for Lenz since 1990 and he makes their sparking wine using méthode champenoise. As we were settling in to do the wine tastings, two limousines full of people arrived and appeared as if Jordan may be inundated. But he seemed accustomed to this level of activity in the tasting room and was expertly attending to everyone's needs.

We enjoyed our first stop on Long Island and decided that it was Jordan's knowledge and his attention to our foursome that made the experience memorable. I dug up the November 2012 issue of Saveur again to see if the Long Island Lineup included Lenz and there it was, the 2006 Lenz Cuvée. The write up in Saveur: "A pioneer winery of the North Fork, Lenz subjects 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes to traditional French champagne-making methods to produce a sparkling wine that tastes like it could have come from Épernay. It's nice and elegant, with soft, small persistent bubbles that make it perfect for a sophisticated celebratory meal." We concur with that description. We also learned that the Lenz Cuvée spends 6 years aging on the lees before being disgorged.