Thanksgiving Homage

In early November, we went to the North Fork of Long Island with our friends to visit Paumanok Vineyards. This has been an annual trek for us since 2016 when we were able to share our first vintage, the 2015 Chenin Blanc with Charles and Kareem Massoud. The Massouds are always so welcoming and lavish in their hospitality. This year, we went to Long Island on two of the most beautiful fall days in 2018. We were welcomed by Kareem and taken to their outdoor balcony overlooking their vineyard.

In a few minutes, the outdoor balcony was filled with all manner of comestibles to pair with the wines that we would be tasting. This year, we brought our 2017 Chenin Blanc Pét-Nat, 2018 Auxerrois, 2017 Chardonnay, and a 1997 Palmer Merlot to celebrate their purchase of Palmer. Our friends brought a bottle of Millton Chenin Blanc from their trip to New Zealand. Charles and Kareem brought out their Minimalist Chenin Blanc, Minimalist Chardonnay, and 2015 Barrel Aged Chardonnay.

As the day wore on and the sun began to set, we moved indoors to continue sampling wines, cheeses, and enjoying the stories that Charles told. Charles brought out a 2014 Blanc de Blancs, 2015 Cabernet Franc, 2013 Merlot, 2014 Assemblage, and a 2012 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.
This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a few of our dear friends who have helped us throughout our growing season and beyond. We wanted to pay homage to our friends on Long Island by pairing our Thanksgiving meal with the wines from Paumanok.

As we imbibed the wine and grazed our way through the starters, we recalled the beautiful day in November sitting on the balcony at Paumanok having a great time. Our friends also provided us with cheese and jams that they brought all the way from Croatia and reminisced about the vacation they spent there. There was a lot to be thankful for.