NOVEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 79
WINE ABOUT IT
2020 LIEB CELLARS ESTATE CHARDONNAY
BY LINDA DELMONICO PRUSSEN
Warm days, with crisp mornings and cool
nights; chilly dips in pools that should
have probably been closed two weeks
ago; and changing leaves that make
treks along even traffic-ridden roads
like the Southern State Parkway seem
picturesque: All are signs that autumn
on Long Island has arrived.
Another sign of autumn is harvest
time. And as harvest time arrives, so
does the change in season for wine
lovers. For many oenophiles it’s all
about reds in the cold months and
whites in the summer. But autumn is
a great time for transitional whites,
and Long Island produces one of the
most beautiful, seasonally transitional
whites of all: chardonnay.
Chardonnay can be quite the chameleon.
Fermented and aged only in
stainless steel, as are most, but not
all Chablis wines, chardonnay can
be so incredibly dry and crisp that
some pinot grigio fans might mistake
it for their favorite wine. While fermented
and aged for longer periods in
American oak, as are many California
chardonnays, the wine can be rich and
smooth, even buttery, with notes of
nuts, toast, and caramel.
Lieb Cellars, a staple on the North
Fork wine scene since 1992, produces a
chardonnay that captures the autumn
season perfectly, the 2020 Lieb Cellars
Estate Chardonnay. It is an interesting
balance of oak and stainless steel
fermentation with 67% of the juice
barrel fermented and 33% fermented
in stainless steel. The juices are then
combined and aged for 10 months in
French oak. The resulting wine has
a very light, almost lemon meringue
nose, and, on the palate, light notes of
pear, lemon, and apple meld seamlessly
with toasty vanilla. The wine retails
for $28.
Lieb winemaker Russell Hearn explains
the decision to use both steel
and oak in fermentation. According
to Hearn, “The goal behind fermenting
one-third in stainless is to retain the
highest amount of fruit character.” He
added, “One hundred percent barrel
fermentation brings more oak and
weight, but less fruit retention. I wish
for this wine to have it all: complexity
and fruit.”
A brief history of Lieb Cellars: Lieb
Cellars was founded in 1992 by
Mark Lieb with the purchase of a
12-acre pinot blanc vineyard. In
2000 Leib, along with winemaker
Hearn, opened a tasting room and
full-service winemaking facility.
In 2012 Lieb sold Lieb Cellars and
Premium Wine Group to a group
of private investors, including
Hearn, and a new management team
was formed. Hearn has been Lieb’s
winemaker since the beginning.
Those interested in visiting Lieb Cellars
may checkout its website for information
and reservations. liebcellars.com/visit.
MAIN DISH
HOT PLATE
DINING SCENE ADDITIONS
BY BRIANA BONFIGLIO
RESTAURANT X
Think of Restaurant X as a museum
for food. Museums regularly exhibit
different artists’ work, and Restaurant
X does the same with chefs’
creations.
Every two weeks, the Port Washington
restaurant welcomes a new, professional
cook to the kitchen and features their
prix-fi xe menu. This fresh take on fi ne
dining aims to celebrate chefs and give
back to charity. The restaurant donates
all profi ts to St. Mary’s Kids, a local
organization dedicated to improving
healthcare for children with special
needs and life-limiting conditions.
Restaurant X is a reservation-only
dining experience.
170 Main St., Port Washington, 516-918-
9446, restaurantxli.com
GUSTO
On the surface, Gusto seems like your
typical Long Island pizzeria, tucked
into one of our famous strip malls in
North Bellmore, and that would be great
enough — but Gusto strives to be more.
The eatery goes for an authentic Italian
taste with its Neapolitan-style, wood fi re
oven-baked pizzas, housemade pasta,
and housemade gelato. Gusto off ers 13
types of pizza, three kinds of pasta noodles,
and all your gelato fl avor favorites.
Gusto is open noon-7 p.m. Monday to
Thursday and noon-8 p.m. Friday and
Saturday.
2645 Jerusalem Ave., North Bellmore,
instagram.com/gusto_bellmore
IRVING’S
Previously located in Woodbury, Irving’s
has rebranded and relocated to
Farmingdale.
The pastrami-meets-Philly cheesesteak
shop puts a twist on traditional
pastrami sandwiches — so
get ready for lots of cheese on your
pastrami. Sandwiches are all $9.95,
including the takeout joint’s signature
sub: the Angry Irving. The spot
offers different heat levels on its 10
varieties of pastrami sandwiches, as
well as steak, chicken, burgers, and
hot dogs.
Irving’s is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday
to Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and
Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
180 Merritts Rd., South Farmingdale,
516-962-9625, i The Angry Irving is the signature sandwich at Irving’s in Farmingdale. rvingspastrami.com
(Courtesy Irving's via Facebook)
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/visit
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