Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack has partnered with Great Jones Distilling Company of Manhattan (the first whiskey distillery in the borough since Prohibition) to produce a cask-finished bourbon, which launches Thursday.
The limited-edition Great Jones Straight Bourbon is a blend of bourbons that have been aged for four to seven years and then finished for more than a year in Wolffer's Caya cabernet franc barrels. The producers said the barrels were chosen for the wine's "uniquely refined sweetness characterized by dark cherry and fig notes." In the bourbon, the barrels have imparted scents of "sticky date pudding, Madagascar vanilla, kumquat, and dried pepper." Flavors of fig compote, creme brulee, and dried corn husk can be detected on the palate.
The liquor was designed to be an exemplar of New York State terroir by both Celina Perez, the head distiller at Great Jones, and Roman Roth, the winemaker for Wolffer. The whiskey will be available in bars and restaurants as well as sold at the distillery and by select liquor retailers.
Closer to home, the vineyard will celebrate its recently disgorged sparkling rose, a wine 26 years in the making, with a cocktail party Saturday in the winery's cellar. Only 11 bottles exist of this sparkler, which was put in the bottle and left on its yeast in 1997. The longer maturation should make the wine's character subtler and more complex. Also on the tasting list for the evening are the Noblesse Oblige sparkling wine extra brut from 2020 and a 2019 Fatalis Fatum red blend.
The hors d'oeuvres to be served are caviar and creme fraiche tartlets, duck confit crostini, eggplant caponata bruschetta, chicken liver pate, and tuna tartare. Tickets are $150 and the party lasts from 5 to 7 p.m.
And for those who want a midwinter pick-me-up, the winery is offering a Taste of the Winter Season on Wednesdays through Sundays in its tasting room. Parties of two to six people can sample the vineyard's wines, each paired a light bite in a four-course tasting experience. The cost to reserve online is $95 per person plus a 20 percent gratuity, which will be paid onsite.
Also on Thursdays starting this week, Wolffer has a ladies night from 5 to 7 in its tasting room, with four wines by the glass offered at $10, a special cocktail for $12, and small plates for $15 to accompany the drinks.
