Food Stuffs: A Round Up Of Events Featuring Eats and Drinks On The East End

The clocks have sprung forward, daylight is lingering and the snow is melting. Can spring be far behind?

Though farming season on the East End has yet to begin in earnest, there are plenty of late winter/early spring food and beverage offerings to keep things interested.

Each month “The Barstool Series” at Wölffer Estate Vineyard invites guests to cozy up in the tasting room for an interactive educational hour with Suellen Tunney who explores all things food and drink. On Saturday, March 16 from 6 to 7 p.m., Ms. Tunney presents “To Age or Not To Age?” as part of the series.

Understanding the aging process is one of the ultimate—and for many, one of the most confusing—questions when it comes to wine. Ms. Tunney will offer a special tasting as she walks guests through the how, why, what and when of aging a bottle and when to just open it and enjoy it. Guests will taste and compare different styles and levels of wine and learn to identify key points to help determine what to store and what to drink. The class will use the 2015 and 2002 vintages Wölffer’s flagship wine, Christian’s Cuvée Merlot, among other varietals, to teach this subject.

The cost is $40. Reserve at wolffer.com. Coming up in April “The Barstool Series” will present a cider pairing workshop.

Speaking of Wölffer Estate, the vineyard is also teaming up later this month with The Shed Workspace of Sag Harbor to offer an installment of “The Master Class.” These ladies-only curated monthly events organized by The Shed focus on personal growth, community and creativity.

On Thursday, March 28 from 6 to 8 p.m., “Rosé Blending” will be offered at the winery with a Wölffer winemaker serving as the guide in a tasting, education and blending session. By sampling three wines traditionally used to make wine blends, participants will discover the best wine suited for her unique palette before creating a blend all her own.

Wine and light bites will be served. The cost is $65 ($55 for members of The Shed). Reserve at theshedworkspace.com.

The Peconic Land Trust’s 6th annual lecture series begins this week. Hosted by Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton, “Long Island Grown VI: Food and Beverage Artisans at Work” will focus on growers, producers and chefs making some of the most innovative and dynamic food and beverages on Long Island.

The series kicks off on Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m. at Bridge Gardens with Abra Morawiec of Feisty Acres Farm, Kareem Massoud of Paumanok and Palmer Vineyards, and Jack Formica of Amber Waves Farm Market.

According to the Peconic Land Trust, “Long Island Grown” has expanded in recent years to feature stories of growers and producers who create items designed to meet an increasing demand for unique “value added” products. The 2019 series focuses on some of the innovative and entrepreneurial products coming from the community, and it demonstrates how locally grown products are evolving to meet changing consumer tastes.

“This lecture series means a great deal to me. As a locally grown gal, each session reaffirms how fortunate we are to have so many talented individuals remaining loyal to the soil and heritage of the East End,” said Patricia Sanders, Bridge Gardens member and a lecture series supporter in a statement. “I always look forward to the inspiring stories shared by the speakers.”

This year’s panel discussions will be moderated by Laura Donnelly, local pastry chef, author, and food editor of the East Hampton Star. All presentations begin at 2 p.m. at Bridge Gardens, 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton. Refreshments follow and attendees are encouraged to mingle with panelists following each program.

Admission is $40 ( $30 Bridge Gardens members). Tickets for the full series are $140 ( $100 members). Pre-registration and payment is required by contacting Peconic Land Trust at 631-283-3195 or emailing events@PeconicLandTrust.org.

The remaining 2019 schedule is as follows:

Sunday, March 31: Peter Haskell of Haskell’s Seafood, Cori Anne Kopke of Backyard Brine, and Carolyn Iannone of Love Lane Kitchen.

Sunday, April 7: Richie Pisacano of Roanoke Vineyards, Allissa Goodale of Borghese Vineyards, and Jennilee Morris of Grace and Grit.

Sunday, April 28: Meg Strecker of Tilth and Smoke, Aki Goldberg Terwilliger of Aki’s Kitchen, and Sandra Sadowski of Hamptons Farms.

After sending out recent appeal letters, the East Hampton and Amagansett Food Pantries have come up $40,000 short of their fundraising goal. To close the gap, on Friday, March 29, “Ladles of Love,” a food pantry fundraiser, will take place at Stephen Talkhouse on Amagansett’s Main Street from 7 to 11 p.m.

To date, musical acts taking part in the benefit include: Mama Lee, Jetty Coons, Lynn Blue Band, Bastards of Boom, Taylor Barton, Bobbi Terzi Originals and OCDC. In the first ever “Supervisor’s Jam,” East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and his band “Supe du Jour,” and Southampton Town Supervisor “Jay Schniederman and Friends,” will share the stage. Expect other special guests to appear at the show as well.

Since this is a benefit all about raising money for food, Art of Eating catering will serve a simple dish of rice and beans with corn bread.

Tickets to the fundraiser are $35 at the East Hampton Food Pantry, 631-324-2300.

First it was beer, then it was cider. So why not wine in a can?

Peconic-based Pindar Vineyards on the North Fork is doing just that and will soon be serving up two varieties of its wine in a convenient pop-top form. Both Pindar’s Winter White and Summer Blush will be available in 4-packs (each pack is equal to two bottles of wine) for $24.99. Winter White is Pindar’s most popular wine. Described as an off-dry blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Cayuga, the wine is semi-sweet and well-balanced with floral aromas. It works well chilled, as an aperitif, or with a wide variety of foods including summer salads and shellfish

Pindar’s Summer Blush is a semi-dry rosé made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Its unique subtle strawberry flavor is refreshing and goes well with light summertime foods.

Either vintage in a can will pair well with the beach, the pool or the boat. Both “can” be preordered online at pindar.net under Wine Shop/White/Rose. Cans of Winter White and Summer Blush will be available for delivery or pick-up after April 1.

Remember the old Honest Diner out on Route 27 in Amagansett? For the last several years it has been home to the Art of Eating caterers, but come April, Honest Man Restaurant Group (the team behind Nick & Toni’s, La Fondita, Townline BBQ, Rowdy Hall and Honest Catering) is slated to open a new eatery in the newly renovated space.

Called Coche Comedor, according to Honest Man’s Facbook page the restaurant will be Mexican in flavor with a wood burning grill and rotisserie, locally sourced fish, shellfish and produce, and a lively bar scene with a large selection of tequilas and mezcals. Plans are to make the restaurant year-round. For that, we are grateful.

Happy almost spring … Enjoy the daylight.