This past week the Long Island Wine Council sponsored a seminar and blind tasting of its wines to compare them with others from international regions. The day started with a series of speeches about some of the history of Long Island wines, how the wines were picked for the blind tasting, followed by Q&A. So, here we go.

Summer arrived in New York with a splash -- cold and wet -- but the trains are still packed out to Montauk, the Jamaica-stop on the Long Island Railroad has traingoers negotiating the politics of seating arrangements with sweaty seniors and the disabled, and the New Jersey Turnpike is packed from north Jersey to Exit 8. Never again.”