KDH loves Mike Cinque, the most passionate purveyor of wine on the East End and owner of the legendary Amagansett Wine & Spirits. Mike has lived in Amagansett for the last 31 years [with his wonderful wife and sons Nicholas, 21 and Christopher, 19] and his family has had a summer house there since the late 60’s as well.  Check out this exclusive KDH Diary with Mike and get buzzed on his endless knowledge of great grapes!

KDH:  Why do you think Amagansett Wine & Spirits is the most talked about vintner on the east end? What makes your inventory so special?
MC:  We have been picked as the top 10 wine stores in the northeast because of our depth of selection, employees who have been doing this all of our life, and the fact that we love what we do. We sell wine and knowledge. I have been to all of the regions that we sell from at least once if not twice, as have the other employees. I never wanted to be a wine geek, but it was neat to be in the east end where everyone wanted great wines and no one had a store. I was thinking as a consumer. I started in the 70s at an opportune time and I approached it as a smart consumer and started putting notes on the wines, so they have descriptions in case you are afraid to ask. We also have an amazing selection of spirits, bourbons, liquors, and scotches. I own everything and I am a lucky man!

I live every part of wine. Others buy their wines from catalogues or reviewers and if you have to wait to do that, you are way too late. Ours are rare and exciting and they don’t have to be reviewed for us to sell them. People believe us when we say our wine is good.

KDH:  Tell us about the grapes you are growing at home?
MC:  Six feet away from my bed at my windowsill is a Pinot Grigio and at my feet is Sauvignon Blanc. I know what it is to grow fruit. Most wine sellers don’t make their own wine, too. What sets us apart is that I get my fingers dirty. I make 7-8 wines, including a Sauvignon Blanc. I have been able to try every wine there ever was and I know what works. Other wine makers work with what they have and don’t have the budget I have. I made a Sauvignon Blanc. It’s great and is the only unrefined and unfiltered Pinot Blanc on Long Island. It has a beautiful set of honey-ness and there is 6 barrels. I actually have grapes on the north shore, as well. It’s funny because I have millions of dollars of inventory in the store, but it takes 40 days of raising grapes, 180 days of spraying and raising them like children, 3 months of drying, all to make 42 bottles of wine!

KDH:  Are you planning on selling the wine from your front yard vineyard?
MC:  No! I always drink my morning coffee in my front yard where the grapes are, and I sing and I cry…about a thousand relatives have visited me in that front yard. The grapes truly become my house wine- grown, made, and put on my property and I will not sell it, but I will share it with house guests and visitors. Also in my yard, I have strawberries, 16 apple trees, basil, fig trees, and herbs growing. It is fun. I am going backwards in life, not forwards. Also, I make another red wine called Mi Famiglia, which is a tribute to my family from Italy. It is similar to my memory of the wine I used to make with my grandfather in Brooklyn. I am working on a label now with a picture of me and my grandfather when I was 4 years old. My mother is from Brooklyn, but I am from Long Island.

KDH:  Which wines will be the hardest to get summer 2011?
MC:  Nothing is really difficult to get. The ones I fall in love with, I sell too quick and no one says no to me. Always.

KDH:  Tell us the story behind the giant wine bottle in the store next to the back room?
MC:  Oh, that isn’t THE big one. I have an even bigger one in the warehouse that is 12 liters. I got it in Italy in the Winter of ‘97 and I tried wine out of a barrel and committed to 100 cases and paid, and it was bottled 1.5 years later. I made a 99 point score. That is why it is always worth the visit to the vineyard and important not to listen to critics. You need to be ahead of the game.

KDH: Which wine do you serve at home for summer dinner parties?
MC:  It depends on what I am making, the outside temp, and the crowd. Most wines in my wine cellar are fair game. I have a pretty amazing selection of wines in my cellar and friends are welcome. But we might have Spanish red or a California cabby. Any wine in my cellar is up for grabs. Rose is one of my favorite summer afternoon wines, it’s like white wine with more flavor. It has a berry-ness that is great for hot, humid days with acidity and additional flavor of berries and currants.

KDH: Domaine Ott is still such a popular Rose in the Hamptons. How many cases does the store go through per summer?
MC: We are the leading seller of Domaine Ott. The company that represents it told me one week ago. We sell hundreds.

KDH:  Is there a new, more affordable Rose that can compete with Domaine Ott?
MC:  Yes. We have a bunch from Italy, California, German, and Basque country. We discount our Roses by the bottle because it is a seasonal item and the prices are cheap. I have my own Rose that I bottle called Mike 5 because Cinque in Italian means 5.

KDH: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one bottle of wine, what would it be?
MC:  A really big one. [laughs] Red wine… Depends on the day of the week… Too many choices. Magnum of great Italian red. There are hundreds I can think of…

KDH: You have a great collection of vintage bikes in the story. Where did your obsession stem from?
MC: I have 50 in my basement. When I was a kid, I collected bikes and kept them in my mom’s garage. I needed to get them out when she got a new car. When spring came, I had to do something with them, so I started hanging them! I have a 1998 High Wheeler, Sting Ray, and a ‘34 Elegin in the back room of the shop.

KDH: What is the most expensive bottle of wine you have in the store?
 MC:  $3000, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the oldest bottle of wine we have is an 1899 Chateau Lafite. It’s in a really cool hand blown glass bottle.

KDH: What do you love most about your job?
MC:  I feel like Robin Hood because I ship wine all over New York for no charge. I love Amagansett and East Hampton. I am on about 9 charity boards on the east end. For example, the global lifeguards were trying to raise money for a rescue team and I donated wines and they made all the money they needed to. I give back what I can.

KDH: Which Hamptons restaurant do you think offers the greatest wine list?
MC: The American Hotel. The prices are pretty damn good for the offbeat regions or countries. I also think Nick & Toni’s has a great list without getting too confusing. Living Room has a real good list. Doug’s Plaza Café in Southampton. Harvest in Montauk has a good list and good prices. East Hampton Grill is a good place with good prices, and they even serve Red Hook Sauvignon by glass and bottle for $38, and it gives a good representation of Long Island life. I give them gold stars for that.

KDH: How did you become one of the owners of  LT Burger in Sag Harbor?
MC: It is a very funny story.  I made wines in Provence, but got stuck there and met with Chef Laurent Tourondel [LT], who I have known for number of years. I was all about having wine and having fun, so I called him. I was invited over and we spent 8 days together stranded. We took his parents boat to Cassis and it was great going to an open air market with a French chef shopping for food! During my stay, we talked about food and maybe opening a restaurant in the Hamptons and then started LT Burger in Sag Harbor.

*No surprise here: LT Burger only serves local wine!

Amagansett Wine & Spirits is located at: 203 Main Street, Amagansett; 631-267-3939. Or go to  amagansettwine.com to find out about upcoming tastings at the store!