For the second consecutive year, natural cork will be in the spotlight at the GRAMMY Awards. Maintaining its commitment to sustainability, the 54th GRAMMY Awards will host two events featuring wines sealed exclusively with natural cork and will recycle the closures.  Natural cork is biodegradable, recyclable and sustainable, and its use encourages the stewardship of cork oak forests that offset carbon pollution.

The awards show will take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will air on CBS at 8/7 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. The Recording Academy, internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards, continues its ongoing effort to reduce the environmental impact of its annual awards ceremony, telecast, and associated GRAMMY Week events.

Wines sealed with cork will be served at the MusiCares Person of The Year tribute dinner and concert honoring Paul McCartney two days prior to the awards ceremony and at the official GRAMMY Celebration® following the awards show.

The events will be equipped with recycling bins provided by ReCORK, a cork recycling organization that will collect the stoppers and provide them to SOLE, a company that manufactures shoes and sandals from recycled cork.

“We are honored that The Recording Academy has made natural cork a component of its sustainability program,” said Peter Weber, executive director of the Cork Quality Council.  “The Academy joins a growing list of organizations, including the Major League Baseball Association and the National Basketball Association, that has recognized the environmental benefits of natural cork.”

Natural cork is one of the world’s most sustainable products. Biodegradable and recyclable, its use provides an economic incentive to preserve vast cork oak forests in the Mediterranean Basin that trap greenhouse gases, prevent desertification and provide habitat for hundreds of plant and animal species. There is no shortage of cork, and cork oaks are not cut down to make cork.  A portion of their bark is removed every nine years during a 250-year lifespan.

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Wine regions in the United States are synonymous with the West Coast, with some of the most fertile areas in California and Oregon. Although much popularity still resides in the west coast region of the country, the eastern seaboard has a claim to fame in the wine industry as well. New York’s Long Island is an increasingly favorite region of the state that produces world class wines. What started out just a few decades ago with a single vineyard, Long Island’s eastern region is now a much expanding wine connoisseur’s paradise, with over 50 wine producers across thousands of acres of vineyards. With close proximity to the bustling New York City, Long Island has become a popular destination for both the experienced and novice wine lover.

The vineyards across Long Island produce a stunning array of wines for all palates. Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean provides Long Island with a unique location, where bountiful soil and expert producers create both clean white wines and flavor layered red wines. The region mostly plants vinifera grapes, which create varietals of chardonnay, cabernet franc, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. While those varietals are the most widely produced, others that are planted include riesling, pinot noir, and sauvignon blanc.

A visit to the North Fork’s Croteaux Vineyards is an excellent way to enjoy this establishment’s production of rose. Croteaux Vineyards makes it their mission to produce only the most stellar pink wines, based on planting and harvesting principles practiced for centuries in the South of France. This vineyard produces rose encompassing fruity undertones as well as dry wines. For a rose that has a solid medium body, The Croteaux Jolie Cabernet Franc Rose is a promising option, with hints of red cherries and dark chocolate truffle flavors. The brightness of the color shines in pink tones and the hand picked grapes assure personalized harvesting for all of Croteaux Vineyard’s wines.

Louglin Vineyards is one of the closest in proximity to New York City, and produces a variety of grapes including merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon. The 1999 Louglin Vineyards Merlot is a richly produced red wine that contains its signature ruby red hue. This Merlot is perfectly dry and its tannin inclusion gives this wine an extra hearty dimension. For a more medium bodied wine to pair with a meat entree, the 2000 Louglin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is an exceptional choice.

The Peconic Bay Winery is one of the oldest on the North Fork of Long Island. With masterful craftsmanship, the Peconic Bay Winery produces some of the most sought out wines in the region. With a wide variety of white, red, rose, and dessert wines, this winery offers an exciting range of flavors from artisanal grape production. The 2010 Polaris is a beautifully layered white wine that allows the palate to explore the fruity flavors of pears, papayas, juicy peaches and apricots. The crispness of this white wine exudes a cooling component as its acerbic characteristics are well balanced with the sweetness of the fruits.

With dozens of wineries to choose from on Long Island, sampling favorites at an ideal, picturesque location is a perfect opportunity to relax away from the busy New York City streets.

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