The intense heat wave that approached our city proved to be no match for the sizzle inside Fort Greene Brooklyn’s Skylight One Hanson building on Wednesday night. Renowned local magazines Edible Brooklyn and Edible Manhattan returned to the fantastic Kings County venue to celebrate forty years of Long Island produced wines at the ever popular and always sold out “Brooklyn Uncorked.” The 2013 edition would bring a new collection of delectable eats and tasty wines coupled with favorites of years’ past under one roof.

Even before the evening’s 6pm start time, the crowd lining the building shrugged off the early summer heat before making their way inside of Skylight One Hanson’s spacious main room. Upon entry attendees were handed tasting glasses and forks- both of which would be put to work immediately. The sold out crowd began to immediately stake out some of the best offerings so it was only natural that we follow suit. We began at Roanoke Vineyards whose pours of summery wines paired beautifully with the weather just outside. Their “Derosa Rose” offered a stunning pink color, a strawberry nose and a taste that whisked one away to a beach out east, pairing easily with the likes of desserts or even a seasonally light salad. With glasses in hand, we wasted little time in seeking out a hearty dish and quickly found ourselves face to snout with our first taste of the event. Northeast Kingdom was doling out servings of their “Pig’s Head Slider” topped with a smattering of falafel, pickled vegetables and yogurt. The dish was prepared uniquely, coupling the style of nose to tail cooking with an influx of Middle Eastern inspired ingredients. Each bite exploded with flavor from the handheld sample, rich and delicious at once. Williamsburg’s Allswell continued the pork offerings with a mouthwatering bite sized “Cotechino with Glazed Onions.” Similar to a salami with the exception that it must be cooked prior to serving, the single bite rind morsel of sausage offered a sweet and juicy flavor profile that made us return for seconds and dare we say it thirds.

Our mouths digesting everything within reach, it became time to fill our glasses once again, and we were happily greeted by two ladies representing Raphael Wine of North Fork Long Island. We extended our glasses for pours of their “2012 Sauvignon Blanc,” a clean, crisp citrusy finish followed the floral aroma of the summery wine. Just a few feet away meanwhile, Bouke Wines would introduce us to our first red wine of the evening, which happened to be the winner of the “New York Food & Wine Classic.” The winemaker’s “Cabernet Franc” offered a medium bodied pour with a ripe cherry and herb nose, easily paired with red meats or a seared tuna. As we alternated between sips and chews, we made a beeline over to Park Slope’s Fonda for a sample of their savory “Pork in Ancho Chocolate Adobo.” Served over yellow rice, the complex combination of different flavors blended together excellently.

At 2012’s “Brooklyn Uncorked” we stumbled onto one of our favorite local wineries. This year, we sipped in the good life with Lieb Cellars’ “2011 Pinot Blanc,” “2012 Bridge Lane Rose” and “2010 Right Coast Red,” each distinctive and delicious tastes in their own right for the Long Island based outfit. Sparkling Pointe Vinyards & Winery meanwhile brought the bubbly goodness to help end our evening on the right foot. A small line gathered for their “Sparking Point 2007 Blanc de Blancs 100% Chardonnay,” which offered a explosive carbonated flavor in our mouths with both earthy and fruity notes to challenge our palate.

The spacious confines of Skylight One Hanson proved no match for a sold out crowd of Edible eaters and as such, there were times where bottlenecks occurred based on the room’s layout. But with such an array to eat and drink, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone dissatisfied with the experience. Listing the endless amount of terrific wine and food purveyors would make our recap the size of a novella. But there were plenty of notable selections from the likes of Pescatore, Gramercy Tavern, and Marco Polo Ristorante, and even from the good people at Brooklyn Cured and Hunter’s for creating a delicious pâté. The Edible brand has truly become the compass for how New Yorker’s eat and drink statewide. Even though “Brooklyn Uncorked” was packed at times, 2013′s event not only satisfied our fun and tasting quotient for the year but it has also invigorated us to take the trips out to Long Island and stomp piles of grapes until the summer sun goes down.

- Jay Rubin