Behind the Wine
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In other Bedell news, owner Michael Lynne announced that Trent Preszler has been named chief executive officer. Trent first joined Bedell in 2003 as national brand manager and in 2005 was promoted to chief operating officer.
Bella Vita Vineyards, which shares quarters with Ackerly Pond Vineyards on Peconic Lane in Peconic, has a new look inside and out. Owner Anthony Sannino recently renovated the tasting room and patio and turned the back room into a wine cellar with Old World ambiance, complete with stuccoed walls and ceiling.
Beginning Memorial Day weekend, Bridge Vineyards will showcase its Bridge-label wines at the Sayville Farmers Market, Main Street and Railroad Avenue, every Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., through Thanksgiving. Along with Bridge wines, the vineyard is also presenting “A Taste of New York,” primarily highlighting Sheldrake Point Vineyards and a few others from the North Fork, Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes.
Allegra Borghese, daughter of Marco and Ann Marie Borghese, owners of Castello di Borghese Vineyard and Winery, graduated from Boston College in May. Allegra is the name behind the vineyard's highly praised “Allegra” dessert wine. Castello di Borghese present their 2007 Chardonnay at the Spanish Embassy “Ambassadors of Culture” wine tasting held in Washington, D.C. in May. The evening of tasting was an opportunity to enjoy varietals most valued by the American consumers as well as significant varietals in Spanish winemaking.
In April, Channing Daughters' wines were featured at a wine dinner at Per Se, the famed Manhattan restaurant owned by renowned chef Thomas Keller.
Comtesse Thérèse Bistro, Main Road, Aquebogue, is expected to open in July. To supply the bistro, blackberry, raspberry and blueberry bushes have been planted at the vineyard in Aquebogue and extensive herb gardens have been planted in Aquebogue and Mattituck. The vineyard's first ever Sauvignon Blanc will be released this summer.
Reaching across the ocean, Roman Roth's The Grapes of Roth wines are now available for sale in Germany. The winemaker has added a delicious Late Harvest Riesling made from Botrytis grapes to his lineup.
Ed Harbes IV is now handling the winemaking duties at Harbes Family Farm & Vineyard. Working with Premium Wine Group, he is adding new products to Harbes' existing line of award-winning wines.
Martha Clara Vineyards has hired Robin R. Epperson as a new assistant winemaker. A former laboratory director at Premium Wine Group, Robin has traveled to Australia, New Zealand and California to learn more about making wines. In other news, Martha Clara has added three new, disease-resistant varieties of grapes to its vineyards.
To support expanded sales hours of Thursdays through Mondays, The Old Field Vineyards has added Sam Sweezy, an international marketing graduate, as a tasting room ambassador. Additionally, the farm and family museum adjacent to the tasting barn is open. Numerous artifacts of The Old Field's family history dating back more than 100 years are on display. And the summer on-line edition of New York Magazine showed The Old Field Vineyards as one of six great places to host a wedding in the region.
Peconic Bay Winery joins the ranks of vineyards turning to alternative energy sources, adding a solar array that will power the winery, to the tune of nearly $40.000.
Congratulations are due to Pindar Vineyards, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Stay tuned for celebration plans.
Raphael has welcomed two new staff members. After 30 years in the restaurant industry,
Chip Cheek is the vineyard's new sales manager, and Jennifer Petrocelli of the winery's founding family has joined the wholesale team as sales and events manager for the Metro New York Region.
Sparkling Pointe is the official sparkling wine for Art Hampton 2010, to be held July 9-11. Sparkling Pointe will be running extended hours on Friday nights, with live music and a grill by Custom Catering of Long Island. And, working with fitness professional Sue Flemming, the winery is also hosting a new fitness experience, Buff on the Vine. Brides who book weddings at Sparkling Pointe may inquire about private group fitness sessions with Sue or discounted rates for regularly scheduled classes.
Russell Hearn, principal winemaker at Pellegrini Vineyards and a partner in Premium Wine Group, and his wife, Susan, are now producing wines under their own label, Suhru Wines. at PWG. The “su” and “ru” come from Susan and Russell; the “h” is for Hearn. As note by New York Times wine writer Howard Goldberg, the name is meant to suggest wines that are immediately drinkable, with a “casual, peppy, dry” style for everyday sipping.