Posts Written OnFebruary 22, 2011

McGregor’s Black Russian Red Turns 20: Trailblazing Past, and a Growing Future

By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor The wine that is quite possibly the single most interesting wine in the Finger Lakes is turning 20, sort of, in 2011, and the McGregor family is throwing a party. (This is a family that really knows how to throw a bash.) Details on the event to follow, but first, let's lift the veil on a little history. The McGregor Black Russian Red is, technically, older than 20 years. Bob McGregor spent the 1980s searching for the right blends and combination to unlock the potential in these unusual grapes — Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni. Today,…

Peconic Bay Winery Names Hargrave Assistant Winemaker

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Peconic Bay Winery has namd Zander Hargrave assistant winemaker, adding him to long-time head winemaker Greg Gove's team. The Hargrave name isn't new to Long Island wine lovers. Zander's parents, Louisa and Alex Hargrave, founded Hargrave Vineyard, Long Island's first commercial winery, in 1973, and Zander's uncle, Charlie Hargrave, has served as vineyard manager at Peconic Bay for over a decade. Born "shortly before the excellent harvest of 1977," Zander told me that "As a child, growing up on a vineyard was much less about the wine than the people who were around. There was…