Posts Tagged“vineyard”

The Spirits of Volunteerism

Early last month a story broke in California about a small winery that had been subject to hefty fines levied by state labor authorities for the use of willing volunteers, and then fined again during their process to try and mitigate the unintended wrong. This has prompted conversations across the industry and across the country as wineries and their advocates look to their own state laws to see what kind of risks they might be exposed to. Hans Walter-Peterson in the Finger Lakes has mentioned the situation in recent issues of the Finger Lakes Vineyard Update newsletter, and we are recently…

“My” Vineyard on the Adirondack Coast

The Cornell Cooperative Extension cold-hardy cultivar trial vineyard in Willsboro, NY, on the western shore of Lake Champlain, sits in a place of true natural beauty, and is home to a number of grape varieties that have been bred for disease resistance, and tolerance of extreme cold to points well below -25F.  Willsboro is also my own home stomping ground, which is where reporting on this place becomes admittedly a bit challenging.  Objectivity is obscured by my associations with the place, which are as long and deep as the lake itself. I was dipped in Willsboro Bay for the first time…

In Memorium: Ben Sisson, Vineyard Manager McCall Vineyards

It is with deep sadness that I write this post today. Another member of the Long Island wine community has left us long before his time. I certainly hope its the last such post I need to write for some time. Ben Sisson, a friend and frequent commenter here on LENNDEVOURS passed away yesterday. Most recently, Ben was vineyard manager for McCall Vineyards in Cutchogue after many years at Raphael. Over the several years that I knew Ben, he taught me a lot both about growing grapes on Long Island and about the industry itself. He was quick to chime…

Vineyard Visuals: Wolffer Estate Through the Seasons (January 12)

It’s been a little while since our resident photographer, Ellen Watson, sent a photo update of our little block of Wolffer Estate chardonnay. We’ve had a lot of dreary weather when Ellen was out that way, and as you can see, we still haven’t had any snow that is sticking long. There is something about vineyards this time of year that I find so appealing. I actually think I find them more attractive now than when they are lush and over-flowing with green and grapes. Maybe it’s the fact that they are sleeping now, preparing to bring us great wines…

Long Island Community-Made Update: The Pressing

Yesterday afternoon, several members of the LENNDEVOURS community winemaking project descended up on Sannino’s Bella Vita Vineyard to press the juice from the grapes we harvest a couple weeks ago. I was upstate, so couldn’t attend, but one member took several photos and posted them. I’ve heard through the grape vine (awful pun, no?) that there are several different types of oak barrel in play as well as a couple different yeast strains. We’re going to have a lot of options (and fun) when it comes time to blend our wine I think.

Cornell University Workbook Helps New York and Northeastern Growers Go Green

We all know, green/sustainable/biodynamic/organic vineyard management is one of the hottest topics in the wine world these days. But how can the uninitiated get on the road to greenness? Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension have just released a new workbook to help grape growers in New York and the Northeast. The 125-page self-teaching workbook, "New York Guide to Sustainable Viticulture Practices," offers guidance in evaluating and adopting the best management practices for minimizing environmental impacts, reducing economic risks and protecting worker health and safety. Topics include: soil management to reduce erosion, runoff and leaching; use of integrated pest…

Harvest at Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard

Saturday morning, several of you (my readers) descended upon Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard on Saturday morning to harvest cabernet sauvignon for our community-made Long Island red blend. I was unable to make it because I was in the Hudson Valley visiting good friends, picking apples and stopping at Alison Winery in Red Hook. From what I’ve heard and from the pictures I’ve seen, a good time was had by all. We’ll be pressing the cab on the 28th. This is going to be fun.

Vineyard Visuals: Wolffer Estate Through the Growing Season (September 1)

We continue keeping an eye on Wolffer Estate Vineyards with Ellen Watson, our resident photographer. As you can see, they’ve added netting to keep birds from eating the sweetening grapes. Does it work? Sometimes…and it’s better than nothing I guess. This picture was taken on September 1 at around 7:00 a.m. and has been added to the Flickr slideshow.