I received an email this morning that Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Raphael and LENNDEVOURS contributor has has received the for "Best Beverage Artisan of 2007" from Edible Communities and Edible East End Magazine. Rich is being recognized for making his significant contributions to the local foods movement for our region. Voting for the award took place online and ended in December, and you won’t hear any arguments from LENNDEVOURS headquarters.

Rich has been a member of the  Long Island wine community for nearly 30 years and has authored all three local Federal American
Viticultural Areas on Long Island" The North Fork of Long Island, The
Hamptons, Long Island and Long Island. As you probably alrady know, Rich is also a founding member of the Long Island Merlot Alliance, Long Island’s first wine quality alliance formed in 2005 and dedicated to the advancement of quality merlot production on the East End.

Rich also sits on the advisory board for wine and grape research at the Cornell University/Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Riverhead, N.Y. and has also served on the Board of Directors for the New York State Wine and Grape Foundation.

So join me in congratulating Rich on this award. It’s well deserved.