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Posts Written OnDecember 07, 2012

Overcoming A History of Sour Grapes with Kurt Guba

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Two years ago, the owner of Freedom Run Winery bought what was once known as Warm Lake Estate, including the winery building, vineyards and much of the equipment. With the 2012 harvest, Freedom Run saw its first harvest from those purchased vines. I sat down with friend and part-time co-worker Kurt Guba, cellar master at Freedom Run, to get his impression on the wines to come from that site not too long ago. Bryan Calandrelli: This was the first year Freedom Run Winery has gotten a harvest at the site of the former Warm Lake Estate Vineyard. How were the…

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Mattebella Vineyards 2007 Old World Blend

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Mattebella Vineyards is a winery unknown to many — even North Fork wine fans — and that’s too bad. The wines are good, sometimes great, and it’s easy to respect and appreciate the lower-impact viticulture they are practicing. Though the vineyard was planted in 1997, owners Mark and Christine Tobin sold their crop for several years — choosing to work with wineries like Shinn Estate Vineyards, Paumanok Vineyards, and more recently, Anthony Nappa Wines. The Tobins didn’t release their first wine until 2008 and didn’t open their tasting cottage until the summer of 2011. As with many small wineries, Mattebella…

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