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5 Questions with… Meg Tipton, Keuka Spring Vineyards

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Keuka Spring Vineyards has received a lot of attention the last couple years especially after receiving the Governor’s Cup trophy for their 2012 Riesling at last year’s annual New York Wine & Food Classic competition. One of the people diligently working hard to make it all happen is assistant winemaker Meg Tipton. Tipton had already found her career path, for years working at an ad agency an then as a director for an international housewares company. When her family however relocated to Rochester she decided it was time to pursue a passion and enrolled at Viticultre program at Finger Lakes Community…

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5 Questions with… Bryan Van Deusen, Hudson-Chatham Winery

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Some might say Bryan Van Deusen of Hudson-Chatham Winery was born and bred for his current role. Not in the way that perhaps a family winery passes through the generations and how their children are often groomed to one day take the helm, but rather in the way that while many of us were on family vacations to the beach or amusement parks the Van Deusen clan would head to wine country. His parents love of wine (are you reading Lenn and Evan?) clearly influenced his youth and as you’ll see from this week’s edition of our “5 Questions with…” feature has also…

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5 Questions with… Tiffany Robibero Selby, Robibero Winery

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What would you do if the winery tenant on your parents recently acquired Hudson Valley property gave notice that they would be moving to a new location? If you’re Tiffany Robibero Selby, then a soon-to-graduate child psychology major at Fordham University, you abandon the professional career path you had been working towards for the last four years and jump head-first into starting your own family winery. With a few years of a Masters program ahead of her and an uncertain job market, a difficult decision to start a new family business was made just a little easier. That was back in 2007 and marked the…

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5 Questions with… David Breeden, Sheldrake Point Vineyards

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The New York Cork Report is back in the Finger Lakes for the latest edition of our “5 Questions With…” series. Our latest victim, David Breeden, Winemaker at Sheldrake Point Vineyards on Cayuga Lake. David is a Michigan native who grew up in suburban Detroit before moving to California for his high school years. His route to the Finger Lakes was an indirect one; Iowa, back to California and Illinois all in the pursuit of higher education wherein he has obtained multiple degrees in both chemistry and philosophy. It wasn’t until Breeden moved to Ithaca that he realized that a career as…

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5 Questions with… Anthony Quattrone, Paumanok Vineyards

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If you’ve taken the drive out Route 25 on the North Fork east of Riverheard and stopped in at Paumanok Vineyards in the last 8 months, you’ve likely met Anthony Quattrone. A self-described jack-of-all-trades Quattrone spends most of his time in Paumanok’s tasting room pouring for, educating and giving tours to all those who stop by the vineyard. But, as many in the industry do, Quattrone wears multiple hats and also manages fulfillment of wholesale accounts, works in the cellar and assists with harvest for Paumanok. A Long Island native, Anthony is originally from Coram, NY and after moving around he…

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5 Questions with… Brewster McCall, McCall Wines

Brewster (left) & brother Rusty McCall

One could say Brewster McCall, of McCall Wines in Cutchhogue, was born into the food and wine industry. His father, Russell McCall founded a small cheese shop in Atlanta in the 1960’s that he grew into a successful gourmet food distribution and importation business as well as a sister import and distribution company for wine. Growing up in Atlanta, Brewster would often go to work with his father to help out, establishing a work ethic that quickly evolved into a number of summer jobs in restaurants and catering. Always encouraged to follow his heart, McCall attended Skidmore college in upstate New…

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5 Questions with… Conor Harrigan, Jamesport Vineyards

Conor Harrigan

If you’ve been to the North Fork recently and stopped in at Jamesport Vineyards chances are you likely saw Conor Harrigan behind the counter. Harrigan, who works in the tasting room at Jamesport, has been serving thirsty winery goers and educating them on the exclusively estate grown portfolio for the past year. Harrigan has been working in the industry since 2009 and has held varying roles in retail and at a few prominent North Fork wineries. This week, the New York Cork Report sits down with Harrigan in our “5 Questions With…” series. What was the first bottle of wine…

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5 Questions with… Ian Barry, Barry Family Cellars

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For most New York Cork Report readers the name Ian Barry probably isn’t a new one. Barry, most recently winemaker at Villa Bellangelo has also held winemaking positions in the Finger Lakes at Keuka Lake Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery and Heron Hill Winery and thus has made a number of appearances across these pages. Many may not know however that Barry started out at a small vineyard in the Hudson Valley near SUNY New Paltz where he was pursuing a teaching degree and where he also worked on the retail side of the wine industry as a wine shop manager…

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5 Questions with… Ami Opisso, Lieb Cellars

Ami Opisso, General Manager, Lieb Cellars

The New York Cork Report is back on the North Fork of Long Island for this edition of our “5 Questions With…” series. We recently had a virtual sit down with Ami Opisso, North Fork native and General Manager of Lieb Cellars. Opisso, a former city dweller living a fast paced life in New York City and Chicago working in advertising and marketing, made the brave jump into wine leaving her six figure salary behind for a small hourly tasting room job, something many of our readers (myself included) likely daydream about but are unwilling to risk themselves. Ami spent the…

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5 Questions with… Alexandra Doniger, Hector Wine Company

Alexandra Doniger Assistant Winemaker Social Media & Events Marketing Hector Wine Company

The New York Cork Report likes to feature a great variety of interesting wine personalities throughout the state and with various roles and responsibilities in our “5 Questions With…” series. One of the younger personalities that captured our attention was Alexandra Doniger, Assistant Winemaker and Social Media & Events Marketing at Hector Wine Company. What Doniger may currently lack in experience, her passion for wine and eagerness to learn all aspects of the industry make up for in surplus. Doniger from Newton, CT made her way to Finger Lakes via a degree in Literature and Writing and a short tenure…

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