LENNDEVOURS

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Kelly Urbanik, Assistant Winemaker, Bedell Cellars

On Long Island, as in most wine regions, the 'stars' are the winemakers, but you rarely hear much about the assistant winemakers and other cellar rats who work hard to produce the wines we enjoy so much.

With that in mind, I decided to get in touch with Kelly Urbanik, assistant winemaker at Bedell Cellars and ask her our usually batch of questions.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
The first wines I remember drinking were the home wines that my Dad and Grandpa made together. My grandpa had a small vineyard, and our whole family helped to make the wine and take care of the vineyard. It was so much fun…we didn’t realize that it was work!

Besides that, the first bottle of wine I can remember drinking would be the Louis Martini Moscato…it was my Grandma’s favorite.  We would drink it on special family occasions. Even the kids got to taste a little bit, and we loved it because it smelled wonderful and tasted so sweet.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Roman Roth, Winemaker, Wolffer Estate

Today's Q & A is with one of my favorite people in Long Island wine, Roman Roth. He's the winemaker at Wolffer Estate in the Hamptons as well as at Roanoke Vineyards on the North Fork. He has also served (and still serves) as a consultant for several other producers, including Shinn Estate and Scarola Vineyards. But, the reason I enjoy him so much is that, despite being a bit of a superstar winemaker locally, he's extremely down to earth, genuine and quite funny.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
At my parents home in--lets say 1971--a taste of a bottle of Rosentaler Kardarka, a red that is a bit sweet from Bulgaria. I think the German wines were too sour for my soft little palate back then.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Dancing with the beautiful wine queen from the Mosel when I was 15 years old.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
The Estate Selection Chardonnay 2003, which has it all. Rich, vibrant, concentrated, great acidity, great minerality, classic sur lee notes. A wine that will age for many years that is absolutely food friendly.

What has surprised you most about being a winemaker on Long Island?
How long it took to convince New Yorkers that we make  world-class wine.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Weizenbeer, German Rieslings from Rheingau, Barolos and Burgundies.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Red wine with bad/cheep chocolate is the worst combination. The cocoa content has to be at least 70% to be a great combination.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Tasting Champagne in the Champagne region while on private tour of the Champagne house with the owner/winemaker.

Drinking Sauternes together with my wife Dushy and Richie Pisacano in Bordeaux while having a picnic on the side of the road.

Any wine tasting together with my cousin and wine enthusiast Karlheinz. When at family get together we are having a spontaneous shoot out between my brother and my mother and me...of who can bring out the best wine and top the previous one. This can go on till the deep hours of the night.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Peter Carroll, Owner, The Lenz Winery

It's been a while since we've done a LENNDEVOURS Q&A, so I tracked down Peter Carroll, who owns The Lenz Winery.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
The first bottle of wine I remember TASTING, was a bottle of 3-Franc rot gut that I bought in Calais in 1962 when I was 13 years old and on a day trip to France organized by my school.  We tasted it back in England and I can still recall the ‘volatile acidity’ (acetic acid, or vinegar flavor).

But the first bottle of wine I remember drinking in the sense you probably mean was a Chateau Yon-Figeac (probably a 1965-68 vintage).  I was just starting my first job in 1973 and finally could spend more than 10 shillings for a bottle of plonk.  The merchant said this particular wine “opened in the mouth like a peacock’s tail”.  And so it did.  I have been impressed with the power of auto-suggestion ever since!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
The event that made me enter the wine business was selling a house I owned in Westhampton Beach in 1983, just as the North Fork wine business was getting going. I decided to invest the profit from that real estate transaction, all $115,00 of it, into a vineyard and winery in Peconic. I had noticed the early vineyards going in and my interest in wine had been growing since that Yon-Figeac.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
My current Lenz favorite is the 2001 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon.  Why?  Because it’s just a very, very good wine.  And growing cabernet is challenging on the east end of Long Island--even on the warmer North Fork.  So producing one that is deep and rich and age-worthy is a real achievement. Thanks Sam (McCullough), our vineyard manager.

What has surprised you most about being a winery owner on Long Island?
How long everything takes.  When you decide to change a particular policy, it takes forever before it makes any appreciable difference in the marketplace.

For example, Lenz is generally credited with learning why the early wines on Long Island were having a problem.  The soil here is high in aluminum.  Aluminum is toxic to vines, even in small quantities, but it is generally ‘unavailable’ to the vine roots...provided the soil acidity is not too great.  But our acidity level is naturally high and had been raised further by the potato/cauliflower agriculture that generally preceded the grapevines.  The acidity/aluminum problem was affecting the vines pretty badly.

We figured out the problem and hit on a solution easily enough, in about 1989--Put a lot of lime on the ground to lower the acidity and render the aluminum inert.  We decided to speed the process by using granular lime (more expensive) and cutting it deep into the soil rather than using only surface lime and waiting for its effect to sink down to the roots.

By 1993-1995 this had made a huge difference and the wines we released in 1995-1997 were of vastly higher quality than anything that went before. This illustrates how a change in the vineyard can take nearly a decade to reach the consumer.  When someone tasted a Lenz Merlot in 1997 and said, “Whoa! This is pretty good stuff!”, the origins of the improvement were way back in 1989!

This has taught me patience.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Other that our own wine, the things that we serve in our house are Pilsner Urquell beer, Brooklyn Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Alsatian rieslings, Alsatian pinot gris, New Zealand sauvignon blancs, and gin, the kind with lots of juniper flavor, and tonic.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
No. But if I stretch, I guess I'd say Sauternes with seared foie gras. But to be honest, the problem I have here is less the combination than, remember that I'm English, that the foie gras just needs to be cooked more.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
First, I definitely agree with the premise. I invariably enjoy Lenz wines more when I drink them at a restaurant than when I taste them at the winery with Eric (Fry, the winemaker). In the latter case, the purpose of tasting is invariably to judge the wine in some respect. Such tasting is generally critical. There's little sense of just leaning back and enjoying it.

The key, I think, is relaxation. A perfect setting might involve dinner at the end of a day in which much else has been accomplished, with a mixture of family and friends plus at least one new acquaintance around the table. The food, too, might be a blend of old and new--dishes I knew I liked but with some new ingredients or a new approach to preparation.

And nothing to get up at 5 a.m. the new morning for. That helps!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Bridget Micieli-Martinez, Tasting Room Manager, Palmer Vineyards

We continue our Q&A series, where we bring the people behind Long Island wine to you, with Bridget Micieli-Martinez, who runs the tasting room at Palmer Vineyards.

When I first met Bridget, she was still Bridget Quinn and she was working at Martha Clara Vineyards. But, in recent months she's not only taken over the room at Palmer Vineyards but also gotten married. And, if your recognize her new last name, it's because I've written about her husband Juan Micieli-Martinez several times. He's the winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards.

As you can probably guess from the Halloween picture Bridget sent me to run with this Q&A, she's a fun person. And, take it from me, she speaks her mind.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
First year of college LSU...magnums of Vendage merlot and cabernet sauvignon on pizza night. The next year I came home to New     Orleans and I was hired for my first waitressing job. We had tastings of     Ferrari Carrano Fume Blanc, Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Ravenswood Zin -- all at     Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
Um hate to say it, but an ex-boyfriend turned me on to the finer     selections - Chateau de Beaucastle, Chateaunefu de Pape, Italian     Amarone's.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Shinn's (Juan's)     Rose. It's dry with hint of creaminess. Ummm its just delicious. To me it     tastes like vanilla and strawberries...not just summer sipping but year-round for sure.

What has surprised you most about being a winery employee on Long Island?
The clientele I guess. I was expecting that they would be more     educated about wine and more receptive. But a lot of people come out     with their city attitude and regiment--they are in a rush or drunk. I     feel that a quality experience should take time and you should enjoy rather     that rushing around trying to visit as many as you can before they close     their doors for the day.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Any seasonal from Southampton Publick House. My favorite is Saison     or Grand Cru.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Not one that I can think of, I will eat anything. Come     on, I am from New Orleans!

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Sunday afternoon in     New Orleans with old friends and family, preferably a pool or breeze at     least, light chesses, fresh fruit and many bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon     Blanc. Kim Crawford will do. That just gets us warmed up for     dinner!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Alexandra Macari, co-owner, Macari Vineyards

For this episode of LENNDEVOURS Q&A, we talk to Alexandra Macari, co-owner of Macari Vineyards in Mattituck.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
At home with my parents at around age 8. My parents drank wine every night with dinner -- "Trapiche" chardonnay from Argentina of course! They would let us have some but it had to be mixed with club soda and in those days it was in the siphons.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
I was put into this job I really didn't have anytime to decide. Moving out from the city and leaving my full-time nursing job lead to helping my husband just a little bit turned into a full-time, year-round job (yikes).

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Cabernet franc. I love the earthiness-spice qualities and when matched with Asian Indian foods even better.

What has surprised you most about being a winery owner on Long Island?
The diversity of the job and the full-time, year-round aspect. At one time, when we first started nine years ago we would close the tasting room because it was so slow in the winter (great time for family vacations), Now there seems to be no down time.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Rose Champagne.   Aperol and club soda with a sliced orange (yumm).   Bombay and tonic.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Ports at the end of a heavy meal. After too many glasses of great wines it always seems to be the one that puts me over. The next day is tough.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Some of the best and spontaneous wine and food dinners have been here at the winery. My husband Joe will start the wood burning oven outside and some great wino and foodie friends come over everyone pitches in all different delicious-but-simple  foods and many bottles of wines are set on the table.

Our kids come over  we eat we drink and celebrate the sense of  enjoyment of  food and wine while watching the sunset over the vines

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Christopher Watkins, Director of Operations, Roanoke Vineyards

You probably recognize the name Christopher Watkins. Not only is he the new director of ops at Roanoke Vineyards, but LENNDEVOURS readers will also now this writer/musician/artist as our poet laureate. He also happens to be one of my favorite people in our local wine country...and he's someone with the energy and ideas to really help the industry grow and move to the next level.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? 
When I was 9-10 years old, my parents and I lived in Italy for a year (Florence, Venice and Rome), and we quickly learned from my father’s Italian friends that it was quite often the custom for children to have a little wine with dinner alongside the adults. I still remember the first time my parents poured wine into my glass at table; we were staying in a little villa up a hill overlooking the Duomo in Florence that belonged to a professor my father knew, and it was summer. I have no idea what the bottle was, but the look of it in the glass, the feel of holding the thin stem, the shrill bite of the wine in my cheeks, and the quick flush that came to my cheeks, was a thrill that’s yet to leave me.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
There was a club in San Francisco that I used to perform at quite regularly, and the owner was a serious wine enthusiast. He went on to open a wine bar nearby, and got actively involved in wine buying for the restaurant. We had become solid friends, and eventually he invited me to come up to Napa and Sonoma with him to go tasting and purchasing. Being that he was in the industry, and the owner of an already successful wine bar that served only Californian wines (still a rarity in the early 90s) we were consistently given the behind-the-scenes VIP treatment; barrel samples, new vintages, library wines, etc. It occurred to me then that if ever I wanted to leave the life of a touring musician behind, wine would be a damn find place to land.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
I’m currently very into our new Roanoke Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite the relative youth of the vintage, the wine is already showing intensely flavorful aromatics, and a fair amount of muscle as well. The architecture of the wine is superlative, and I am enjoying tremendously the opportunity to re-taste this wine day in and day out, watching its moves, admiring its development, and savoring its complexity. Plus, to but it bluntly, I am quite often capable of being a bit of a tannin freak, and I love the interleaving of strength and subtlety these tannins exhibit. 

What has surprised you most about being a winery employee on Long Island?
How much I still have to learn! Between Richard Pisacano’s regional knowledge and experience, and Roman Roth’s Old World training and New World Skills, I constantly feel like I am studying at the feet of masters I can only hope to someday emulate. 

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
For Reds, I am a big fan of South African Pinotage and Syrah, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Oregon), Paso Robles Zinfandel (California), Italian Multipulciano D’Abruzzo, Chilean Carmenere, and Sonoma Petite Syrah (California). Specifically, Southern Right Pinotage, Bradgate Syrah, Sylvan Ridge Pinot Noir, Rosenblum Zinfandel, La Valentina Multipulciano D’Abruzzo, Apaltagua Carmenere, and Quivira Petite Syrah.

For whites, my absolute favorite sparkler in the world is a Spanish cava from Gramona. I also love Italian Lacryma Christi Del Vesuvio, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Babich is a great and inexpensive staple), and many, many Spanish Albarinos.

And all the other good wine in the world. Like Grgich Cabernet Sauvignon. Man, that’s good stuff. Did I mention El Malbec de Ricardo Santos? You haven’t truly drunk Argentinean Malbec until you’ve dealt with Ricardo Santos. I also enjoy very, very dry Vodka Martinis, with at least three good olives, preferably organic, from Santa Barbara, California.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy? 
At the risk of sounding pugnacious, spoiled, dismissive, or just plain arrogant, I pay almost no attention to “classic” pairings whatsoever. I pair what I believe works, and rarely if ever follow any other model. Wow, that does sound precious, doesn’t it? Ah well…

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Drinking a delicious bottle of wine with my lovely fiancée Amy Marinelli, anywhere, anytime, is always a magic experience. And if Son House just happened to come back from the dead to play guitar and sing with us, well, that’d be alright too. Or if we could go back in time to about the 8th or 9th century, such that we could be sitting outside Han-Shan’s cave in the Chinese mountains, drinking whatever kind of wine it was he was drinking while he wrote his Cold Mountain poems, I s’pose that’d be good as well. As long as Amy was there. And Han-Shan.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Barb Smithen, Co-Owner of Sherwood House Vineyards

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
My first glass or bottle of wine was Chateau Latour 1949. My mother received a case for Christmas and I remember her saying it was a real treat. This was in 1973. The next week I had a friend who was barbecuing. We had the best hamburgers with this wine. I didn't realize how expensive this bottle was, but everybody else did!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
My husband and I were in France visiting the vineyards and we went to Chateau Beaucastel. we sat out on their veranda and said how great it would be to have a vineyard in our own backyard.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
My favorite wine of ours is our library wine, 2000 Merlot. It is very smooth and exceptional. I'm sorry I didn't put away 35 cases. I only have 8 cases left.

What has surprised you most about being a vineyard owner on Long Island?
What has surprised me the most owning a vineyard in this region is the quality of wine produced here. The wines are getting better and better and we are being recognized as a first-class region. We have met some wonderful people being in the wine industry. Our loyal customers are so knowledgeable about wine and continue to follow us and are always interested in our future releases.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
My husband and I love Sauternes. I have bought ice wine from every vineyard on the North Fork. I think they are wonderful, and I hope someday we produce one ourselves.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I am not fond of turkey with Chardonnay. I prefer a red, although a chardonnay is often paired with Thanksgiving dinner.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
I suppose that when people are on vacation, they are more likely to enjoy the dining experience much better. There is no stress and one takes in the beauty of their surroundings. France is one of those places we have traveled to frequently and subsequently have bought a house. Going to the markets every day and getting fresh produce, cheese and local wine has always been great for us. But, I must say that my husband and I have challenged ourselves on the North Fork. We try to prepare foods grown (on) and only drink wines from Long Island. Great produce, cheese and wine are right outside our back door. Long Island has it all. With the help of certain people (David Page and Barbara Shinn of Shinn Estate Vineyards) show us how to cook with all these elements. The local restaurants are also helpful. The ultimate wine and dining experience is outside in our garden looking out on our vineyard and saying to each other "our dream came true!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Gary Madden, GM at Lieb Family Cellars

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
I was in grad school working at an expensive downtown restaurant in Chicago (called Nick's Fishmarket, originally from Honolulu), managing the service bar where all the wine was stocked, and the conductor of the Chicago Symphony came in with guests, ordered two each of spectacular wines and left half the wines for the staff -- a Lafite Rothschild (1976 maybe?), a Chevalier Montrachet, and a German Bernkastel Docktor. I was only 22 and could never afford wines like that!

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?
A long-term hobby that I nurtured while working in the computer biz in California, I thought the idyllic gentleman farmer/winemaker would be a great business to retire into.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?
Lieb Pinot Blanc -- our oldest vines, extremely food friendly, great expression of the terroir of the region and our vineyard.

What has surprised you most about being a winery GM on Long Island?
Well its not the idyllic farm life. It's really hard work (agriculture) and the marketing and distribution side of the business is extremely competitive. It's such a heavily regulated industry that it's tantamount to government approved favoritism towards the largest producers and distributors. But now you have me up on my soapbox...

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
A good German or Belgian beer, and I am also learning about artisanal sake.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
I'm not into the big red wine and beef experience. I find the wines sometimes overbearing but the main reason is beef is a special occasion food.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
Wine for me is part of the excitement of travel. Wherever I go I try to sample the local wines as well as local food and culture. I have gone to Burgundy and Alsace in France, probably a dozen AVAs in California, Finger lakes in NY, and northwest regions in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. I have even combined camping, backpacking, and motorccyle touring with wine adventures. Combining wine with other adventures keeps it all fresh, otherwise I'd probably get all wine'd out!

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Theresa Dilworth, Co-owner and winemaker, Comtesse Therese

For today's edition of LENNDEVOURS Q&A, we sit down with Theresa Dilworth of Comtesse Therese.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?

I do not remember the first bottle of wine that I ever drank. I do remember though, when I was in law school in NYC, becoming very interested in the Sherry-Lehman wine shop on Madison Avenue, and especially the Sherry-Lehman wine catalog. I used to read every issue from cover to cover, studying all the descriptions of wines, the prices, the scores, trying to figure out which ones might be good. The wines I bought at that time were almost exclusively red wines from Bordeaux, not super-expensive ones, but ones that I thought were a good value for the price. Not First Growths, but maybe 3rd, 4th or 5th  growths that seemed to have a good price-quality ratio.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?

It was Memorial Day weekend, years ago, and I was driving back from upstate NY with one of my Japanese friends who ultimately became one of my business partners in the Comtesse Therese vineyard. At the time, I was doing home winemaking out of kits and I loved gardening, and I had been talking about how nice it would be to have a small vineyard, about an acre, just to do home winemaking with. And Chizuko, my friend, who had some experience with home winemaking herself, said she had always wanted to be the owner or part owner of a vineyard, so she suggested that we go into a partnership together to invest in a vineyard. The thought of doing it alone was too daunting, from a financial, emotional, and psychological perspective, but with partners it was less daunting, and so we decided to go ahead and buy some land and start the vineyard.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?

The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. It has now bottle aged to the point where it is drinking very well.  It really is interesting to see how the wines age and improve over a couple of years.

What has surprised you most about being a winery owner on Long Island?

The amount of money and time that it takes. The amount of government agencies I have to deal with. The high degree of risk, and the low rewards.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?

My husband is the one that buys the wines, so whatever he happens to have around the house. He is certified as a sommelier and likes to try wines from a lot of different regions, for his education. I am not that particular about what I drink, as long as it is dry and red. I do like a dry white wine once in a while though, like a Bordeaux Blanc.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?

I am not crazy about foie gras with Sauternes. Maybe it’s because I don’t like sweet wines. Since it is meat, I would rather have foie gras with a red wine.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.

I think I have had the most fun when traveling in Europe with my husband, and we just go into the local supermarkets and get cheap, and I mean cheap, local wine to drink with some local food.  We get some local cheeses and breads or sausages or whatever and then bring it back to our B&B for lunch, or even an early dinner. When we were in Beaujolais, we got cheap but really good Beaujolais for 1.50 Euros in the supermarket, we got some good wines in Portugal for a couple of Euros, we did the same thing in Tuscany, etc. It is amazing how good the wines were for less than 5.00 Euros. In the Loire Valley, we had some great cabernet francs for less than $10.  In Normandy, I loved the butter too, the local supermarkets had about 20 varieties of local butter, and we would put it on the bread and eat it just about every day in the car as we were touring around.

LENNDEVOURS Q&A: Trent Preszler, COO for Bedell Cellars

Today marks the beginning of yet another new feature here at LENNDEVOURS, the "LENNDEVOURS Q&A." (Catchy name, no?)

Briefly, I'm going to ask the same 7 questions to people throughout the New York wine industry (with minor tweaks depending on the person's role). And, I won't limit this to winery owners or winemakers. There are a lot more people behind the scenes that don't get the attention they deserve.

We start this new project with Trent Preszler, chief operating officer for Bedell Cellars.

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?

When I was ten years old, my grandpa shared a bottle of Cold Duck at Thanksgiving dinner.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry?

I sat down with my advising professor at Cornell and said that I had a background in business and botany and wanted to somehow merge the two. He suggested wine, and the rest is history.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?

Bedell 2005 Gallery is, I think, one of the best white wines I have ever tasted. An extremely complex and luminescent blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and viognier.

What has surprised you most about running a winery on Long Island?

The complexities of managing such a diversely arrayed business -- PR, marketing, science, agriculture, packaging, human resources, HR, etc.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?

I went through a phase recently where I was obsessedw ith dry rieslings from the Mosel. But of late I've been diving into White Burgundy with great enthusiasm.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?

Everyone raves about Port and chocolate, but I really don't like port. I'd much prefer the classic combo of Sauternes with heavy cheese.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.

My fondest memories of wine have all taken place when I was having dinner with friends, and it doesn't hurt of there is a sunset involved.