Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/197178
music events of one sort or another, some winery visitors and more than a few vintners appear to be increasingly turned off by the giant music fests that bring traffic jams and throngs of people to the region. "We still have a lot of camaraderie among winemakers here, but a few of my colleagues seem to be doing everything but wine in order to sell wine," one young winemaker said (he did not want his name used for fear of offending his neighbors). "There is certainly an overlap between culture and wine, but all the music events, the pony rides, the petting zoos – all this stuff that some wineries are doing can sometimes make it seem like the antithesis of a great wine region. They are bringing in too many people who are not wine lovers. They're certainly packing them in, but I don't think this is the kind of thing that's made the North Fork and Long Island a successful wine region." When asked if he could describe any tricks of the trade for developing a successful "wine country" such as Long Island, Bedell Cellars winemaker Richard OlsenHarbich shook his head. "There are no tricks involved for achieving success in the wine business," he said. "First and foremost, you have to make a great product offered at an appropriate price. And there has to be a critical mass of quality producers in the region." Bedell, one of Long Island's trailblazing wineries (now entering its fourth decade), is at the top of anyone's list of quality producers in the region, including the White House's: The Bedell 2009 Merlot was poured at President Obama's 2013 inauguration lunch. One way Bedell chose to include the neighboring community was by commissioning labels designed by local artists. "This has brought a unique identity for us," said OlsenHarbich. "It's not necessarily consistent branding since almost every wine has a different label, but there's often a subtle connection between the art and the individual wine." As an example, he cited the "Taste" labels created by Barbaw w w. v w m m e d i a.com ra Kruger for three Bedell wines. The Marilyn Monroe-ish portrait "looks like someone familiar but isn't," Olsen-Harbich explained. "I think that reflects our wines, which are something people don't quite expect. Our chardonnays, for example, taste just a little bit different than ones people are used to. Long Island merlot is subtly different from, say, California merlot." Bedell winery commissions labels by local artists, including this design by Eric Fishel. Photo: Marguerite Thomas Of course, unlike Bedell, most wineries do not have famous artists living in their backyards along the likes of Kruger, Chuck Close, Eric Fishel and April Gornik (all of whom have designed Bedell labels). Nor are most wineries owned by someone like Michael Lynne, who purchased Bedell in 2000. A successful entertainment lawyer and film producer, Lynne is also a prominent art collector and came up with the artist label series as a way to combine his two great passions. But since quality artists live and work in many less glittery locales, there's no reason why resourceful vintners in other parts of the country couldn't form a potentially attention-getting and possibly lucrative affiliation with their own creative neighbors. SUSTAINABLE APPEAL Of all the alliances between wineries and the surrounding community, none, Olsen-Harbich said, is as significant as the Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing education and certification program. "There are so many reasons why this is important for the entire community," he said. The organization, which now counts 10 vineyards among its members, encourages holistic vine management, soil conservation and fertility, protection of local waterways and responsible stewardship for the local labor force. This focus on environmental and social responsibility, Olsen-Harbich explained, is attractive to visitors. "The younger wine consumers, particularly those in the 21- to 35-year-old range, strongly believe that what goes into their wine will affect their decision to drink it," he said. "Without successful companies that can grow and produce delicious wines in a safe and ecologically sound manner, there would no longer be an interest in tourism in this region." The great 19th century American poet Walt Whitman described Long Island as "Isle of the salty shore and breeze and brine!" Add wine to the mix, along with the efforts of 20 th and 21 st century visionary vintners, and the result may well echo Charles Massoud's own poetic words about the North Fork: "Where you are surrounded by so much natural beauty, and where you have people who are so passionate about what they are doing, there's no question that this place is paradise." Marguerite Thomas is a Balti- more-based journalist and photographer who contributes wine-related articles to several national and international publications. She is the author of the books "Wineries of the Eastern States" and "Visiting East Coast Wineries." Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. N ov - D ec 2013 | V INE YA RD & W INE RY M A NA G EM EN T 115