Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/402796
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m N o v - D e c 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 9 in Australia, New Zealand, Burgundy and the United States, the Australian-born Hearn became an influen- tial leader and taste-setter on the North Fork since almost the beginning of the region's winemaking emer- gence, working as primary winemaker at Pellegrini Vineyards from 1991 to 2012. When he approached his pal Mark, it was with a proposal to join forces in establishing a custom- crush facility. At the time, the east- ern U.S. was replete with w o u l d - b e v i n t n e r s w h o lacked the capital to pur- chase presses, destem- m e r s , t a n k s , b a r r e l s , bottling lines and all the other costly gadgets and gizmos a winery requires. Lieb himself had no winery of his own, and had been using facilities at neighbor- ing Lenz and Palmer win- eries. The concept Hearn proposed was modeled on the custom-crush (contract winemaking) facilities in f you live in a wine region in any of the eastern states, you've probably heard one variation or another of the story of a couple who develop a passion for wine during an extended stay in California. At some point they decide to transport their enthusiasm back East, where they pur- chase land, plant some vines and eventu- ally open a winery. Sometimes it works out for them, sometimes not so much. The story of Mark and Kathy Lieb began more or less in this fashion. When they returned to the East Coast in 1992 fol- lowing a stint in California, they bought a house set in the middle of a picture-per- fect, 20-acre pinot blanc vineyard on Long Island's North Fork. As high-energy players in the finance business, both Liebs envi- sioned a simple, pastoral lifestyle on Long Island, which might offer an opportunity to recharge their batteries while they made a little wine. And so they founded Lieb Cel- lars, and released their first wine in 1999. The Liebs' foray into wine was a bit unusu- al from the get-go, since no other North Fork producer was growing pinot blanc. But what they couldn't know then was that their narrative was about to diverge even further from the predictable path. The saga began to take on added com- plexity when Mark Lieb's longtime friend, Russell Hearn, entered the scene in 2000. With 30 years of winemaking experience + Premium Wine Group was founded in 2000 to offer con- tract winemaking services to New Yorkers. + The Long Island facility has 20 New York customers, 18 in Long Island. + Lieb Cellars and PWG recapitalized and unified in 2013 for the purpose of expansion. + PWG's clients range in annual production from 500 cases to 15,000-plus cases. + The winery's maximum capacity, when expansion is complete, will be 140,000 cases per year. AT A GLANCE Long Island's Production Potential Expands Custom-crush facility opens doors to small and new wineries The Premium Wine Group facility was modeled on custom-crush facilities in Australia and New Zealand. EAST COAST WATCH MARGUERITE THOMAS