Wine region: Upcoming Long Island, New York State

Pictures: The wine regions of New York State, the wineries of Long Island on the North and South Forks and Christian G.E. Schiller in Long Island at Woelffer Estate, 2009

About 35 years ago, there was no meaningful wine industry on Long Island. In little over a quarter of a century, however, the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing world-class wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The wineries are all located at the East End, on the North and South Forks. The heart of Island’s wine country is the town of Southold, where more than 20 of the 30plus wineries are located.

Wine lovers have come to realize that its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality. People talk a lot about Bordeaux on Long Island and the Bordeaux comparison is not so far fetched. Some attribute it to the fact that the most planted grapes are the Bordeaux varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Others attribute it to the Bordeaux-esque climate on Long Island. Three bodies of Gulf Stream-influenced water surround the two folks at the tip of Long Island. Long Island Sound is to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and in the middle, splitting the two forks, is Peconic Bay. All three create a very moderate climate and an extended growing season that is over a month longer than at the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

The first winery on Long Island was founded by Louisa and Alex Hargrave in 1973. This is when it all started and the Hargrave couple can be considered as the parents of the wine industry in Long Island. Marco and Ann Marie Borghese bought the vineyards and the winery in 1999 and renamed it Castello de Borghese Vineyard and Winery. See my tasting notes on Borghese wines here.

I have visited the Borghese Estate and the Woelffer Estate.

Marco Borghese comes from the famous Borghese family in Italy, which includes many well known personalities, including Pope Paul V (he was Pope many centuries ago) and Marco’s cousin, well know from the popular TV romance US reality series “The Bachelor: Rome,” in which attractive and sexy women were competing for an eligible, handsome, and presumably rich bachelor, Marco’s cousin.

When the Borgheses bought the property from the Hargraves, they inherited an unenviable tradition of making Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir has become their flagship wine, although many consider Long Island to be a Merlot region. The vineyard has 84 acres under vine and produces around 10,000 cases per year.

The Woelffer Estate is one of the few Long Island wineries that is located in the Hamptons, while most Long Island wineries are cluttered on the North Fork. The rustic, Tuscan-style winery is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. The Woelffer Wine Estate, one of the top wine estates on Long Island, New York State, would not be what it is today without the two Germans Christian Woelffer, its founder, and Roman Roth, its wine maker. I have written about them in my German Winemakers in the World series.

The leading grape variety is Merlot. In 1990, the first merlot vines were planted in the Hamptons at Channing Daughters and soon thereafter at Woelffer Estate Vineyards. More new growers coming into the region saw and heard of the success of merlot in more established vineyards and committed to further plantings. Today merlot acreage on Long Island is approximately 700 acres, making up 30% of the overall vineyard acreage on Long Island.

Formed in 2005, the Long Island Merlot Alliance (LIMA) strives to develop quality standards in the production of Long Island Merlot and to establish Long Island as the leading region for Merlot in the New World. In 2009, the founding members Raphael, Pellegrini Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards and Woelffer Estate Vineyard welcomed Clovis Point, Castello di Borghese and McCall Vineyard to the group. Together, the members co-produce a 100% Merlot wine each year, named Merliance.

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Wine Tasting Notes: Woelffer Wines from Long Island, New York State - Nov. 23, 2009

Wine Tasting: Castello di Borghese, Long Island, New York State - November 18, 2009

In the glass: 2005 Christian's cuvee, Woelffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, US - November 11, 2009

German Winemakers in the World: Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth - November 13, 2009

Wine ratings: The 2009 New York State Favorites, Long Island, Finger Lakes, Niagara

The Wines of Castello di Borghese, Long Island, New York State

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Borghese's Assistant Manager Evie Kahn


We tasted the wines of the Castello di Borghese Vineyard and Winery on Long Island, New York State. The Castello die Borghese is owned and managed by Prince Marco and Princess Ann Marie Borghese, who live on the premise.

There are more than 30 wineries on Long Island and the list is growing. The first winery on Long Island was founded by Louisa and Alex Hargrave in 1973. This is when it all started and the Hargrave couple can be considered as the parents of the wine industry in Long Island. Marco and Ann Marie Borghese bought the vineyards and the winery in 1999 and renamed it Castello de Borghese Vineyard and Winery.

The reference to vineyard, where the grapes are grown, and the winery, where the wine is made, in the name of the Estate may appear strange to European readers, because both processes are typically in the same hands in Europe, in the US they are often not. The special mention of vineyard and winery in the name is intended to show clearly that at the Castelleo di Borghese wine is made in the European tradition, where wineries rarely buy grapes from others but typically grow them themselves.

Marco Borghese comes from the famous Borghese family in Italy, which includes many well known personalities, including Pope Paul V (he was Pope many centuries ago) and Marco’s cousin, well know from the popular TV romance US reality series “The Bachelor: Rome,” in which attractive and sexy women were competing for an eligible, handsome, and presumably rich bachelor, Marco’s cousin.

When the Borgheses bought the property from the Hargraves, they inherited an unenviable tradition of making Pinot Noir. Although this hard-to-manage Burgundian grape does not seem well suited to its East End maritime agriculture habitat, the Hargraves made successful Pinot Noirss periodically. The Borgheses have continued on this route and the Pinot Noir has become the flagship wine, although many consider Long Island to be a Merlot region. The vineyard has 84 acres under vine and produces around 10,000 cases per year.

In little over a quarter of a century the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing outstanding wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality.

Looking over the vineyard of the Borghese Estate, I could see why this piece of land has attracted Marco Borghese and how it probably has recalled the Tuscany of his youth to him, where for centuries his noble family had farmed and made wine.

We tasted the following wines in the wonderful tasting room.

Chardonnay 2007 Estate $17—stainless steel fermented; straw-yellow in the glass, pear and green apple on the nose, clean and crisp on the palate, with a rich texture and straightforward fruit aromas.

Riesling 2008 Estate $22-- Stainless steel fermented for 3 weeks, light-yellow in the glass, attack of green apple on the nose, scents of pear mate on the palate, coupled with mineral flavors, lovely balanced wine with a crisp and bright acidity on the finish.

Pinot Noir Barrel Fermented 2005 $44—Purple-red in the glass, a lot of cassis notes on the nose, with hints of dark chocolate and toasted oak, a full-bodied wine with a strong tannin profile, both round and velvety. This wine has been aged for a year in a blend of virgin and vintage French Oak Barrels. The Borgheses are making a special effort to promote the Pinot Noir on Long Island; it is a difficult effort, but can be very rewarding as this wine shows.

Merlot 2002 Reserve $29—Aged in a blend of vintage French and American Oak for 20 months, dark-red in the glass, aromas of raspberries and black current on the nose, restrained in fruit notes, coupled with a charming finesse and elegance and a noticeable profile of tannins that promises well for keeping the Merlot in the cellar for a couple of years. In July 2009, Borghese became the seventh member of the LIMA (Long Island Merlot Alliance), joining Clovis Point, McCall, Pellegrini, Raphael and Woelffer, although Pinot Noir remains Borghese’s flagship wine.

Meritage 2005 $60—Aged for 2 years in the French Oak. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40 %), Merlot (40%) and Cabernet Franc (20%). Bordeaux’s tend to be blends, but with either the Cabernet Sauvignon or the Merlot dominating. As a very broad generalization, Cabernet Sauvignon (second most planted variety) dominates the blend in red wines produced in the Médoc and the rest of the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Typical blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Merlot. Merlot (most planted variety) and to a lesser extent Cabernet France (third most planted variety) dominate in Saint Emilion, Pomerol and the other right bank appellations. These blends are typically 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This Meritage is half and half Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, very big, juice, full wine, with lots of vanilla, cassis and dark chocolate aromas on the palate, lasting finish with a strong tannin profile, as I have detected by all Borghese red wines. Not cheap, but worth the money of someone, who is prepared to spend that amount.

German Winemakers in the World: Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller at the Woelffer Estate in Long Island/USA

Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth

The Woelffer Wine Estate, one of the top wine estates on Long Island, New York State, would not be what it is today without the two Germans Christian Woelffer, its founder, and Roman Roth, its wine maker.


Christian Wölffer was born in Hamburg, Germany. He made a successful career in investment banking, real estate, venture capital and agriculture in different countries, before moving into wine and establishing the critically acclaimed Woelffer Estate.

Wine making in Long Island began in the late 1970s. Since then, in little over a quarter of a century, the Long Island wine industry has grown to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing outstanding wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality.

Christian Wölffer purchased land on Long Island in 1978. He joined the wine movement in 1987, when he started to grow wine, and became a driving force of wine making in the Long Island in the following years until his untimely death in 2008. In 1997, Christian Wölffer completed work on his state-of-the-art winery, unquestionably the most stylish on Long Island. The rustic, Tuscan-style building, with its warm ochre walls, is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. Christian Woelffer died last year, shortly after New Year, in a sport accident at the age of 70 on vacation in Brazil.



The other driving force behind the Wölffer Estate is the German winemaker Roman Roth. Born in Rottweil, Germany, Roth was a choirboy in his youth. In 1982, at age 16, he began a three-year apprenticeship at the Kaiserstuhl Wine Cooperative in Oberrotweil. Turning 20, Roman Roth traveled to California, where he worked at the Saintsbury Estate and Australia, where he worked at the Rosemount Estate. Back in Germany, for further study, Roth worked at the Winzerkeller Wiesloch in Baden.

The year 1992 became a turning point for Roman Roth for two reasons: first, he earned his Master Winemaker and Cellar Master degree from the College for Oenology and Viticulture in Weinsberg. And second, he accepted Christian Wölffer’s invitation to join him in New York to be the winemaker at what was then the mere start-up of a winery, at that time known as Sagpond Vineyards in Sagaponack.

Arriving at Sagaponack, Roth found 28 acres of vineyards and rudimentary winemaking facilities. In quick order, he established a temporary winery and a tasting room and began the exacting task of bringing forth the Sagpond Vineyards’ first vintage, a Chardonnay.

Over the next several years, Roth managed the cultivation and expansion of the vineyards, which today number 50 acres, and the vinification, ultimately producing wines that embody the essence of the Hamptons appellation—ripe fruit and natural acidity born of a unique terroir, a lush combination of soil, sun, moisture and the ever-present maritime breezes from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Under Roth’s meticulous direction, the wines possess three distinctive characteristics. First, the wines embody a classic European style yet are also authentic to the Hamptons region; second, the wines are made for longevity, with a depth and elegance that improves with age; and third, the wines are closely linked with gastronomy, the ideal companions for a wide range of foods and cuisines.



This is part of the series German Winemakers in the World.

Christian Woelffer and Roman Roth, USA, November 12, 2009
Robert Anton Schlumberger, Austria, November 7, 2009
Robert Stemmler, USA, November 3, 2009
Eduard Werle, France, October 29, 2009

In the Glass: 2005 Christian’s Cuvee, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, USA

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller tasting Christian's Cuvee at the Woelffer Estate


2005 Christian’s Cuvee, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Long Island, USA

This wine—Christian’s Cuvee—is to remember the great entrepreneur Christian Woelffer, the founder of the Woelffer winery on Long Island, New York State. Christian Woelffer died last year, shortly after New Year, in a sport accident at the age of 70 on vacation in Brazil.

I had the wine with my wife at this wonderful winery in the Hamptons on Long Island. We were on our way back from Concord, New Hampshire, to McLean, Virginia. The rustic, Tuscan-style winery is set on a rise overlooking the vineyards to the east and the gently rolling Hamptons landscape to the west. This is one of the few Long Island wineries that is located in the Hamptons, while most Long Island wineries are cluttered on the North Fork.

The wine: dark red in the glass; attack of Cassis, with some vanilla notes; big mouth-feel, with a lot of tannins; lasting finish with fine acidity.

Here are the notes of winemaker Roman Roth: After an incredibly favorable growing season, we hand-picked the grapes on October 17th and 18th. Following the careful sorting process on a sorting-table, the lots were separated to ferment the Merlot grapes in a 6000 Liter upright French oak tank. All other lots fermented in 1 Ton Bins. The Merlot fermented at a peak temperature of 86°, with a total maceration of 22 days. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon fermented at 84°, with a total maceration of 10 days and 17 days respectively. The pump-overs and the punch-downs were done meticulously every 8 hours during the peak of fermentation. The wine was gently pressed, and the press fraction > 1.1 Bar was separated. After 4 days it went straight into 100% new oak French Barriques. Malolactic fermentation finished 100%. The wine spent 21 months in oak and was gently racked a total 5 times. Bottling was done on July 12th, 2007 resulting in 2070 750 ml bottles, 90 1.5 Liter bottles and 12 3.0 Liter bottles.

83% Merlot from our oldest Merlot vines planted in 1990 with a yield of 1.6 tons/acre; 14.5% Cabernet Sauvignon Roanoke Vineyards planted in 2000 with a yield of 1.3 tons/acre; 2.5% Cabernet Franc planted in 2000 with a yield of 1.7 tons/acre; Brix at Harvest 22.6, Alcohol 13%, Titratable acidity 5.6 g/L, pH 3.55

In little over a quarter of a century the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing outstanding wines. Located in New York State, on the East Coast of the United States, Long Island extends some 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Its maritime climate, geography and soil characteristics provide ideal conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality.

Christian's Cuvee is not cheap. It costs $ 100 ex-winery.