"Custom Crush for Long Island," WINE & VINES, Alan J. Wax, Dec. 2004
On the crush pad of the sprawling Mattituck , N.Y., winemaking facility, production manager John Leo uses a forklift to dump lugs of Chardonnay grapes into a crusher-destemmer. A pair of presses rotates as must drips to the pans below. Nearby, Arabella Hall cleans stems from a piece of equipment while Russell Hearn, president and co-owner of Premium, the only custom crush winery on the East Coast, pulls up in a truck, having just returned from dumping a load of pomace.
Inside, hoses of all sizes snake between the long rows of tanks as pumps hum.
"We're doing 45-50 tons each day this week," Hearn said, noting that by the time the 2004 harvest is completed, probably in November--if the weather holds--Premium will have processed 800 tons of grapes, more than twice what it handled at its first harvest five years ago.
"At this time of year, we don't really stop," Leo said.
In the middle of it all is Theresa Dilworth, a tax lawyer with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., and owner of Comtesse Therese, who, today, is inoculating a tank filled with early ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, the first harvest from her 40-acre estate vineyard in nearby Aquebogue.
Dilworth, who owns no winemaking or tasting facilities of her own, is making wine for the third consecutive vintage at Premium. She has used, and continues to use, purchased fruit. (Her wines are sold at the nearby Tasting Room, a venture that offers wines from several area boutique producers.)
Wine producers such as Dilworth, one of dozens mostly on Long Island , have made Premium Wine Group an almost instant success.
Since the first modern commercial planting of grapes more than three decades ago, 37 licensed producers have sprung up on the East End of Long Island.
According to the 2000 New York State Wine & Grape Foundation in upstate Penn Yan and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the then-27 producers in the region had the capacity to produce 844,000 gallons annually, up from 723,000 in 1997. Actual production for the region, according to the survey, was 618,000 gallons in 2000, up from 492,000 in 1997. The Long Island Wine Council, a producers' group, estimates the annual sales of wine from Long Island at $65 million.
The brainchild of the Australian-born Hearn, 40, Premium is well ahead of its five-year projections. "We've grown quicker than expected," he said.
"It was a thing someone hadn't though a lot about back then," said Hearn, who came to Long Island 15 years ago to run the now-defunct Le Reve Winery in Water Mill, on the region's South Fork. He later went on to work as winemaker and general manager at Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue, where he continues to consult. Hearn came to the United States 20 years ago, after five years at Houghton Wines in Western Australia.
With millions of dollars invested -- including loans from the local farm credit bank and $5.9 million in tax-free industrial revenue bonds backed by the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, Hearn launched the business with Marc Lieb, a Stamford , Conn., money manager who owns Lieb Cellars, and Lieb's money management partner, Bernard Sussman.
Since 2000, Lieb has made his wines at Premium and uses a corner of the facility for his tasting room. Lieb now accounts for a third of the facility's capacity.
Lieb aside, Premium has found a ready market for its services.
"People are getting comfortable with the idea that they don't have to be 100% in control," Hearn said. "It allows them to focus on growing grapes and marketing."
Certainly, Premium's customers are in control of their wine production. They supply fruit, barrels, packaging, federal license and a consulting winemaker. The wines are produced to each customer's stylistic preference under written protocols and verbal instructions.
Premium's customers range from those making 500 to 10,000 cases a year, and include Martha Clara Vineyards, the rapidly expanding vineyard and winery operation of former Entenmann's Bakery owner Robert Entenmann and his daughter Jackie; and Banfi Vintners, of Old Brookville, 50 miles west in Nassau County.
"It's been a huge burden off my mind, psychologically," Dilworth said of her winemaking experience at Premium. "If I had to build my own facility ... forget it. It's not something I really wanted to do right now."
Customers such as Comtesse Therese are exactly what Hearn had in mind. "It's a more affordable way of small producers producing wines," he said. Word of mouth and press spread that idea. "People are very much aware that we're here."
Pricing at the custom production facility is by the case, as determined by the type of production. The lowest price is for tank-fermented white wines, currently $14 to $18 a case. Barrel-aged wines requiring more work cost the most: $20 to $28 per case. There is an a la carte fee schedule for other work.
"It's well worth it," Dilworth said. Moreover, she's able to pay in installments. "That helps," she acknowledged.
Premium's customers guarantee their use of the facility with a 35% down payment followed by additional payments of 10% every second month following harvest. The last 15% isn't paid until after bottling
Many producers have winemaking consultants guiding them, mostly winemakers from the region's other producers. Dilworth's consultant is Bernard Cannac, originally from the Languedoc and now chief winemaker at Duck Walk Vineyards in the Hamptons.
.
"I make wine there for a couple of customers," said Eric Fry, winemaker at the nearby Lenz Winery in Peconic , N.Y., a veteran in the region. "For somebody new coming into the business who's planted a little vineyard, you need something like (Premium) because it's cost prohibitive to put up a winery at the beginning. You need to get wine made and get the cash flow going."
Besides, he said, Premium "has all the toys."
Those toys include a 20-ton Padovan rotary fermenter -- one of only a few on the East Coast; punch-down tanks, computerized tank temperature monitors, Winemakers Database computerized cellar tracking software and a full laboratory that includes a conductivity meter, nephelometer and spectrometer. There's also methode champenoise equipment for riddling and disgorgement of sparkling wines.
Besides the high-tech gear, Premium has 102 stainless steel tanks with a total capacity of 175,000 gallons. When 12 more tanks are delivered, capacity will grow to 250,000 gallons. The winery's 12,000-square-foot barrel room brims with 2,000 casks, although there is capacity for 3,500. Eventually, Hearn expects to crush 1,500 tons at each vintage.
"People are happy," Hearn said. "They're getting the highest quality of equipment possible."
Premium offers a wide range of services, from crushing/pressing, fermenting, barrel aging and bottling to warehousing, shipping and compliance. Eleven customers opt for the full gamut. Another eight to 10 pay for just component work.
Besides Fry and Cannac, other winemakers who assist producers at Premium include Sean Capiaux, a veteran of Pine Ridge, Jordan and Peter Michael wineries in California and Jamesport Vineyards on Long Island, who now works at O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery in Napa's Howell Mountain appellation; Gilles Martin, a Frenchman who previously made wine for Roederer Estate in California's Anderson Valley and Delas Freres in the Rhone, and is now head winemaker at Martha Clara; and Roman Roth, winemaker and general manager of Wolffer Estate Vineyards.
These consultants rely on Hearn and his staff of eight, including two interns from New Zealand , to oversee the day-to-day business of winemaking. The staff works two shifts during harvest, seven days a week, starting at 8 a.m. and knocking off anywhere from midnight to 2 a.m.
Premium has an open-door policy for its clients. Winemakers have virtually free access to the winemaking facility, their coded, computerized records and the winery's staff.
In addition to winery owners who have chosen not to build their own facilities, other Premium customers include existing wineries that outsource some production because they've exceeded capacity or want to experiment with new equipment. Some customers are wineries from outside the region that have purchased Long Island fruit and find it easier and less costly to ship juice or bulk wine to their facilities for further processing.
Premium is not the only Long Island winery to offer custom crush services, but it is the only one that does so exclusively. "People are here because they want to be here. We want people to feel this is their facility," Hearn said.
That's how Dilworth feels. "I could've gone to another winery -- if they had the extra tanks," she said. "I don't want to go anywhere else. I feel like I have all the control I need here."
Dilworth likes the way things work at Premium. Despite her small production, about 900 cases this year, "There's no favoritism .... Everyone's treated the same."
(Alan J. Wax is an award-winning journalist who has covered the Long Island wine industry for 15 years for the daily newspaper Newsday. He can be reached through edit@winesandvines.com.)
© WINES & VINES December 2005
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"Holiday Host/Hostess Gifts: What Wine Should You Bring?" DAN'S PAPERS, Lenn Thompson, November 10, 2004 (excerpt)
. . . Wine is a great gift, whether for a small intimate dinner party or a large holiday open house celebration.
But wine should you take?
. . . If it's red wine that's needed, two Merlots, the 2002 Comtesse Thérèse Traditional Merlot ($18) and the 2002 Shinn Estates young vines Merlot ($24) deliver sophisticated, complex flavors and aromas - without breaking the bank. If your hosts like Merlot, I guarantee they will love a bottle of either - or both. In fact, I hope someone brings these to my next party.
© DAN'S PAPERS 2005
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"Comtesse
Thérèse Upcoming Releases," Over
The Barrel... With Lenn Thompson, DAN'S PAPERS, Nov.
5, 2004
With
wines and a winery that are winning awards left and
right -including "Best New Winery" in Dan's Papers'
annual "Best of the Best" contest - you'd think that
Theresa Dilworth of Comtesse Thérèse could
take a little time to relax and enjoy her early success.
In
the wine world, it just doesn't work that way.
As
a boutique winery that focuses on quality over quantity,
award-winning wines means one thing for Dilworth - they
sell out quickly.
Her
wines, available exclusively at The Tasting Room locations
in Peconic and Jamesport, have been flying off the shelves
for months. All of the reds are gone already, including
the Hungarian Oak Merlot, which was named the Best Merlot
in New York State this past summer.
With
demand for Comtesse Thérèse wines at an
all-time high, it was probably tempting to release the
new vintages before they were ready, but an unwavering
focus on making great wine has prevailed.
I
was lucky enough recently to taste five new and upcoming
releases with Dilworth, her consultant winemaker Bernard
Cannac, and her assistant winemaker Lisa Julian Cannac.
The new wines are coming and there's ample reason to
be excited.
First
we tasted the 2002 Comtesse Thérèse Rosé
($12), a bright, lively rosé without the cloying
sweetness of many you'll find in the U.S. If you don't
think you like pink wine, give this fruity one a try.
It's simply delicious with fresh goat cheese or on its
own as an aperitif.
The
2003 Comtesse Thérèse Russian Oak Chardonnay
($18), builds on the tasty success of 2002 vintage.
Just bottled a couple months ago, this barrel fermented
and aged charmer is full and luscious without being
heavy or over-oaked. With toasty vanilla and beautiful
underlying fruitiness, it's much more Burgundy than
California . Try it out of the fridge, but then savor
it as it warms a little.
Though
still young, the 2002 Comtesse Thérèse
Traditional Merlot ($18) displayed a complex combination
of rich fruitiness and smoky oak with hints of dark
chocolate. Aged in both American and French barrels,
with 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in, it's an
elegant pour that grew and developed with each sip.
The
next bottle, the 2002 Comtesse Thérèse
Cabernet Sauvignon ($25), is the first Cabernet release
for the winery. Full and extremely smooth, it's filled
with classic cherry aromas and a nice amount of earthiness.
In the mouth, the cherries remain, joined by soft, but
structured tannins. Without a doubt, this is already
one of the top Cabernet Sauvignons on the Island , and
my favorite of the tasting.
Before
the tasting was over, a chilled, unlabelled bottle was
uncorked and poured. Pinkish-copper, it looked like
a rosé, but quite different from the first one
we had tasted. When I took a sip, I knew immediately
that it was unlike any other wine made in Long Island
wine country. The 2002 Comtesse Thérèse
Blanc de Noir is what I would call a semi-dessert wine
made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (instead of the
Merlot of the earlier Rosé). Beautifully floral
on the nose with hints of honeysuckle, it offers light,
bright peach fruitiness on the tongue, is slightly sweet
and definitely delicious. It cries out alongside simple
angel food cake or fruits.
These
new wines will be released over the next couple of months,
so keep an eye out for them at The Tasting Room and
at www.tasting-room.com.
And,
Dilworth recently purchased the old Jamesport Saddlery
in Aquebogue with plans to open a French-style bistro
that will focus on fresh, local ingredients and, of
course, Long Island wines. Renovations are under way
and the bistro should open in late 2005 or early 2006.
Lenn
Thompson is a contributing wine writer for Dan's Papers.
Email him at lenn@lenndevours.com
© DAN'S PAPERS 2004
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Comtesse
Thérèse was named "Best
New Winery" in Dan's Papers "Best of the Best",
the magazine's annual listing of the "best"
places to shop, eat, etc. in the Hamptons and the North
Fork. The Tasting Room, the multi-winery tasting
room which features Comtesse Thérèse,
Broadfields, Schneider and Sherwood House wines, was
awarded "Best Selection of Long Island Wines."
Awards were given at a ceremony at Dan's Paper's
offices on October 27, 2004.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Winery's
Become a Pronounced Success," NEWSDAY,
Sylvia Carter, October 13, 2004
About a week after Theresa K. Dilworth settled on the
name for her winery, Comtesse Thérèse,
she read somewhere that, when naming a new winery, it
is best not to use foreign words.
Dilworth, an international tax attorney for Pfizer,
had already printed labels, so she plunged ahead with
the French name.
And she is making a name for the Aquebogue winery, even
if it is one that is hard to pronounce.
Last month, Wine Enthusiast Magazine included only Comtesse
Thérèse's 2001 Chateau Reserve Merlot,
of 30 Long Island and New York merlots tasted, in the
magazine's annual worldwide review of the merlot grape.
Dilworth's 2002 merlot, aged in Hungarian oak, was voted
best in the state out of 54 merlots and 194 wineries
at the New York Wine & Food Classic in August.
Dilworth, 43, who lives in Manhattan during the week,
had thought about starting a winery when she retired.
But first she wanted to build a home.
She and her husband, Mineo Shimura, bought land in Mattituck
in 1993 and, after two summers of clearing the land
with machetes and chain saws, they were ready to make
a road and start construction on a house of her design.
Dilworth's many projects are enough to exhaust a lesser
spirit: On weekends she laid the wide plank pine floorboards
and marble bathroom floors of the house, planted to
halt erosion on the south-facing bluff of her land,
made soap, knitted, crocheted, preserved meats, made
cheese, canned vegetables and made wine and beer at
home.
Yet she and Shimura found time to look at North Fork
vineyards and dream. (Their land was not suited to grapes.)
"I was thinking way off in the future," Dilworth
said over glasses of her 2001 rosé at a dinner
that featured her wines at Coeur des Vignes in Southold
in September.
But in 1999, two friends, Japanese businesswomen Chizuko
Tomita and Kayomi Hirota, wanted to invest in a winery
with Dilworth. They bought 40 acres in Aquebogue. Theirs
is the only Long Island vineyard owned solely by women.
(Dilworth recently hired the respected Bernard Cannac
as a consultant.)
Dilworth has set her wines apart by using Hungarian
oak barrels, higher priced than French barrels, for
some wines. Contrary to rumors, however, Dilworth is
not Hungarian (she grew up in Lloyd Harbor), nor do
any of the wines contain Hungarian grapes.
Dilworth said that it was a good thing she went ahead
and became a winemaker now, because the job has required
lots of physical strength to drive tractors, hammer
posts, string wires, plant stakes, hand weed and hoe.
The land had been used as a pumpkin farm, and there
were no vineyards, let alone electricity, buildings,
farm equipment or a well.
"I couldn't have started it when I was 70,"
she said. It has been, she said, a "mental, physical
and financial challenge."
The winery has been a constant education, she added.
She has learned about root stocks, clones and which
land suits which grapes. "It was a tremendous amount
of learning," she said. "I researched each
thing as it came up ... I'm all self-taught."
And, she added, she still reads books on brick-laying,
raising quail and pheasant, keeping bees, making linen
from flax and smoking bacon.
Dilworth's wine production is small, 700 cases for the
2003 vintage. This season, she expects to produce about
900 cases, including 60 cases from her estate vineyard,
Comtesse Thérèse, first harvested this
year.
But her goals are lofty: "To do what Robert Mondavi
has done for Napa Valley, and what the First Growths
do for Bordeaux - to take the industry a step higher,
to help raise the image of the entire region."
Comtesse Thérèse wines are available for
sampling at The Tasting Room in two locations, 1556
Main Rd., Jamesport (631- 722-4315) and at 2885 Peconic
Lane, Peconic (631-765-6404). For more information,
visit www.LCTwinery.com.
© NEWSDAY, October 13, 2004
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"Winemaker
Profile: Theresa Dilworth of Comtesse Thérèse," DAN'S PAPERS, Lenn Thompson, October 8, 2004
Monday
through Friday, Theresa Dilworth can be found working
in Manhattan as an international tax attorney for Pfizer,
Inc. But on Fridays, just hours after leaving her office,
you'll find her out on the North Fork working in the
field of Le Clos Thérèse Vineyards as
principal owner, vineyard manager and winemaker of Comtesse
Thérèse wines.
Since
2001, Dilworth has been making award-winning wines only
from grapes she's purchased from other growers on the
North Fork.
That's
about to change, however.
While
she'll continue to make wines from other growers' grapes
under the Comtesse Thérèse label, Dilworth
is harvesting her own grapes for the first time this
fall. Her vineyard, 40 acres of farmland in Aquebogue
along Route 105, is home mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon
in addition to some Merlot. Why the focus on Cabernet
Sauvignon when Long Island is known as the land of Merlot?
Dilworth says, "Based on climate, soil and temperature
data, I believe it to be the best red grape for my particular
site."
Now,
as she's watched her Cabernet and Merlot and mature
side by side, she feels a special connection to the
Cabernet. "There is something about the Cabernet Sauvignon
growing in the field that I can relate to more. It is
tough, stiff, and woody. The leaves are harder, the
fruit is darker and richer, the skins are blacker and
thicker with more intense flavors, and it has more backbone.
Maybe it is more similar to my own personality."
A
lifelong gardener, Dilworth approaches growing grapes
the same way she approaches her other gardens, but has
discovered important differences. "At first, I found
grapes rather analogous to roses. However, their one
defining characteristic is their extreme sensitivity
to the environment. They pick up every little nuance
from the soil, the weather, the surrounding leaves.
That's why wines all taste different from each other
every year, while tomatoes or cabbages or cherries consistently
taste the same."
Dilworth
believes in "knowing and loving" classical French techniques
and it shows in her winemaking as well. She feels one
shouldn't "manipulate the grapes too much through mechanical
or chemical or technical means. Don't over-process;
keep things simple and true to their original state."
While
more winemakers use, and most wine drinkers hear about,
French and American Oak, Dilworth uses Hungarian and
Russian varieties as well. "I think Hungarian oak is
particularly compatible with Merlot, for some reason.
Just based on tasting it, I found it to be a good match.
I think the Russian oak gave our Chardonnay a bit of
eucalyptus." She'd also like to be the first winemaker
to use Canadian oak.
While
busy working in the field and at Premium Wine Group,
the custom crush facility in Mattituck where she makes
her wines, Dilworth expects to release the main part
of their 2002 vintage this week, including the vineyard's
first Cabernet Sauvignon. Her wines, including a couple
of different Merlots, a Chardonnay and a Rosé,
are available at both Tasting Room locations, one in
Peconic and the other in Jamesport, or online at www.tasting-room.com .
For
more information on Comtesse Thérèse and
Le Clos Thérèse, visit www.lctwinery.com
© DAN'S PAPERS, October 8, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Merlot The Merrier," WINE ENTHUSIAST, Joe Czerwinski,
September 2004
NEW YORK: Reaching for the Stars on Long Island.
New York is the second-largest wine-producing state
in the United States, and the source of some excellent
wines. Although most of the vineyards are "upstate," most of the Merlot is found on Long Island, where the
moderating effects of the Atlantic help protect the
early-budding shoots from the spring frosts.
Comparisons are often made to Bordeaux, on the other
side of the Atlantic, based on similar latitude, number
of daylight hours and proximity to the ocean. Several
noted Bordelais have even consulted for wineries on
Long Island; Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux
at Raphael, Michel Rolland at Galluccio and Jean-Louis
Mandreau of Château Latour at Wölffer Estate.
Such is the potential of Merlot on Long Island that
every winery sells one.
Alas, this promise remains largely unfulfilled. I tasted
30 Merlots or blended reds from Long Island for this
report and found only a half-dozen or so worthy of serious
interest. Many of the others were decently made, if
somewhat tart and occasionally vegetal. Consumers should
be on the lookout for new releases from 2001, a generally
benign vintage in which conscientious winemakers should
have made their best Merlots ever. Here's one of the
standouts:
88 Comtesse Thérèse 2001 Château
Reserve Merlot (Long Island); $25. Admirably
concentrated, with dense, chewy cassis and mocha notes
that can stand up to the smoke, chocolate and vanilla
shadings from 18 months in French oak.
© WINE ENTHUSIAST, September 2004
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"A Riesling, Once Again,
Is Named New York's Top Wine," THE NEW YORK TIMES,
Howard G. Goldberg, August 4, 2004 (excerpt)
A riesling made in the Hudson Valley from Finger Lakes
grapes was voted New York's best wine today. The winner,
a 2003 Dry Riesling from the Rivendell WInery, defeated
635 other entries, in the largest field ever entered
in the 19-year-old competition among state wines. .
. Another Long Island red, the 2002 Comtesse Thérèse
Hungarian Oak Merlot, was chosen as the state's best
merlot. The wine was produced at the Premium Wine Group,
a North Fork winery that specializes in making wine
for producers who do not have wineries.
© THE NEW YORK TIMES, August 4, 2004
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"Looking at Bordeaux," SAVEUR, Roger Morris, Aug./Sept. 2004
Most winemakers in eastern Long Island take great claret
as their model.
The East End of New York's Long Island juts into the
Atlantic just off the Connecticut coastline like a giant
lobster claw. The meatier southeastern half is "the
Hamptons," a storied place of multimillion-dollar
estates and glitterati. The northwestern half, across
Peconic Bay, is the North Fork, a place where potato
farms reigned until vineyards started moving in not
much more than 30 years ago. From Riverhead, northeast
along Route 25, through what have suddenly become wine
towns - Jamesport, Mattituck, Cutchogue, Peconic, Southold,
Greenport - there are about 25 wineries and 50 vineyards
producing nearly half a million cases of wine annually
from a skinny strip of marine-influenced, glacial-soil
flatland that is 22 miles long and seldom more than
a couple of miles wide.
If the Hamptons - which has three wineries - aspires
to be America's Riviera, the North Fork wants to be
its Bordeaux. The sovereign grapes here are cabernet
franc, cabernet sauvignon, and, most of all, merlot,
with appropriate patches of malbec and petit verdot.
A few local winemakers strive to emulate the spare,
cabernet franc-based wines of the Loire Valley, but
most of them seem to want to produce great clarets.
Australian-born winemaker Russell Hearn, who has worked
in the East End since 1990 and is now winemaker or consultant
for almost a dozen established or emerging wineries
there, is in the mainstream when he says, "From
my end, bordeaux is the ideal - the richness, developed
structure, and good tannins."
The sea's insulating effect in the area wards off damaging
frosts while providing a longer ripening of grapes through
early November. The result is a number of very good
red varietals and blends with many of the signature
bordeaux characteristics - and some bordeaux price tags
to match. Most East End reds have engaging up-front
fruit with bricky, red cherry flavor; tannins tend to
be well integrated, and acidity is generally in balance.
Now, if they could only develop more depth, structure,
and complexity . . .
COMTESSE THÉRÈSE HUNGARIAN OAK
MERLOT 2002 ($15). Very big, yet balanced.
Full, with ripe cherries, some black pepper, and tons
of agreeable tannins, suggesting that this one be laid
down.
© SAVEUR, Aug./Sept.2004
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"New Releases:
New York: Long Island/Red," WINE SPECTATOR, May
31, 2004
86
Le Clos Thérèse Merlot Long Island
Comtesse
Thérèse Traditional 2001 $18
Smoky
oak and ripe black cherry marry nicely in this velvety
red. It's gentle on the palate, but has enough
structure for richer dishes. Drink now through
2005. 300 cases made. - T.M.
85
Le Clos Thérèse Merlot Long Island
Comtesse
Thérèse Hungarian Oak 2001 $15
Black
cherry and toasty flavors with a light herbal edge mingle
in this firm red. It shows crisp acidity, balance
and concentration. Drink now through 2006. 98
cases made. - T.M.
© WINE SPECTATOR, May 31, 2004
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Comtesse
Thérèse Wins Bronze Medal in 2004 International
Eastern Wine Competition, May
15-17, 2004
The
2001 Comtesse Thérèse Château Reserve
Merlot was awarded a Bronze medal at the 28th annual
International Eastern Wine Competition (IEWC) held May
15-17, 2004 in Corning, New York. The IEWC is one of
the oldest and largest wine competitions in America,
and features wines from around the world marketed in
North America .
The
2004 IEWC topped 2,300 entries for the first time and
featured wines from six continents, 16 countries, 34
U.S. states, and four Canadian provinces. The largest
number of entries came from California (885). New York
and Virginia were the next largest states for entries,
with 280 and 134 respectively. Imports were 15% of the
total, with Australia having the most overseas entries
at 95. The IWEC is sponsored by Vineyard & Winery
Management magazine, a leading trade publication
for the industry in North America.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Super Tasting
Rooms," FOOD & WINE, Ray Isle, May 2004 (excerpt)
"Housed in an old storefront, the Tasting Room
captures the laid-back, bucolic aspect of Long Island's
North Fork rather than the glitz and glamour of the
nearby Hamptons. . . Try the Comtesse Thérèse
Merlot, a wonderfully concentrated and ripe example
of the grape."
© FOOD & WINE, May 2004
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"90 points
Comtesse Thérèse Traditional Merlot,"
WINE & SPIRITS, April 2004
2001 Long Island Traditional Merlot. A concentrated,
cool-climate merlot, this wine's flavors have achieved
full ripeness. If you've traditionally thought of the
region's reds as light and green, this one is more robust,
its tannins fully matured to a chocolate richness. The
fruit gives a deep scent of currants and flavors of
blackberry jam while the structure keeps it light and
fresh. Comtesse Thérèse, Mattituck,
NY
© WINE & SPIRITS, April 2004
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SANTÉ, June 2004
Comtesse Thérèse 2001 Traditional/North
Fork of Long Island, New York. Medium bodied with nice
ripe plum and cherry flavors. Roast chicken, steak.
Comtesse Thérèse 2001 Château Reserve/North
Fork of Long Island, New York. Earthy and full with
smooth, soft tannins. Rack of lamb.
© SANTÉ, June 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A Man's Drink:
Pink Wine Can be the Blood of a Summer Meal," THE
TABLE, Slow Food USA, Cliff Batuello, Summer 2004 (excerpt)
As spring turns to summer on the North Fork, there's
a certain excitement in the air. Restaurants are full
again; produce stands are almost hidden behind the cars
from near and far; and winery tasting rooms are suddenly
the tourist magnets that draw so many to the East End
. . . With all the wonderful cab Francs, chards, and
sauvignons being produced out here, it's easy to overlook
rosé wines. Easy for you (if you're not already
a fan), not for me. Not all our local producers offer
rosé, but many of those who do, do well. A recent
trip to the Tasting Room in Peconic rewarded me with
a lovely offering from Comtesse Thérèse,
a result of saignée. Slightly perfumey,
and floral, it has a moderate sweetness on the finish,
but with good balance. In fact, there was enough acidity
to stand up to a good balsamic vinaigrette over some
exquisite salad greens from the ever-popular Sang Lee
Farms stand.
© THE TABLE, Summer 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The
Tasting Room: A Wine Cooperative in Peconic," BEACON-RECORD, Anthony M. Frasca, M.D., February
12, 2004 (excerpt )
Four
North Fork vineyards, each with its own character, join
forces. The Tasting Room on Peconic Lane in Peconic
is unlike other wineries on the North Fork. There are
no sweeping vistas of vineyards, no glass-enclosed fermentation
tanks and no winery tours. The Tasting Room is
basically a cooperative of four vineyards, each with
its own character. The tasting bar is modestly appointed
and set in a small storefront in a colonial building
adjacent to the railroad tracks.
Yet,
The Tasting Room offers an array of interesting wines
from four different producers. . .
Comtesse
Thérèse is a 40-acre vineyard with ten
planted acres: 66 percent with Cabernet Sauvignon and
34 percent with Merlot. There are three partners
in the vineyard but major partner Theresa Dilworth,
an international tax attorney, acts vineyard operator
and winemaker. When asked what spurred her interest
in own a vineyard Dilworth said, "I had been visiting
the North Fork for many years. I had done some
home winemaking and I like gardening. I was basically
just looking for one acre to grow grapes for home winemaking."
Along with her two Japanese partners, Chizuko
Tomita and Kayomi Hirota, they settled on 40 acres.
As
far as the winemaking goes Dilworth said, "I basically
give all the instructions to the Premium Wine Group.
I tell them the temperature I want for fermentation
and which yeast to use. Belnding is always my
decision. They're always there as a back-up.
There's a huge difference between making five
gallons in your kitchen and 500 gallons" . . .
Comtesse
Thérèse 2001 Traditional Merlot was aged
in a mix of old and new French oak. The deep
garnet color gives rise to a bouquet of leather and
a light bodied fruit that is appealing. Also
from Comtesse Thérèse is a 2001 Reserve
Merlot spiced with five percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Aged in all new French oak, the woody, floral
nose is full-bodied and firm with ripe fruit and a dry
finish.
Theresa
Dilworth is not afraid to experiment. She used
100 percent Hungarian oak to age a lot of 2001 Merlot.
Deep garnet in color, the wine has a bouquet
of spices, vanilla and smoke. Complex and tasty
with a dry finish, the wine has residual tannins that
will tame with a few months of bottle age. The
wine is easy on the wallet with a price tag of $15 and
offers great value.
© BEACON-RECORD, February 12, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Another Year of North
Fork Farming," THE SUFFOLK TIMES, Oenofile column,
Louisa Hargrave, January 1, 2004 (excerpt)
Okay, I admit that agriculture today is different from
agriculture a generation ago. But that doesn't mean
it's obsolete. As an example of a new kind of farmer,
take a look at one of Long Island's newest vintners,
Theresa Dilworth. Theresa is an international tax lawyer,
trained at the London School of Economics. She owns
40 acres of farmland in Riverhead, and her partners
are two women from Japan. I suppose you could say that
makes them speculators. But you should see the amount
of work Theresa herself has put into her fledgling vineyard,
spending her weekends out in the field herself. Besides
that, she's gone to great lengths to educate herself
on French grape-growing and winemaking techniques.
Theresa is an opera buff, with a great sense of the
dramatic. She calls her vineyard "La Clos Thérèse,"
and her wine is called "Comtesse Thérèse." One might argue that those names are hyperbolic. I thought
so, until I tried her wine. I was even thinking that
maybe the Long Island wine scene was reaching its capacity
for the quantity of brands the market could absorb.
But there will be room for more wines if they are of
this caliber.
So looking ahead to 2004, I suggest that you keep a
positive attitude, and make a point of seeking out wines
from some of the new producers in town as well as the
old. While you're at it, pick up some baby bok choy
at Sang Lee; get some microgreens from Satur Farms;
look for jams by the Garden of Eve or Edible Petals;
drink some cider from Woodside Farms; seek out containerized
plants by Conni Cross's Environmentals and, above all,
be a believer in North Fork Farms.
© The Suffolk Times, January 1, 2004
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