LE CLOS

The vineyard, called Le Clos Thérèse (rhymes with "glow" . . . in French, a "clos" is an enclosed vineyard), is located on Union Avenue in Aquebogue, just east of Riverhead, in eastern Long Island, New York, on the North Fork.

Based on advice from a consultant from the University of Bordeaux in France, only the easternmost section of what was originally a 40 acre parcel were planted with vitis vinifera (wine) grapes. The portion of the land unsuitable for grapes was sold to the neighboring vegetable farmer, resulting in a 15 acre parcel, with about 10 acres planted in vines.

The vineyard is managed by Sammy Shimura, Theresa's husband. He takes care of all vineyard operations, with Theresa helping on the weekends. Theresa's parents help as well. Says Sammy, "I love working in the vineyard, surrounded by green all day."

VINEYARD TOURS

The vineyard is not currently open to the public.

VARIETALS

Cabernet sauvignon is the main varietal, about 70% of the total. Late-ripening, it is more risky to grow than most other reds, due to greater chance of mildew and late autumn frosts. The longer, slower, development of tannins and flavors, though, gives the grape more intensity, and the higher acidity gives it a firmer structure and more aging potential.

Relatively little cabernet sauvignon is grown on Long Island (about 5% of total red grape production), with most red wine growers favoring the earlier-ripening merlot and cabernet franc. Not one to follow the crowd, Theresa says, "based on climate, soil, and temperature data, I believe cabernet sauvignon to be the best red grape for my particular site. Because we are so far west, we have an "early" site. We generally get budbreak in the spring a week or two earlier than everyone else, and our veraison is also earlier. We can ripen cabernet sauvignon where we are."

The estate vineyard also grows a few acres of merlot, Long Island's most widely grown red varietal, and some chardonnay. In 2008, an acre of sauvignon blanc was planted.

HIGH DENSITY PLANTING

At 2500 vines per acre, Le Clos Thérèse is the most closely spaced commercial vineyard in New York state, and one of the closest in the United States, with densities approaching that of the Grand and Premier Cru sites of Burgundy and Bordeaux. These vineyards are more time-consuming and expensive to create and to maintain, requiring more hand labor.  Equipment that will fit down the narrow rows is hard to find.

Except for the driest portion of the cabernet sauvignon planting, the vineyard is "dry-farmed," or non-irrigated. "We get enough rainfall here.  We don't need to irrigate." By not irrigating, the grapevine roots have to dig deeper, and eventually, the vines become stronger. Also, a mild water deficit leads to smaller berry size, and a higher skin to juice ratio, which means more tannin and phenolic extraction for red grapes.

LONG ISLAND's TERROIR

Soil. The island of Long Island is a "glacial moraine," 100 miles long and 10 to 15 miles wide -- a pile of sand and ground up rocks, mainly quartz, left behind by the melting glaciers as they receded north at the end of the last Ice Age. Long Island soils vary from location to location, from heavier and more loamy, to lighter and sandier.  At the estate vineyard, the soil is light, sandy-gravelly, of low fertility, with excellent drainage.

Climate.   Bodies of water surround the area on three sides (similar to the Médoc peninsula, in the Bordeaux region of France), moderating the winter climate. Eastern Long Island enjoys a large amount of annual sunshine hours, making it an important agricultural region, and famous for golfing, boating, fishing and sailing.