During this semester in Wine and Beverage Management, my knowledge of wine and spirits world  has been enhanced.Through the study of viticulture, vinification and production spirits production I now have knowledge to the point of I go into a wine shop I know what I’m looking for and what questions to ask.

 

For the winery visit project I decided to go to Bedell Cellars on the North Fork of Long Island. This visit was set up by the wine director at my job, he put me in contact with the Regional Sales Director, Whitney Beaman, and was able to set up a reservation for November 25th at 12pm to visit. Whitney made sure we received a VIP complimentary tasting flight as well as a tour of the vineyard and Cellars.

It was a long ride on the LIRR but the scenery of Long Island and traveling over the Long Island sound was so peaceful and gave me a chance to just relax and unwind after the busy Thanksgiving weekend at work.

When we arrived at Bedell, we were greeted by Brad who attended to use throughout our visit. We were able to chose our seats and when we sat, Brad offered us the tasting flight menu which showcased a cider, white wine and three red wines.

 

I love cider so I was pretty happy we start off with that. Brad explained to us that the the cottage cider is served to help cleanse the palate between courses as well as to awaken the palate.

He then explained that the cottage cider is made by apples grown in the cottage at Bedell’s historic farmhouse on site which was built in 1710. The cottage cider was very crisp and fragrant with a hint of tartness, perfect way to introduce a flight menu.

The next on the menu was the 2016 First Crush White which is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Gewurztraminer, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Riesling. This wine was one of my favorites with a nose of tart apples, a taste of apple and citrus and a light fresh balanced finish. This wine was pretty calm and would be something a beginner would appreciate.

 

Brad suggested that we take a brief break before the red wines to take a tour. We first went outside where the have beautiful white picnic tables overlooking the rows of vines, offered for seating when the weather permits.

Even though the vines are in dormancy, seeing the rows upon rows of vines was mesmerizing.

Brad informed us that Bedell is arguably the third oldest vineyard in the North Fork.

On the wall was a vine with the roots intact, I asked what it was and Brad told me that’s one of the oldest Chardonnay vines the have planted in 1980.

They put it up for display and every now and again they will plant it, considering the vine is over 30 years old the vintage made from those vines will be more full bodied and robust compared to the younger vines.

We then went to into the cellar and bottling room and it was nice to see all of the French oak barrels and steel tanks.

The French oak barrels as well as the steel tanks are labeled with the grape variety, date and time, and a thermostat that keeps the wine at a constant temperature.

In the cellar there was a glass case with different types of soil and gravel that displays the soil type of the North Fork.

We were informed that the soil there is rocky and sandy and fertile due to the glaciers that created the North Fork. The climate is maritime due to its glacial soils, Long Island sound and Atlantic Ocean to the east.

We then went to tour the bottling room which is small but efficient bottling and labeling twenty bottles per minute.

Brad told us that Bedell’s 2009 Merlot was the first ever New York wine to be served at Presidential inauguration ceremony for Barack Obama’s second term.

Once we returned, we were poured the third wine, the first red wine of the day named Taste Nouveau 2017 created using the classic carbonic maceration technique by fermenting whole grape clusters, 90% Merlot and 10% Malbec. I’m not to fond of red wines but surprisingly the second red wine on the flight menu was my favorite, it was a 2015 Cabernet Franc.

The nose on this wine was shocking it had the aroma of farm fresh room temperature butter. This wine is fermented in the oldest oak barrels available on site, which gives the wine immense vanilla taste and the nose of buttery baked goods. To finish of the flight menu was Taste Red 2013, a full-bodied blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Syrah, 14% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. I liked the last wine but the ripe tannins were a little much for my taste.

 

While we had our tasting I ordered some farm fresh goat cheese and crackers and honey to accompany our tasting. Having that as a palate cleanser made it easier to enjoy the red wines.

Overall, visiting Bedell was the perfect thing to do on a Saturday. A chance to have a day off from the hustle and bustle of the city. This marks the beginning of my interest of visiting wineries, it was so intriguing to have a view of how wine is produced. I’ll be sure to visit Bedell and other vineyards in the North Fork when it’s warmer and the grapes are flourishing.