My visit to Martha Clara Vineyards was intriguing to say the least. It is in the North Fork of Long Island American Viticultural Area region located in Suffolk County, roughly a two hour drive to the very end of the island. The vineyard grows fourteen different grape varieties, for whites they grow: Chardonnay, Gerwurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier and Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Melbac, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and last but not least Syrah ((n.d.). from https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp). “Thanks to its coastal location, ocean breezes help to moderate temperatures at any time of the year. Winter temperatures are significantly milder than most of the state of NY, the coldest month is January with average temperatures of 30°f to 35°f and the warmest month is July with average temperatures of 70°f to 80°f.” (https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp). Vinicultural practices consist of spacing eight foot spacing between rows so that each row can get enough sunlight throughout the day and the soil is not covered in shadow from the from the vines (Viniculture in LI, Part III: Martha Clara Vineyard). There is no current on-site winery on the premises. Martha Clara Vineyards currently produce their wine through Premium Wine Group, a contract winemaking facility for its vinification practices. Of course, Premium wine group offers a list of services right in the heart of the North Fork of Long Island to a variety of vineyards to assure the proper process of winemaking is being handled with care and expertise and stored in primarily Oak wood barrels or steel tanks. The winemaking facilities include a tank rooms, and barrel rooms for storage which are all temperature controlled, and a crush pad to destem and crush the juice out of the grape. They also offer bottling and corking for production (Premium Wine Group). The knowledge of the tasting room personnel was exceptional. They knew exactly what they were talking about, how to visualise, smell and taste, spoke the language of wine and created a great atmosphere for the rest of the wine connoisseurs that were being attended to while I was there. I tasted five of the fourteen varieties they offered from my personal choosing and the employee walked me through step by step to help better understand the aroma and taste of the wines. I would recommend Martha Clara Vineyard to any wine enthusiast, the variety and culture of the vineyard speak for itself, it is a pretty long drive to the very end of the island, but it is worth every minute. They take of each guest they way they take care of their wine, with love and care. 

References

(n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2018, from https://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/about.asp

Premium Wine Group |. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://premiumwinegroup.com/

Viniculture in LI, Part III: Martha Clara Vineyard. (2018, October 29). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://blogwine.riversrunby.net/viticultural-practices-in-li-part-iii-martha-clara-vineyard/