Day Trip to Long Island

Yesterday, we went on a quick day trip to Long Island. Harvest will soon to be underway on Long Island, the grapes were hanging in abundance and this year looks to be about as stellar as 2010. We went to meet Gilles Martin, a winemaker to ask more questions about how to get started. We love the sparkling wine that he makes using méthode champenoise, the traditional way to make a champagne. He showed us around the winery and the new configuration that enclosed the former outdoor crush pad at Sparkling Point.

We discussed many things, including tank configuration and manufacturers, destemmers, sorting tables, and then he gave us one piece of advice. Start making your labels! That's funny because on the ferry ride over to Long Island, we were sketching our label designs. We then went to Sherwood House Vineyards and McCall Wines to taste some of the wines that Gilles made. Needless to say, we came home with some wine booty, to be consumed at a later date with our friends.