An especially warm year produced grapes that were fleshier and juicier than we normally harvest. Hints of pear and almond surround flavors of green apple. A round creamy finish.

Wine maker notes

Pellegrini Vineyards exists by design. The winery building and the vineyards have been carefully and painstakingly thought through -- designed for excellence. The coupling of old world traditions with the best progressive technology demonstrates the Pellegrini commitment to using all means available to produce the very finest wine. Our philosophy is that fine wine is made in the vineyard; that you first grow the healthiest, ripest grapes possible. Only then can a wine-maker pursue excellence in the cellar. Located in Cutchogue, the sunniest town in New York State, with climate and annual rainfall parallel to Bordeaux, France, we are graced with a 220 day growing season. Vineyard management techniques and winemaking methods are employed in complete service to the fruit -- chardonnay that tastes emphatically like chardonnay, merlot defined by merlot's rich fruit flavors. A visit to our vineyards and winery will give you a chance to consider our design for success, and the remarkable results. The tasting room is open 7 days a weeks through out the year, with the exception of Christmas Day, New Years Day, Easter and Thanksgiving. A four dollar tasting is available at the bar and entails three one ounce pours from our East End and Pellegrini Estate series of wine. An eight dollar flight tasting is also available and entails three two ounce pours from our menu of current release offerings including our award winning Vintner's Pride series. Flights can be enjoyed at a table in our tasting room or out in our lovely courtyard. Our vines have the good fortune of growing on Long Island's North Fork, the premier grape growing region of the East Coast. Our 30 acre home vineyard, founded in 1982 and the home of some of the oldest vines on Long Island, is planted on rolling land with good southern exposure, providing optimum sunshine and a natural air flow. Two properties approximately 5 miles east of Pellegrini Vineyards were purchased in 1998. These ideal parcels for vineyards have given us the opportunity to plant more cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. The addition of these two vineyards gives us greater control of the quality of fruit we harvest from year to year. These properties have enabled us to Estate Bottle all of our reds and our dessert wine "Finale". South Harbor Vineyard rising above the surrounding farmland, this 14 plus acre property has a gradual southern slope, even well-drained loam soil, and breeze-catching elevation making for an outstanding site for merlot grapes. After extensive soil preparation, we have planted select Bordeaux clones of the merlot grape, on carefully chosen rootstocks to maximize the full potential of the grapes. SouthHarbor merlot will offer terrific flavors and richness to the red wines of Pellegrini Vineyards. With over 28 acres, RichmondCreek allows us to expand the amount of high quality cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, gewurztraminer, sauvingon blanc and petite verdot we grow. A gentle tilt to the south means better sun exposure for the grapes which leads to fuller, more uniform ripening. The soil profile allows us to place the vigorous cabernet vines on lighter land (controlling vegetative growth and hastening ripening) and to place merlot on the deeper block of land, where it will thrive. The gewurztraminer grape is destined to make Vintner's Pride Finale, our rich and popular "ice wine" style wine. Again, extensive soil preparation and careful clonal and rootstock selection give us every expectation that the harvest from Richmond Creek will increase our reputation for quality. Since our establishment, we have been at the forefront of progressive growing methods taking full advantage of eastern Long Island's climactic and soil conditions. For example, denser than normal vine spacing maximizes the soil's nourishing capacity, and allows the individual vine a chance to fully ripen a balanced number of clusters. Water and nutrient levels are regulated and closely monitored to achieve optimum crop levels and berry cluster size. Canopy management, involving shoot-thinning, hedging, and leaf removal, enhances the ripening and flavor development of the grape. We know that making fine wine means attention to soil and sun exposure as much as to wine presses and barrels. There are hundreds of details to consider, leading to endless decisions which, taken together, result in the quality of the grapes at harvest-the quality of Pellegrini Vineyards. The Pellegrinis are committed to using all available resources to grow the very best grapes possible.

Producer

Pellegrini Vineyards exists by design. The winery building and the vineyards have been carefully and painstakingly thought through--designed for excellence. The coupling of old world traditions with the best progressive technology demonstrates the Pellegrini commitment to using all means available to produce the very finest wine.