Hamptons Wine Makers
The Hamptons wine region comprises the spit of land bordered by the Great Peconic, Little Peconic, Gardiners Bays and Block Island Sound to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and approximately the line from Riverhead south to the beaches. It includes Gardiners Island as well but there are currently no wineries there. It is an officially designated American Viticultural Area and was the first so designated on Long Island. The designation was applied for and secured by Richard Olsen-Harbich in 1985 while he was at the Bridgehampton Winery. Olsen-Harbich
was responsible for the AVA designation of the North Fork of Long Island and the
Long Island AVA as well.
The Hamptons appellation is the smallest winemaking region in New York State. Currently it is comprised of just three wineries. If anything could be said generally to categorize the Hamptons winemakers is that they are all quite distinct. Each takes its influence from quite different distinct sources, namely France, Italy, and California. Even though these winemakers have their influences outside of New York, all three specifically express currents of winemaking models that can be seen elsewhere on the East End of Long Island.
|
|