How Lengthy Island Vineyard, Wölffer Property, Stays Abreast Of Wine Tendencies

Households Arrive for Wine Tasting & Picnics at Wölffer Property in Lengthy Island, New York

Mark Weinberg

Wölffer Property in Lengthy Island, New York, began producing rosé wine within the early 1990’s when rosé wasn’t but cool. However the transfer paid off, as a result of they’ve been capable of capitalize on the rosé renaissance of the final 15 years, creating one of many high promoting premium rosé wines within the U.S. – ‘Summer in a Bottle.’

Likewise, Wölffer Property jumped on the exhausting cider wave when it was simply beginning to rise, and – together with holding many NY apple farmers from going out of enterprise – they’ve created a really profitable cider enterprise. Now, they’ve simply launched the primary U.S. ultra-premium, non-alcoholic, glowing rosé wine ($20), referred to as ‘Spring in a Bottle,’ and it’s flying off the cabinets.

So how does Wölffer Property, established in 1988, handle to remain abreast of wine traits in an trade that’s usually gradual to vary?

“We listen to our customers when they visit our tasting room,” defined Joey Wölffer, Co-Proprietor and Chief Model Officer, in a Zoom interview. “We have lots of young people visiting on the weekends, and they tell us what they like.”

Wölffer’s In style Summer season in a Bottle Rosé Wine with Distinctive Bottle Design

Scott Kimble Ltd

Wölffer Cultivates a Tradition of Innovation and Collaboration

Along with listening to youthful clients, Wölffer Estates has developed a tradition of innovation and collaboration. For instance, they simply collaborated with iconic Australian style model, ZIMMERMAN, to create a limited-edition bottle rosé ($27) with daring patterns and textures, that rapidly bought out.

“The fact that we are a family-run business allows us to be innovative more quickly,” stated Marc Wölffer, Joey’s brother in addition to Co-Proprietor and Chief Technique Officer. “We can easily jump on new ideas and take a risk.”

Winemaker and Associate, Roman Roth, who has labored at Wölffer for the previous 30 years and has gained a number of awards for his wines, agrees with Marc Wölffer. “Many people in the wine industry are stuck with the concrete boots of tradition on their feet. Here at Wölffer we get to try new concepts.”

Certainly it was Roth who was capable of collaborate with a German wine producer to assist them produce the Wölffer non-alcoholic glowing rosé. “It is made with organic grapes and produced by a family-run business in Germany,” stated Roth. “Since this is a family business, we always try to work with other family-owned businesses around the world.”

The Wölffer govt staff consists of not solely Joey and Marc Wölffer (their father, Christian Wölffer and vineyard founder, handed in 2008), however Joey’s husband, Max Rohn, who serves as CEO.

Additional collaborative efforts embody making rosé in Provence, and producing a number of completely different wines from Argentina and Majorca – all working in partnership with native household wineries.

The technique have to be working, as a result of Wölffer now produces greater than 175,000 instances of wine, 100 instances of cider, and spirits which can be bought in main wine retailers and grocery shops throughout the nation. They’re additionally one of many largest employers on Lengthy Island with 170 workers, and farm 55 acres of sustainably licensed vineyards, below the management of Winery Supervisor, Richie Pisacano.

“Many of our employees have been with us for a long time. If you have good vineyards, craft quality products, and hire great employees, then you can get a good price for your wine,” stated Marc Wölffer.

Joey Wölffer added: “We also hire extra people to help with harvest in the autumn. It works well, because many of the restaurants and hotels lay off people after the tourist season ends on Labor Day, so we hire them. It is a positive spiral and good for the local economy.”

Roman Roth, Joey Wölffer and Marc Wölffer at Wölffer Property Vineyard in NY

Wölffer

So How Do Wölffer Wines Style?

Although Wölffer Estates is most well-known for its many rosé wines from Lengthy Island, Provence, and Argentina – which make up 72% of their manufacturing – in addition they supply conventional nonetheless wine varieties, equivalent to chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and lots of others.

Many of the rosé wines have a mean value level of $25 per bottle, however could fluctuate based mostly on winery location. It’s fascinating to have the chance to style by way of the completely different rosé wines, as a result of they’re distinctly completely different – showcasing the areas from which they got here:

· Wölffer Summer season in a Bottle Rosé from Provence: displays the fragile floral, peach and tangerine notes of Southern France

· Wölffer Summer season in a Bottle Rosé from Lengthy Island: lighter and extra elegant in type with notes of contemporary pear, melon, and a touch of salinity.

· Finca Wölffer Rosé from Argentina: extra fruit-forward in type with baked apple, pear, and a touch of berries and hay.

· Wölffer Spring in a Bottle from Germany: one of the vital scrumptious non-alcohol glowing rosé wines available on the market, brimming with floral, raspberry and peach notes.

The rest of the wine portfolio is organized into 3 ranges: 1) Gold Label sequence as elegant Meals-friendly wines with value factors within the mid $20’s; 2) Cellar Sequence – restricted launch wines starting from $24 to $32; and three) White Horse Sequence as ultra-premium complicated wines with costs starting from $32 to $125, together with Christian’s Cuvee within the $100+ luxurious class, solely produced throughout the perfect vintages.

Two excellent examples, each which have a contact of savory Previous World wine traits mixed with the ripeness of the New World are:

· Wölffer Property Cabernet Franc 2019 from the Cellar Sequence ($37): darkish ruby coloration with basic notes of cassis and violets, together with earthy forest flooring, sandalwood, and velvety tannins with a protracted end.

· Wölffer Property Christian’s Cuvee Pinot Noir 2020 ($125): garnet coloration with complicated dried cherry, mushroom and spice is intertwined with toasted oak, vanilla, allspice, and a touch of savory herbs. Concentrated with silky tannins, and a protracted complicated end

Sustainability Efforts, Local weather Change and Subsequent Steps

Wölffer was one of many first wineries on Lengthy Island to be certified sustainable by Lengthy Island Sustainable Winegrowing. They needed to move a 3rd get together audit that included 200 farming finest practices for environmental measures and equitable remedy of workers.

Nonetheless, grape farming has develop into extra complicated on Lengthy Island, simply because it has in different elements of the world because of local weather change.

“Here we worry about hurricanes, though our vineyards were only hit in 1991,” stated Roth. “But with climate change there are no more perfect wine regions. Fortunately we’ve had some very good vintages, though we are now harvesting grapes two weeks earlier than before because it is warmer.”

One benefit to the Lengthy Island local weather is the ocean breeze which helps to guard the grapes from an excessive amount of humidity, and likewise imparts a lovely complicated notes of salinity to a few of the wines.

When requested what’s subsequent for Wölffer, Marc Wölffer replied that they have been contemplating increasing into different markets, equivalent to elements of Asia and Australia. They’re additionally open to enlargement past wine, as they’ve already confirmed with their cider, gin and brandy.

“The most important thing though is to stay true to ourselves, and continually work on quality and customer satisfaction,” concluded Marc Wölffer. “Family is essential to us, and legacy is important.”

Vineyard Founder Christian Wölffer Taking part within the Grape Harvest

Wölffer