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wine marketing be about 5,000 replants (5.8 acres of vines). Rather than buying 25 acres, I purchased about 19, which ended up being a large reconfiguring of costs. "Not knowing how many dead vines to expect should have been part of the deal, so it took several years to increase production. We eventually planted another 25 acres. At the time, we did not consider the varying topography of nearby Seneca Lake. Elevation of the vineyard is 650 feet at the top, down a gentle slope to 450 feet ending about 50 meters from the lake shore. tion, and we have 'renovated' Hermann's original plantings of Chardonnay and Riesling over the past few years," concludes Bynke. Macari Vineyards & Winery Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard "We planted some varieties in the wrong spot based upon air flow (and) probably should not have planted Merlot at all where I chose to plant it. Today, we know so much more about air flow's affect upon vines. We can grow many varieties; the vines need to be grown in just the right places. If you have a slope to the lake with a slight rise within it, it can block air flow and create a settling effect; if you have vines susceptible to this in the winter, it can cause extensive damage." Osborn sang a far different (if briefer) tune expounding upon his best decision. "It was talking the woman who became my wife out of her contracting job to work full-time for me when we had not yet married. She might not agree to that again, as she took a salary cut when she did, but she has been a great asset. "We are known for Chardonnay and Riesling (both are best sellers), and the reds are Lemberger and Cabernet Franc. We have really rich soils, so working with Cabernet Franc along with employing radical leaf and cluster removal (to achieve 3.5- to 4.5-ton yield window) is helping us produce some exceptional fruit. It is very winter-hardy and ripens fully, which is important in a cool-climate region like ours. It is a learning process to make good reds here." With a background in agronomy, Oskar Bynke (new co-owner in 2007) started at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard as a cellar rat in 2003 after working in distribution for Möet Hennessy in New York City, taking over in August 2007 when Hermann Wiemer retired. Fred Merwarth has been winemaker since 2001 and is a partner with Bynke, while Wiemer is a consultant/adviser. "Success is about human resources," Bynke says. "Having the right team in place is of absolute importance. Our staff has many responsibilities. Taking time to manage, train and coach them so that all tasks eventually are executed with accuracy is very valuable." "We have been really fortunate in the past five years. With our staff in place, Fred and I have been able to step back and to focus on more long-term strategy development while maintaining a bird'seye view of the business. Having the right people changes the whole landscape: Life is no longer time-consuming and emotionally draining. Take the time to hire and train the right staff! "Our early mistakes could have been customer service attitudes. We did not train our staff adequately with the right messages. When things did not go as planned, we found ourselves stepping in as owner-managers to address little details. That has all changed. We both retrained some staff and let others go. When you hire more and more people, you learn what you are looking for. Our current team in the retail shop, administration and winery production is phenomenal." Annual production—15,000 cases (85% white, 10% red and 5% sparkling wines) includes: Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. The new owners have gradually increased production (1,500-2,000 cases), mainly with Riesling. "We planted 12 acres in 2008 that have come into produc- 66 p racti c al w i ne ry & v i ne yard S EPTE MBER 20 13 Joe Macari (owner) is assisted full-time by his adult children Gabriella and Joe. Until recently Gabriella worked in a New York City marketing firm, allowing her to bring friends from a top Manhattan restaurant to their Long Island vineyard, friends who helped the Maccaris harvest Cabernet Franc. "In the beginning we planted 60 acres, 40 in the second year, but what I had not realized was the pool of good people we needed to care for these vines," the elder Joe Macari recalls. "It took so much time and effort and challenge to obtain the quality of fruit we needed. We always had some good fruit, but then we were growing enough to choose from. "I also had a diversity of microclimates to work from; we now total 210 acres of vines, from different areas, and all with different clones and rootstocks." Annual estate wine production is 10,000-15,000 cases, 50% red wine, 50% white wine. Chardonnay is 55% of production. Macari Vineyards sells 5%–20% of harvested grapes to other wineries. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the largest volume red wines. Bergen Road (blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and sometimes Petit Verdot) is the flagship red wine. Asked about his predilection for preferring to contract with consultants over hiring someone full-time, he replies, "I was able to source people such as Helmut Gangl from Austria nine years ago and Alan York from California." Macari found the mostly Guatemalan work force costly. "We have 10 people who have been with us for 12 years, compared to California where most workers are second- or third-generation (and) wellaccustomed to the vines."