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March 2017 WINES&VINES 69 WINE EAST GRAPEGROWING Natural Corks Champagne Corks Twinline Corks Bartops VISION Synthetic Corks G-Cap® Screw Caps Sales Representatives: Chris & Liz Stamp info@lakewoodcork.com lakewoodcork.com 4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 607-535-9252 607-535-6656 Fax PIONEER INNOVATOR PARTNER Service • Selection • Location • Experience It's no surprise we're racking up wineries, distilleries and breweries! Lissa McLaughlin (727) 321-8879 lmclaughlin@allamericancontainers.com Roberta Parmelee (315) 585-6045 rparmelee@allamericancontainers.com BORDE UX Tempra o red,red wine... zinfan del Merlot Pinot Grigio Pinot Noir Y D N U G R U B VINO P O R T B A R T O P S full punt m i d punt m i n i punt C aberne CORK I Malbec www.aacwine.com Bedell Cellars The vineyard: More than 250 miles southeast, Bedell Cellars is located near the tip of Long Island's North Fork in Cutchogue. Founders Kip and Susan Bedell planted their first grapevines in 1980 and fo- cused on Merlot, which became the wine that put Bedell on the map. The estate was purchased in 2000 by film impresario Michael Lynne, and Sauvignon Blanc was planted five years later. Currently 75 acres of vinifera are grown at three 25-acre sites: the original Bedell vineyard, sister winery Corey Creek Vineyards several miles east, and another location in between. All three vineyards are managed by Erin Troxell, whose parents own Glen Galen Winery in Andreas, Pa. Bedell's vineyards are farmed with sustainable practices, and the winery is a member of the Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing program, the first such program certified on the East Coast. The vineyards are primarily planted in sandy loam soil, interspersed with a few sandy outcroppings. Clone 1 (UC Davis FPMS 01, or Wente) was planted at the Corey Creek site in 2005 and supplemented by ENTAV-INRA 376 at the Bedell vineyard in 2011. Combined, they total 3 acres. Clone 1 is planted with 8-foot x 5-foot spacing on 3309 rootstock, and 376 is planted with 9-foot x 5-foot spacing on 101-14 rootstock to limit Sauvi- gnon Blanc's tendencies for ag- gressive growth. Troxell prefers the 376 clone, citing slightly smaller clusters and more aro- matic character. The vines are trained with vertical shoot posi- tioning (VSP), which allows for mechanical harvesting, although Bedell hand-picks its Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Bud break in 2016 was at the end of April, and the beginning of the growing season is dedicated to canopy management. Once shoot growth is established, any secondary or tertiary shoots are removed. Troxell wants spacing of a hand's width between shoots. The next task is to position the shoots, lifting catch wires and tucking the shoots between them. At the same time as shoot posi- tioning, the first application of nitrogen is made, the source being peanut meal. Grape pomace, usu- ally composted for two years, is added post-harvest. Leaf removal in the cluster zone is done by hand at the be- ginning of bloom. Most of the vine maintenance for Sauvignon Blanc is shoot maintenance, par- ticularly for vertical growth. They Erin Troxell manages three vineyards for Bedell Cellars.