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.