Truly, two of the pioneers of the Hudson River Valley are leaving center stage!!!
North Salem Vineyard, 441 Hardscrabble Road, North Salem. 914-669-5518. www.northsalemwine.com
A winery's final harvest
By THE JOURNAL NEWS (NY)
"In 1965 George W. Naumburg, Jr., M.D. and his wife Michelle planted their first vines. Michelle came from Julliard and the Broadway stage with a detour through serious cooking. Her contributions are evident where ever you look and taste. Although grapes were new to him, George grew up on a farm in Northern Westchester. That experience plus his knowledge of chemistry and bacteriology gave him a good start on managing a vineyard and making wine. After growing 36 varieties of wine grapes to learn which could grow well and yield the best wine at this site, all but Seyval Blanc, Foch, de Chaunac and Chancellor were removed in 1979 when North Salem Vineyards became a commercial opertion," wrote The Journal News.
"The winery had been a modern Dairy Barn quite unlike the more traditional dairy barns in the region. We re-built it in 1983 to provide a more dramatic, modern tasting room with space for indoor events. The remainder of the building holds stainless steel tanks, winemaking equipment, a laboratory, workspace for bottling and labeling and a temperature controlled room in which to store bottled wine."
According to the website:
When North Salem Vineyard hosts the 11th annual Hudson Valley Wine and Food Festival on Aug. 12 and 13, it will be the vineyard's last. Owner George W. Naumburg, Jr. and his wife, Michelle, are retiring after this harvest.
By happenstance, most of the vines have reached the end of their useful lives, Naumburg says. "We'll get one more harvest out of them."
Besides the harvest, Naumburg and his wife have other work to do before they call it quits: They need to sell more than 2,000 cases of wine. Call the winery, or visit at the festival, which, for $15, gets you a glass to taste more than a dozen Hudson River wineries, including: Alison Wines and Vines, Applewood Vineyards, Baldwin Vineyards, Benmarl Wine Co., Brimstone Hill Vineyard, Brotherhood Winery, Cascade Mountain Winery and Restaurant, Glorie Farm Winery, Millbrook Vineyards, Pazdar Vineyards, Warwick Valley Vineyards and Whitecliff Vineyards. The festival will also showcase produce from several farms and food from local restaurants, including The Fish Cellar in Mount Kisco and Jaipore Restaurant in Brewster."
In 1965 George W. Naumburg, Jr., M.D. and his wife Michelle planted their first vines. Michelle came from Julliard and the Broadway stage with a detour through serious cooking. Her contributions are evident where ever you look and taste. Although grapes were new to him, George grew up on a farm in Northern Westchester. That experience plus his knowledge of chemistry and bacteriology gave him a good start on managing a vineyard and making wine. After growing 36 varieties of wine grapes to learn which could grow well and yield the best wine at this site, all but Seyval Blanc, Foch, de Chaunac and Chancellor were removed in 1979 when North Salem Vineyards became a commercial opertion."
We will visit them again before the barn doors are shut...but for now, better get in while the gettin' is good.
The winery had been a modern Dairy Barn quite unlike the more traditional dairy barns in the region. We re-built it in 1983 to provide a more dramatic, modern tasting room with space for indoor events. The remainder of the building holds stainless steel tanks, winemaking equipment, a laboratory, workspace for bottling and labeling and a temperature controlled room in which to store bottled wine.