All our practices have proven to expose and accentuate our unique terroir at Roanoke Vineyards. In order to unleash terroir, you first have to identify it and believe in it. I was a skeptic for years about terroir, but once found, it has become intoxicating (pun intended). It's elusive and difficult to harness, but the gentler you are in the vineyard, and with the grapes, and the more you trust your intuition as to your decisions intended to present terroir, the more it will take hold and be expressed in your wines.
"It won't be easy or simple, but for the long-term economic and environmental viability of our winegrowing regions, we need to prioritize sustainability," says Sam Filler, executive director of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF). "But that doesn't just mean viticultural practices, although we do ultimately want to reduce our reliance on agrochemicals. It also means encouraging biodiversity around vineyards, creating environmentally responsible packaging, reducing energy output and thinking about the welfare of workers in the vineyard and the communities around our vineyards."
We want our community to think local and drink local, and for that, we need to do our part in keeping the area safe, beautiful, and healthy. All of these tactics for sustainability are anchored in the betterment of our crops, air, soil, and water. With that, we ask people to consider buying locally sourced sustainable products to do their part.
Sustainability makes us pay more attention to details both large and small. When you pay more attention to what you’re doing, you typically achieve better results. I believe that since we’ve been in the program our groundwater is cleaner, our vines are healthier, our workers are happier, and our wines are more delicious.
Whitney Beaman, program manager for Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing, spoke about the success of the not-for-profit LISW, inspired by the VineBalance Guide to New York Viticulture. The LISW started with just a few members and now includes 22 estates and over 1,000 acres of vineyard, representing about half of the Long Island wine industry.
While longevity isn’t the only indicator of quality, the aged wines poured by Long Island’s winemakers made a statement about the region’s place in the greater wine world. Though experience has led to better and better wines over the region’s 45-year history, the quality that exists right now is just the tip of the iceberg.
"We decided to recognize Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing with our first Sustainability Award because they are at the forefront of sustainable production, essential education and the widespread standardization vital to this environmental movement here in New York," said New York Wine & Grape Foundation Executive Director, Sam Filler.
Wise helped to develop guidelines and regulations for Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW), the only third-party certified program for vineyards on the East Coast. LISW focuses on the use of safe low-impact pest management while guaranteeing that pesticides that can leach into the groundwater are never used.
LISW, PO Box 30, Cutchogue, NY 11935 P: 631-734-7537
