Long Island is getting yet another winery, with a spring opening being targeted.
Kontokosta Winery, situated on a 62-acre parcel in Greenport Village on Long Island Sound, has 23 acres in plantings and will include a tasting room, wine library and cellar.
The winery operation is owned by brothers Michael and Constantine Kontokosta, who own the Harbor Front Inn in Greenport and Cove Place Inn in Aquebogue.
The vineyard is planted with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The new winery is expected produce about 3,000 cases of wine annually, for sale only on the premises.
Gilles Martin, an experienced North Fork winemaker, is the head winemaker for the new enterprise. The winery, designed to resemble a 19th Century New England barn, was constructed using energy and natural resource-saving methods, designed to meet the LEED Gold Certification level.
Martin, known most recently for his work at Sparkling Pointe Vineyard in Southold, comes from a family of French winemakers. He earned undergraduate degrees in biology and food science and a master's degree in oenology from the University of Montpelier, France. He has made wine in Germany, Australia, Virginia and California, where he worked at the Roederer Estate. You can read a larger bio of him here.
Comments