Bedell Cellars artful inclinations

On my visit to the North Fork over Labor Day weekend, I stopped at Bedell Cellars with a friend, Chris Smith, for a quick wine tasting. (Chris is very into wine, and a fan and collector of Bedell's wines). Being so immersed in the art world, I was thrilled to see such a serious collection of art hanging over the enormous tasting bar, and in the tasting and event facilities inside. The owner is a serious art collector of contemporary work it turns out. He also has managed to convince some very serious blue-chip contemporary artists to create art for his labels (hello Barbara Kruger's Taste Art label). I worked at a gallery that represented Barbara a few years back, and was very familiar with--and love-- her graphic, early work.
Getting artists to design labels isn't an original idea. It goes back hundreds of years, and there are even famous competitions for label designs in France. And there is some very bad art used on labels.
But fortunately, not at Bedell's.

Take a peek at the arty labels on their website, under Photo Gallery-Wines.

http://www.bedellcellars.com/

Bedell Cellar vines in early September. 

--Monica Forrestall

A place in the sun: Croteaux Vineyards on Long Island

A glass of bubbly Cuvee served up on a lazy labor day afternoon at Croteaux.

                 
Lucky me to have good friends Clair Baldwin (designer) and Chris (architect) Smith who are very good friends with Croteaux Vineyard owners, Paula and Michael Croteaux. Even though they were sold out of wine, closed for the season, with a get-the-hint? wooden barrier up  at the end of the driveway, when Chris and I rolled in the driveway, Paula graciously opened her tasting bar--just for us--and popped open some amazing Rose.  She expertly poured into stemless flutes atop a bar counter made of rustic barn wood. I love the details--can't you tell.


Paula Croteaux has impeccable "rustic contemporary" design taste. Everywhere you looked on their expansive property, was an exquisitely considered and styled vignette, like their barnwood tabletop tasting table area (below).  

Red wire chairs are pulled up to several barn-wood-topped tables 

in the sunny gravel courtyard area. 

The pretty bottle (with bird graphics designed by Paula's husband) had the most delicious sparkling rose. "Croteaux Cuvee Sparkle" ($24) is made in the French Charmant style (where wine is fermented in a sealed tank, retaining the carbon dioxide that's normally released from still wine production), and is dry, crisp with effervescent bubbles. A delicate pale peach color, it offers lively fruit flavors with a subtle tangerine finish. Definitely fun to drink!


With Chris and Clair's two boys, Raleigh and Gavin and my Max happily occupied chasing Paula's dog, we adults took a moment to toast the splendid sunny summer afternoon, the harvest and--of course---Earl's bypassing the vineyards and sparing what is shaping up to be one of the best vintages in years! La Vie en Rose, indeed.
http://www.croteaux.com/