Long Island’s eastern residents are all well acquainted with the magnificent Osprey, a seaside bird of prey that soars through our skies and nests high atop dead trees and poles. Circling overhead, the raptor seeks out fish for sustenance. He may also be supervising the progress of the vines, inspiring one local grower to name his vineyard label after the great bird.
The Osprey’s Dominion vineyard was conceived in 1983, when newly retired Bud Koehler became one of the early vintners to settle on the eastern north fork. Koehler began with a 24-acre plot, which was situated in Peconic. His was one of only four other Long Island vineyards at that time; the other three were Hargrave, Pindar and Paumanok vineyards. His annual autumn grape harvest was sold to surrounding wineries. In the late eighties, he expanded by purchasing another 16 acres in Mattituck. It was not until 1990 that the final acquisition of an additional 50 acres in Peconic prompted the addition of a wine production facility on this site. The premiere bottle of wine produced by Osprey’s Dominion was unveiled in 1991. By 2012, their second label of Richmond Creek was introduced to compliment the Osprey’s Dominion portfolio.
While the talents of Adam Suprenant, Osprey’s Dominion’s winemaker, are evident in every flavorful sip, the winery team’s philosophy acknowledges nature’s helping hand in growing spectacular grapes. First, Long Island shares the same latitudinal range as two of the world’s renowned wine-producing areas, that of France and also of California’s Napa Valley. Additionally, the north fork’s agricultural soil conditions and the breezy surrounds of the Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound create the perfect balance of aeration and moisture to nurture the ideal grapes for creating smooth, excellent and complex wines.
The tasting room is a restored farmhouse on the Peconic vineyard premises. The expansive venue, with its formidable wooden beams overhead, features displays of the lengthy portfolio that Osprey’s Dominion produces and plenty of room at the tasting bar to sample the flights. The tasting room staff is friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic to introduce you to the aromas and flavors of each wine creation. Tables welcome guests to have a seat and savor a glass of wine at the leisurely pace that the east end revels in.
Outdoor sipping and nibbling accommodations include over 30 picnic tables and a gazebo with a view, with seemingly infinite rows of vines in the background. An outside wine bar is set up from April through October, and many weekends host live musical performances on the outside stage. As the loving owner of Spice, the Maine Coon who proudly presides as the winery mascot, Koehler welcomes pets to the vineyard to join their owners in a sunny afternoon of wine savoring and relaxing. Guests are permitted to bring their own picnic lunches, or they may opt to purchase cheeses in the tasting room to enjoy with their wine. Osprey’s Dominion produces several fabulous red wines, including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec, carmenere and their Flight meritage red wine. The 2007 Reserve Merlot was named best merlot at the 2011 New York Wine and Food Classic. Their white wines include a spectacular sauvignon blanc, fume blanc, chardonnay, an excellent Riesling and Gewurtztraminer and their Flight Edelzwicker white wine. Their portfolio also includes a rose, a blanc de noir sparkling wine and some dessert favorites that include port, a late harvest sauvignon blanc and an enticing Spice wine. Some past delights included their strawberry wine and peach wine. Many of the wines of Osprey’s Dominion have earned numerous awards and accolades.
Now in his early eighties, Koehler is still going strong. Embracing his passion for Long Island’s ever-growing wine scene, he continues his devotion to maintaining an active role in striving to create premium quality wines. He does have a little help, for which he is grateful, from his enthusiastic winery team and from Mother Nature, all under the watchful gazes of the ospreys in flight against the azure skies overhead.
Osprey’s Dominion is located at 44075 Main Road in Peconic. Visit www.ospreysdominion.com for directions, hours of operation and a schedule of winery events. Osprey’s Dominion is one of the local wineries participating in this year’s 7th annual Long Island Winterfest Live On the Vine. To learn more about this event, click on Long Island Scene’s This Season link.
The Osprey’s Dominion vineyard was conceived in 1983, when newly retired Bud Koehler became one of the early vintners to settle on the eastern north fork. Koehler began with a 24-acre plot, which was situated in Peconic. His was one of only four other Long Island vineyards at that time; the other three were Hargrave, Pindar and Paumanok vineyards. His annual autumn grape harvest was sold to surrounding wineries. In the late eighties, he expanded by purchasing another 16 acres in Mattituck. It was not until 1990 that the final acquisition of an additional 50 acres in Peconic prompted the addition of a wine production facility on this site. The premiere bottle of wine produced by Osprey’s Dominion was unveiled in 1991. By 2012, their second label of Richmond Creek was introduced to compliment the Osprey’s Dominion portfolio.
While the talents of Adam Suprenant, Osprey’s Dominion’s winemaker, are evident in every flavorful sip, the winery team’s philosophy acknowledges nature’s helping hand in growing spectacular grapes. First, Long Island shares the same latitudinal range as two of the world’s renowned wine-producing areas, that of France and also of California’s Napa Valley. Additionally, the north fork’s agricultural soil conditions and the breezy surrounds of the Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound create the perfect balance of aeration and moisture to nurture the ideal grapes for creating smooth, excellent and complex wines.
The tasting room is a restored farmhouse on the Peconic vineyard premises. The expansive venue, with its formidable wooden beams overhead, features displays of the lengthy portfolio that Osprey’s Dominion produces and plenty of room at the tasting bar to sample the flights. The tasting room staff is friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic to introduce you to the aromas and flavors of each wine creation. Tables welcome guests to have a seat and savor a glass of wine at the leisurely pace that the east end revels in.
Outdoor sipping and nibbling accommodations include over 30 picnic tables and a gazebo with a view, with seemingly infinite rows of vines in the background. An outside wine bar is set up from April through October, and many weekends host live musical performances on the outside stage. As the loving owner of Spice, the Maine Coon who proudly presides as the winery mascot, Koehler welcomes pets to the vineyard to join their owners in a sunny afternoon of wine savoring and relaxing. Guests are permitted to bring their own picnic lunches, or they may opt to purchase cheeses in the tasting room to enjoy with their wine. Osprey’s Dominion produces several fabulous red wines, including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec, carmenere and their Flight meritage red wine. The 2007 Reserve Merlot was named best merlot at the 2011 New York Wine and Food Classic. Their white wines include a spectacular sauvignon blanc, fume blanc, chardonnay, an excellent Riesling and Gewurtztraminer and their Flight Edelzwicker white wine. Their portfolio also includes a rose, a blanc de noir sparkling wine and some dessert favorites that include port, a late harvest sauvignon blanc and an enticing Spice wine. Some past delights included their strawberry wine and peach wine. Many of the wines of Osprey’s Dominion have earned numerous awards and accolades.
Now in his early eighties, Koehler is still going strong. Embracing his passion for Long Island’s ever-growing wine scene, he continues his devotion to maintaining an active role in striving to create premium quality wines. He does have a little help, for which he is grateful, from his enthusiastic winery team and from Mother Nature, all under the watchful gazes of the ospreys in flight against the azure skies overhead.
Osprey’s Dominion is located at 44075 Main Road in Peconic. Visit www.ospreysdominion.com for directions, hours of operation and a schedule of winery events. Osprey’s Dominion is one of the local wineries participating in this year’s 7th annual Long Island Winterfest Live On the Vine. To learn more about this event, click on Long Island Scene’s This Season link.