The vineyards owned by Bedell Cellars are said to have the oldest average age of vines in the North Fork. The soil here is sandy loam and gravelly loam created by melting glaciers. They plant grape clones suited to the soil and microclimate of each field, and cultivate the grapes so that the nuances and wind aromas of Long Island can be felt exactly in the wine. The wine is brewed entirely with natural yeast, and they carefully create unique wines by considering the natural acidity and minerals of the grapes, the balance of barrel aromas and alcohol content. Kip Bedell, who lived in Garden City on Long Island, started making wine as a hobby at home. As he and his wife Susan made wine, he felt that making wine in the basement of their house was not enough, so in 1979 he purchased a 50-acre potato field and began cultivating it as a vineyard. The two started Bedell Cellars while commuting from Garden City, and with the help of friends, they planted the first 7 hectares of fields, and then expanded the fields. The first harvests, 1983 and 1984, were sold to other wineries. In 1985, the winery was hit by the devastating Hurricane Gloria, which, combined with power outages and other effects, caused the winery to lose almost all of the grapes for red wine. Due to these accidents, Kip calls the 1986 vintage Bedell Cellars' first harvest. And this first vintage, the Chardonnay Reserve, won a gold medal at the Dallas Morning News competition. The vineyards currently owned by Bedell Cellars are said to have the oldest average age of vines in the North Fork of Long Island. The soil in this area is said to have been created by melting glaciers, and is sandy loam and gravelly loam. Each vineyard is planted with a clone of grape that is suited to the soil and microclimate of the vineyard, and the grapes are grown so that the nuances of Long Island and the aroma of the wind can be felt exactly in the wine. The wine is brewed entirely with natural yeast. They brew their wines while carefully considering the balance between the natural acidity and minerals of the grapes and the aroma of the barrels and the alcohol content. Currently owned by Michael Lin, chairman and CEO of New Line Cinema, the film company known for Lord of the Rings, they have installed the latest equipment and continue to produce wines of even higher quality. In January 2013, Bedell's Merlot was served at the inauguration lunch for President Obama's reelection, making the winery a hot topic. About the Long Island wine region:
Long Island, known as the "Bordeaux of New York," is the newest and fastest growing wine region in New York State. Located about 160km east of New York City, the tip of the island is divided into the North Fork and the South Fork, known as The Hamptons. The Great Peconic Bay splits the island into two forks, with the North Fork bordering the Long Island Sound to the north and the South Fork bordering the Pacific Ocean to the south. These waters bring a warm climate and a long grape growing season, making it the perfect place for traditional European varieties such as robust Merlot and aromatic and elegant Cabernet Franc.