Apr 7, 2007

Award-winning Vineyard Makes New York’s Best Wine

Casa Larga Vineyards had the best wine in New York state last year. Gov. George Pataki said so.

Pataki presented the 2005 Governor’s Cup, the state’s top wine award, to Casa Larga last August, during the 20th annual New York Wine and Food Classic. The winery’s 2004 Fiori Delle Stelle Vidal Ice wine was first among 671 entries submitted by 90 wineries, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Casa Larga Vineyards is used to winning awards for its wine and champagne. The Fairport, N.Y., winery has won more than 400 awards since its first vintage was created in 1978, according to www.casalarga.com.

The winery was founded by Andrew Colaruotolo, who grew up tending vineyards with his grandparents in Gaeta, Italy. After World War II, the 17-year-old emmigrated to Rochester, N.Y., in search of a better life. He started a successful home building company. In 1974, he planted two acres of grapes on a hill. He named the vineyard Casa Larga, after his grandparents’ vineyards in Italy, according to the Web site.

At first, the vineyard was Colaruotolo’s hobby, but after the first wine he produced won three awards and friends kept telling him he should sell more wine, it became a business all its own, said his daughter Andrea O’Neill, the winery’s director of marketing.

Colaruotolo died a couple years ago, but his vineyard is still a family business. His son, John, is the head winemaker. He learned all his father’s winemaking techniques, O’Neill said.

The winery now has 45 acres of grapes, a wine shop, tasting room, banquet facilities and hosts tours and festivals. There are about 40 employees, she said.

At first, Colaruotolo made traditional New York wines with traditional New York grapes, but then he found out European varieties could thrive in his region. He tore out his old vines and replanted them with viniferous grapes like Riesling and Chardonnay, she said.

“At the time, New York was known for not being able to produce good wine,” she said. “We’ve managed to shed the old image of being a juice and jelly state to becoming a premier wine region.”

Ironically, New York grapes are becoming popular again. The family is discussing replanting some New York varieties and producing a line of New York wines. It also is looking into releasing a premier wine series and developing more ice wine varieties, O’Neill said.

About half of Casa Larga’s wine is sold out of its wine shop. The rest is sold through restaurants and liquor stores, consumed at weddings and corporate events hosted by the winery or donated to various functions, she said.

A law that went into effect last year helps New York wineries to ship their product out of state. Casa Larga has been dabbling in out-of-state shipping, but meeting the different requirements of each state makes it difficult. However, shipping to other states will probably help the winery expand in the future, she said.