Tasting Planned to Help Red Hook Winery Rebuild After Sandy

Winemaker Studio owner Anthony Nappa has a plentiful stock of Red Hook Winery wines at his Peconic tasting room, and he’s ready to liquidate them all to help the Brooklyn winery, which was destroyed after hurricane Sandy last month.

Nappa is planning a Red Hook Winery tasting this coming Monday at the Winemaker Studio on Peconic Lane from 5 to 9 p.m. in order to sell as much of the wine as possible to raise funds for a possible rebuild at the end of Pier 41 — a location that was completely pummeled when Sandy’s 11- to 16-foot storm surge waves hit, according to this report from the Village Voice.

“They lost everything — equipment and more importantly three vintages of wine in tank and barrel, all washed away or contaminated,” Nappa said.

The Village Voice went on to say that insurance does not cover loss from flooding at Red Hook, and that combined with other damage might be enough to prevent the winery from reopening. But those in the winemaking community from around the country have donated juice and supplies to Red Hook in hopes that Christopher Nicolson and Abe Schoener can continue to make wine.

Related: LI Craft Brewers Collaborate for Comrades Wiped Out By Sandy

Nappa said he reached out to Red Hook soon after the storm but the winemakers “refused charity.”

“Because Red Hook had some inventory off site, they asked us that the best help would be help sell some wine to raise some cash,” he said. “They said they are luckier then many of their neighbors in the area because they have inventory they can liquidate, and many of the businesses in the area need help even more.

“While the future of Red Hook Winery is uncertain at best, they ask that the best help would be for us to enjoy what remains of the fruits of there labors.”

On Dec. 3, the Winemaker Studio is offering free tastings of all the Red Hook wines in stock (15wines), first come first serve until tasting bottles are run out. The idea is to purchase something to support Red Hook winery as well as local wines and growers, as all the Red Hook wines at the studio are from North Fork vineyards including Jamesport Vineyards, Split Rock Vineyards, Palmer Vineyards, One Woman Vineyards, Mattabella Vineyards, Sargon Vineyards, and Macari Vineyards.

Industry discounts apply, general public case discount is 20% off all wines. For more information call 508-439-1174 or go to www.anthonynappawines.com, www.winemaker-studio.com.