Business & Tech

Behind the Vines: James Silver, Pillar Of North Fork Wine Community, Leaving For Sonoma

James Silver, general manager of the Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue, is moving to California to pursue a long-held dream and follow his passion for wine.

Only days after Jim Silver, general manager of the Peconic Bay winery, announced that the last bottle of wine was being offered from the business, he revealed that he, too, will be bidding adieu to North Fork wine country.

Silver, a bastion of the wine industry for 25 years, is packing up the Cutchogue home he shares with his wife Claire and their children Nicole and Jacob — a light-filled retreat at the top of a bluff overlooking the Long Island Sound, set back behind Peconic Bay's vines — and following a long-held dream to Sonoma, where he hopes to set down roots and harvest a new set of memories.

And, not surprising from a man who's blazed new trails in the wine industry, Silver and his wife are flying without a net — moving to a home in Santa Rosa they rented sight unseen on the internet, to a town where they know no one, and with no job offer yet on the table.

"We're jumping in with two feet," Claire said.

And it's not the first time.

The journey for Silver to the North Fork began in Philadephia, where he was born, to the Jersey Shore, where he once worked giving change in arcades as a young man. After graduating from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College with a culinary degree, Silver found himself instead drawn to the wine business, working at various restaurants before serving as a sommelier at the top-rated Four Seasons in Philadelphia.

Silver and his wife, who is also in the industry, grew up only miles away from one another in sleepy beach towns, met in Philadelphia at an event held at a luxury hotel — the same building and spot where his own parents met years before.

Destiny, perhaps, they agreed — and hand in hand, they set off to start their first adventure in New York.

"We moved to Manhattan," Silver said, adding that he had no sooner established himself as the sales director for Grupo Codorniu, when he was laid off after only a few days. "There I was, new to New York and unemployed," Silver said.

But a visit to the North Fork with family led to an open door at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic. "Eight days later I found myself as the new national sales director for Pindar, where I spent the next three years," Silver said.

Silver said he brought a new sense of business acumen to the laid-back North Fork. "I was the first 'suit' they hired. I wore a tie. I was a professional wine salesman," he said.

Under his eye, Silver said, the winery "grew a lot," from 48,000 to 79,000 cases per year. He introduced popular magnums of chardonnay and merlot.

"I didn't know anything about Long Island and because I didn't know, I thought anything was possible," Silver said. 

After putting himself on the North Fork's proverbial map at Pindar, where he "made sure Pindar rose as much as we possibly could," Silver took a brief foray out of the vineyards to work for Hess Collection, out of the company's New York office.

When his wife became pregnant with their first child, Silver was approached by Trent Pressler of Bedell Cellars. "He asked if I was still available and then said, 'I want you to come to Bedell,'" Silver said.

As Senior Vice-President of sales and marketing at Bedell Cellars, Silver smiled as he recalled the groundbreaking accomplishments. "I'm the guy that gave the world First Crush," a dry white blend known for its combination of Chardonnay and Riesling.

After 18 months, when Silver said he realized that an opportunity for a general manager position might not open, it was time for some introspective thought. "I realized, 'I'm not getting where I want to be."

And so, Silver made the move to Peconic Bay winery, where he said he was hired by owners Paul and Ursula Lowerre to breathe new life into the business.

"I was offered the position of general manager and it was such a dream," he said. "It was an under-recognized property and I wanted to see what I could do."

Silver accepted the offer in March, 2009, while he was watching the St. Patrick's Day parade — and the adventure of a lifetime was launched.

"It was the most fun and most exciting time in my professional life," Silver said. "It was the best five-year ride I could ever have hoped for. I got to do everything I ever wanted to do."

Looking back on his string of achievements, Silver said he's proud of many, including creating the new line of Nautique wines, organizing the NOFO Rock & Folk Fest, which brought big names such as Richie Havens to Cutchogue, launching the Standard Cider Company in 2010, which produced True Companion and True Believer hard apple ciders, bottling Long Island's first brandy, Sono Ronata, facilitating the installation of revolutionary solar panels, and creating Empire State Cellars, which distributes wine out of Tanger in Riverhead, a venture that he said is still soaring financially.

In addition, Silver said, Peconic Bay Winery, along with Macari, was the among the first to graft new vines onto old ones; for example, Merlot became Malbec in 2010.

"Our wine club went from zero to 700 members in less than five years," Silver said, also crediting his "astonishing" staff.

Laughing, Silver and his wife recalled the fun of Friday night fish fries by a blazing firepit.

Looking back at the five years, which also included making black, red and white labels and replanting the vines, he said. "We had a great time."

But sadly, the rebirth of Peconic Bay winery was not to be, and the business produced its last bottles recently. 

"Paul hired me in 2009 and he already knew Peconic Bay needed help if they were going to survive. The winery was losing money," Silver said.

And indeed, while he made huge strides, polishing packaging and raising prices to help lend an air of exclusivity, "our losses diminished but didn't disappear."

At one point, Silver said, "Paul and Ursula decided, 'It isn't working.' It's a painful thing. No one wanted it to fail."

And while he "threw everything" into the business, with sales surpassing $1 million in 2011, Silver said, "It wasn't enough. We needed to get to $2 million."

Sandy, last year, dealt the winery its last crippling blow, Silver said, ripping off a canopy that would have spent $75,000 to replace, as well as roofs, and keeping the business closed for 11 days with a live downed power line right outside by a public bus stop.

It wasn't easy to say good-bye to the dream, Silver said. "I wanted to keep going."

But the Lowerres made the decision not to re-open in Cutchogue. And so, this year, Silver laid off 21 employees, many of whom lived and worked in Southold, including himself. "The vineyard was definitely a family," he said.

In total, at one point, Peconic Bay Winery employed 45, all with health insurance and benefits, he said.

For months, speculation has been swirling about whether the vineyards were up for sale.

On Friday, Silver said, "No, we’ve not been sold.  And right now we’re still not for sale. In fact, the vineyards are going to be run by Russell (Hearn) for another year into 2014. One of our parcels in Peconic is for sale, though, for $2.65 million at Brown Harris Stevens."

Silver said it would take two to three years to sell the property even if a buyer stepped forward immediately.

Looking ahead, he's filled with optimism about the future. "I"ve always wanted to move to California, for the last 20 years," he said.

His wife agreed. "I'm behind him 100 percent. He has a passion that a lot of people don't have about their careers."

Silver said, "When we moved to New York, it wasn't because I was in love with New York. I was in love with wine. Next stop? California."

California, he said, is "unstoppable," rising to the top of the heap and garnering international recognition for its wine.

Silver hopes to do the same job in California, running a winery in the Sonoma Valley or in Napa. 

Casting an eye on the North Fork wine region, Silver has some parting advice. "This is not sustainable," he said. "The way to go is to remain small."

The industry, Silver said, should forego music, bachelorette parties, limos, and efforts to expand beyond its means.

"If I had to do it differently, I never would have done the music. It brings people but it doesn't drive business. It's a band-aid on a big wound." Expenses for large-scale events eat up any profits, he said. "Agri-tainment is wrong. Agri-tourism is right."

Silver hastened to add that he is "vehemently opposed" to Southold Town's intrusion on the ability of a business to proceed as they see fit.

To survive, Silver believes the industry needs to create a boutique ambiance, focusing on the best quality product and raising prices to promote exclusivity.

The wines, he said, might not yet be quite ready, after only 30 years, for the international spotlight.

"It takes a humble person to realize it might not make it in the global market. It takes a wise person to realize that that's more than okay," Silver said.

Trying to succeed with low price points in a market ruled by countries such as Chile, Australia and others is a strategy destined to fail, Silver said. "Everyone does cheap wine better than us. It's either go big, with price and quality, or go home."

The wine, Silver said, "needs to be kept here. It's wine for here. Keep it that way. It's a jewel, an heirloom, a gem."





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