Containers, Vessels and Kegs by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - April 2011 Throughout history, winemakers and wine drinkers have used animal skins, earthenware jars, pottery amphorae, stoneware, wood, concrete, glass, stainless steel and now plastic to hold wine. Even today much of the world's wine is never formally bottled and is consumed locally in whatever bottles (or other vessels) are available... read more > To Be Ripe by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - December 2010 If ever there was a year to ripen cabernet sauvignon grapes on the East End of Long Island, it was this past 2010 vintage. Not only did we have the heat (one of the warmest years on record) and the lack of water (one of the driest) but we had the time... read more > Don't Count Your Chickens by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Summer 2010 I try to avoid making judgements about the quality of a vintage until all the fruit is picked. Even then I would prefer to wait until the wine is actually in the bottle. But, it is hot. Hot enough to make everyone just a little bit crazy... read more > All the World's a Stage by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Low Summer 2010 Allison, the general manager of Channing Daughters, my wife and my partner in past theatrical pursuits, likes to say, "The curtain goes up when you turn into the winery driveway." Indeed the long dramatic path through the sea of vines is bucolic and magical-an everyday reminder of the dramatic life... read more > Pursuing Mastery by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Spring 2010 There are masters of everything these days: master gardeners, master electricians, master plumbers, master chefs and, yes, masters of wine. Since its inception in 1955, the Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom has bestowed the title of "Master of Wine" on very few people... read more > The Copper Conundrum by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Winter 2010 Our lives are inextricably linked with the element copper. Electrical wiring, computers, most water pipes, coinage, biomedical technology and numerous chemical uses would be impossible without copper. It possesses germicidal properties and is used in hospitals. It is an essential trace nutrient in the diets of all animals and higher plant life... read more > My Dancing Partner by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - High Summer 2009 There exists an unresolved debate in the wine world. Some propose that great wine is made in the vineyard, while others suggest that it is made in the cellar. The reality is that each statement is only half true. The old adage “it takes two to tango”—whether referring to the dance or, more often, an argument—is apt. Without each other we would have nothing... read more > Six Hours North by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Low Summer 2009 Harvest is mind-boggling. From the second week of September to the first week of November, our vineyards sometimes feel like an endless freeway of baskets, trucks and tractors ferrying grapes right on top of us... read more > THE CRUNCH by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Winter 2009 It was an unseasonably mild day in the beginning of April when Kareem Massoud from Paumanok Vineyards and I traveled to Ithaca to take part in the 38th New York Wine Industry Workshop sponsored by Cornell University and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation... read more > It Was 20 Years Ago Today... by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Fall 2008 Memory is short. Often we forget the past and more recent events fill in our sense of reality. Not long ago I nearly tripped over a double magnum of 1988 Bedell Cellars Reserve Merlot while reorganizing our wine cellar. That year was a seminal one for the Long Island wine district: a great vintage... read more > Love Making Wine by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - High Summer 2008 Winegrowing on the East End of Long Island is not for the faint of heart. From the difficulties of our climate to the feeding frenzies of the local deer population and flocks of birds to the demands of running a small business, we are faced with daily challenges. On bucolic blue-skied days when folks feel like they are in paradise we often hear, "Oh, you must love what you do"... read more > Know and Learn by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Low Summer 2008 If you were to wander over to the second floor of Chancellor's Hall on Stony Brook University's Southampton campus this past spring you would have found me and a classroom of 23 eager students tasting and learning about wine.... read more > Vintage, Veritas and Perception by James Christopher Tracy Edible East End - Spring 2008 Mother Nature smiled lovingly upon the wine-growers of Eastern Long Island this past year. The season was warm and dry with little rainfall or humidity and the good weather lasted well into October.... read more > 2006 Newsletter, Volume I Update on the 2005 harvest, the new 2005 Tre Rosati program, and 2006 events at the winery. read more > Spring/Summer, 2005 Growing Grapes for Channing Daughters' Wine: A Passion for Grapes Required; The Channing Daughters Chardonnay program; Schedule of events for spring/summer/fall 2005; Wine club information. read more > Winter/Spring 2004-2005 Article about containers in the winemaking process, interview with Margery Mailman, upcoming events December through May 2005. read more > Spring/Summer 2004 Blending Article-at Channing Daughters and beyond; Spring/Summer 2004 event schedule & current release availability. read more > Fall/Winter 2003-2004 Artisanal Wine and Food:Handcrafting For Quality and Pleasure; Fall & Winter events at the winery; Wine Club developments. read more > Spring/Summer 2003 Stories on our Italianate Wine program, wine class series, our winemaking team and happenings at the winery. read more > Fall 2002 - Winter/Spring 2003 Newsletter: How Our Winery Has Grown, Profile of Allison Dubin & Christopher Tracy, Information on current wines and Channing Daughters Wine Club. read more >