Champagne corks popping at Sparkling Pointe
An elegant ballet of tiny bubbles, a symphony for the senses is how some describe the champagne produced on the small Long Island vineyard, Sparkling Pointe.
To those who imagine fine winemaking can only be done in regions of France or the United States west coast, the team at Sparkling Pointe begs to differ.
On Nov. 4, Sparkling Pointe founders Tom and Cynthia Rosicki took home an armful of prestigious awards, including two Best in Class, as well as gold and silver medals from the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in London. (Please read more here: https://www.sparklingpointe.com/wines/accolades-press/#)
“This was the most prestigious sparkling wine competition with all the best champagne houses from around the world competing, “ says Evan Ducz of Sparkling Pointe. “We’re very proud to be so well recognized!”
In this week’s Q&A with Boxerbrand blog Recipe for Success, Ducz discusses the 40-acre vineyard in Long Island, founded by attorneys Tom and Cynthia Rosicki, and built into a world-class winemaker.
Q: Congratulations on the awards! Please tell me more.
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC) is the most respected, comprehensive and rigorous international sparkling wine competition in the world.
Through a totally blind tasting process, the best wines receive Silver and Gold Medals. Sparkling Pointe won two Gold Medals, a Silver Medal, and two Best in Class. It was a big honor for Tom and Cynthia Rosicki, who were in London for the competition.
Q: Which were Sparkling Pointe’s top-scorers?
They were:
- 2014 Reserve Blanc de Blancs – United States Regional Trophy Award
- 2014 Reserve Blanc de Blancs – Best In Class New York Blanc de Blancs
- 2016 Topaz Impérial – Best In Class New York State Rosé
- 2014 Reserve Blanc de Blancs – Gold Medal
- 2016 Topaz Impérial – Gold Medal
- 2016 Brut – Silver Medal
Q: How did Sparkling Pointe get its start?
Our founders Cynthia and Tom Rosicki were both lawyers at a successful firm, when they decided they wanted to buy some land and start a winery. This was something they’d aspired to do for a long time.
The decision to buy the property in North Fork, where Sparkling Pointe was founded, was made after breakfast with a friend and commercial winemaker, Steve Mudd.
He knew by word-of-mouth about a property that was coming on the market, and took them there after asking what they wanted to plant. They knew from the beginning they wanted to focus on champagne and sparkling wine and when they saw the farm property, they put an offer in the same day!
Q: What is your best-known product?
Our classic champagne grape varietals — Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay— are award winning. And our traditional methods of making champagne have attracted customers and kept them coming back. Sparkling wines in general have increased in popularity over the years, and we have a real niche here. Once people come to our tasting room and sample the quality, they discover that we’re exceptional. And guests keep coming back.
Q: And your winemaker plays a pivotal role.
Yes! We have a very talented winemaker— Gilles Martin. He grew up near Champagne, France and was hired early on, after the land was purchased, and Cynthia and Tom acquired Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pino Muenier grapes in 2004. Gilles is deeply experienced and skilled in the traditional methods of wine making.
Q: What do you say to those who think fine wines and champagne only come from France?
Long Island has a maritime climate which is actually ideal for growing grapes for sparkling wine and champagne. Long Island is a glacial deposit with lots of drainage which is good for grape growing. And, we grow sandy loam.
It’s actually ideal for sparkling wine, because we harvest much earlier than those who harvest to make traditional still wines. We’re done harvesting four weeks before everyone else, in August. So, this greatly reduces our exposure to bad weather events.
The North Fork is still a young wine region, and vintners in the region are improving the viticulture processes every year.
Q: What is Sparkling Pointe’s secret to success?
I would say it’s Tom and Cynthia’s passion for the product. That’s the most important thing. You can have all the money in the world and throw it around, but if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to have as much success as they’ve had. — Sparkling Pointe uses Boxerbrand’s iCandy and Splash menu cover lines in their table presentation. Thank you!