Veteran Long Island winemaker, Richard Olsen-Harbich, is also the draftsman behind the region’s three AVAs
Long Island (AVA)
The Architect of Long Island's Three AVAs: An inteview with Richard Olsen-Harbich
“…I got quite adept at writing these (AVA petitions) up and actually really enjoyed the work and what I learned from the research.”
by
Lenn Thompson
October 26, 2006
In an industry that is barely 30 years young, Richard Olsen-Harbich is an extreme veteran, having worked as a vineyard manager and winemaker for 27 years. Olsen-Harbich is now the winemaker and general manager at
Raphael. He's not only lived the differences between the
Hamptons Long Island,
Long Island and
North Fork of Long Island AVAs -- he authored the AVA petitions themselves.
Always quotable, Rich makes some of the North Fork's top red wine. Some have even garnered the region's top scores from glossy magazines. But he's not making wine for critics. He makes the wines that Long Island's unique terroir demands. Ask him to describe the style of his Sauvignon Blanc and he won't make analogies to New Zealand,
California or Sancerre. He calls it "Long Island style." He shuns oak fermentation and aging for his Cabernet Franc and his Chardonnay. He doesn't think oak-influenced styles work best with his fruit.
Lenn Thompson (LT): Tell me about your first winemaking job on Long Island. Where was it? When did you start?
