The Old Field, Story and photographs by Christopher J. Davies, Publisher & Editorial Director
A Long Island Wine Country.com exclusive
The Long Island Wine Country is now entering its 28th year, and a relatively unknown industry veteran will soon be unveiling his wines for the first time to the public. This amazing story began more than 27 years ago, in 1974.
I met Christian Baiz (pronounced "Bays") formally for the first time in January at a party to celebrate the opening of the Long Island Wine Council's new office. He is a familiar face at many industry events and parties. I was pleased to learn that he is planning to release his wines to the public this year.
I visited the Baizes recently at their historic Peconic Bay waterfront home, located on the family farm in Southold. The Baiz family lives in a house that was once the Park Hotel in Southold, run by Mrs. Kreutzer who served, as historic documents revealed, a "German table." The hotel was built around the time of the Civil War on the Main Road, about a mile east of Southold Village. Mrs. Kreutzer retired in the early 1900s, around the time of World War I.
As a result of the war and the closure of Europe to tourism, Mr. Baiz's
great-grandmother, Mathilda Lang, purchased the hotel and farm in 1919 as an alternative to her annual summer travels back to Europe by steamship. She had the hotel building reduced in size and then moved from its Main Road location, across the farm fields, to the shores of Southold Bay in 1920.
The area is rich with history as Native Americans farmed this land before the first white settlers arrived in 1640. These first European settlers bartered with the natives for one-half acre parcels of this farmland per settler family for growing their food. Descendants of these first settlers, who were stakeholders on what is now the Baiz farmstead, still live in the Southold area today. Southold Town records, dating from the late 1600s, show that this farming area has been called "The Old Field" since that time.
Christian Baiz is the fourth generation family member living on the farm. He lives there with his wife, Rosamond Phelps Baiz, and his adult daughter, Perry. Their son, Ryan, lives in Los Angeles, pursuing a career in the movie industry as a stuntman.
Baiz is a bright and reflective man who believes in his family's heritage and believes that his family is "just the current tenants and stewards" of the farm. His home is full of reminders of the family's past. In his living room hangs a large oil portrait of the family matriarch, Mathilda Lang. His coffee table is stacked with scrapbooks and old photo albums filled with sepia toned photographs and newspaper clippings from the 1920s.
1974: First vineyard
Baiz was working abroad in the offshore oil drilling industry when he first learned of the Hargraves' efforts to establish the first vinifera grape vineyard on Long Island in Cutchogue. They had discovered that the North Fork's unique microclimate was very similar to that of the Bordeaux region in France. Baiz immediately recognized the Hargraves' effort as the salvation to keeping his family's land in economically viable agriculture as an alternative to his grandfather's and uncle's potato farming activities. He planted his first vineyard block with vine plants purchased from the Hargraves. This block survives today as the oldest existing vinifera block on the North Fork as the Hargraves have replaced their original plantings.
During the years, Baiz has planted not only the early non-clonal plants of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc, but the family's largest planting is of several Merlot clones followed by Cab Franc. Up until 1995, he sold his grapes to local wine producers while making small batches of wine for his family and friends. Now, the family holds the grapes and has them made into wine by Eric Fry, winemaker at Lenz Vineyards in Peconic.
The current vineyard planting exceeds ten acres on the twenty-one acre farm. It is a true family operation with Rosamond, the vineyard manager, and Christian actively overseeing the operation. Perry pitches in throughout the year when available, and Ryan has been instrumental, during his summer visits, in resurrecting and restoring the old agricultural buildings and barns. The bulk of "The Old Field's" wines have been produced at the Lenz winery in nearby Peconic. As Baiz sees it, "the biggest drawback for the LI wine industry is the shortage of land. I wish other multi-generation farmers would set aside a portion of their farms for vineyard planting. Wine grapes as wine sales offer a much higher revenue per acre than any other agricultural crop, let alone potatoes. This move can help perpetuate a farm's existence for future generations."
Baiz estimates that a vineyard that sells its own wine can generate an average of $35,000 in revenue per acre. He claims this is based on a typical yield of approximately three tons per acre, or about 200 cases of wine per acre, at an average bottle price of only $15.00 each.
The Wines
"My goal is to become a respected producer of red wines," states Baiz. He plans to release Bordeaux blend, a sparkling wine from Pinot Noir, several existing vintages of a Pinot Noir red, and a Chardonnay for those interested in a white wine. All wines will be produced under "The Old Field" label in dedication to his forebears and the first settlers who gave the vineyard area its original name.
Pinot Noir is most commonly produced in the Oregon wine region. PN is difficult to grow on Long Island. Baiz commented, " '93, '95, and '97 were excellent years for Pinot Noir. I feel that 1993 was the best vintage."
He has over 3,000 cases of wine that is slowly aging for future release. The first scheduled release is a 1997 Pinot Noir. A 1999 Merlot is scheduled to be bottled in May and could be released by year's end.
I tried the '97 Pinot Noir and was very impressed with its "in your face" flavor and nice finish. The wine is unfiltered, which may lead some drinkers to decant or filter prior to drinking. But all Long Island reds are unfiltered, as filtering detracts from flavor and color qualities.
First Winery
Applications have been submitted for a winery license and permits with conditional approvals already received in a pace-setting thirty-five days from date of submission from New York State. An existing two-story barn will be the first wine making and barrel aging facility to be ready before summer 2001. Subsequently, a new winery and tasting-room structure will be in place by 2003. Since "The Old Field's" early releases are limited in size, sales will be by appointment only.
Unique Facts:
Nearby Attractions:
For information, contact:
The Old Field
59600 Main Road
P.O. Box 726
Southold, NY 11971
Proprietors: Christian F.
and Rosamond Phelps Baiz
Tel. (631) 765-2465
Fax (631) 765-3553
E-mail:LIVinifera@aol.com