Now primarily a cattle ranch, Circle S may soon add 441 acres of vineyards to the 27 already planted there. Owner Premier Pacific Vineyards will place more than 500 acres of oak woodlands in the Land Trust of Napa Valley
Napa Valley, Calif. -- If you think the economy or recent past surpluses of grapes have discouraged planting, it may come as a surprise that well over 1,000 acres of new vineyards are being planned in Napa Valley alone in five big projects.
Sagaponack, N.Y. -- Christian Wölffer, the founder of Wölffer Estate Vineyard, one of Long Island's most prestigious wineries, died in a swimming accident off the coast of Brazil on Dec. 31, 2008. He was 70 and lived on the winery estate in Sagaponack.
Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1938, he became an international entrepreneur during a career that included investment banking, real estate, venture capital and agriculture. In 1978, he bought 14 acres of land in the Hamptons as a weekend getaway and started a small horse farm, which he later turned into an 80-stall facility with the largest indoor riding ring on the East Coast. Today, Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Stables has more than 170 acres, 100 of which are devoted to the equestrian center used for schooling, breeding, year-around instruction and boarding.
