A Spirited Expansion

Reflecting a growing trend, one of Long Island’s most well-known wineries is trying its hand at a new business—making spirits.Inspired by the juniper bushes flanking the front of the estate, Wölffer Vineyards in Sagaponack will start selling its own bottles of gin in the spring. By the end of the year, a brandy should be launched, as well.

“We are 100 percent made at the farm,” said Roman Roth, winemaker and partner at Wölffer Vineyards. “The flavor for the gin comes from our juniper bushes.” Located just north of Montauk Highway, Wölffer Estate has 170 rolling acres, with 50 reserved for growing grapes.

Mr. Roth, who is originally from Germany, moved to the South Fork in 1991, landing his job at Wölffer soon after. He loves the region. “I think we can all be proud of what is grown here,” he said. “The whole key to the success of Long Island is that we are such a culinary and wine destination … You don’t have to visit California or France.”

Wölffer’s newest venture was made possible in part by the 2007 Farm Distillery Act, which allows small-scale distillers who source predominantly from New York State to establish their business with reduced licensing fees. An amendment to the law by Governor Cuomo in 2012 also allows producers to distill spirits and wine under the same roof, rather than in separate buildings.

“That was a big obstacle,” Mr. Roth said of the building requirement.

On Long Island, the number of small farm-distilleries jumped from two in 2011 to six in 2015, thanks in part to legislation that expanded the original act by allowing distilleries to distribute their own liquor directly to customers at events like farmers markets.

“Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has recognized the incredible potential for New York’s beverage manufacturers and delivered unprecedented assistance to industry businesses and the farmers who support them,” said Howard Zemsky, Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner this week in an email.

“To ensure this momentum continues, Mr. Zemsky said, "the governor is calling for additional tax relief for craft manufacturers, expansion of the highly effective Taste NY initiative, and for the modernization and simplification of the state’s beverage control laws.”

“That is why all these farm wineries and distilleries pop up,” Mr. Roth said separately. “You are not risking it all.”

“It is great for the state,” said Jason Laan, owner of Sag Harbor Rum, which was founded in 2014. This spirits company does not benefit from the legislation, because a main ingredient of rum is sugar cane, which is not produced in New York. However, Mr. Laan said he is happy that other small-scale distillers can open up shop in New York, noting that the law is “a great incentive for small-scale entrepreneurs.”

Meanwhile, the Farm Cider law, which was signed by the governor in 2013, encouraged Mr. Laan to move into the cider business. He recently launched Furnace, a spicy hard cider made with cayenne pepper, ginger and lemon, with all the apples sourced from a fifth-generation family farm in upstate New York.

The new laws have also led to the establishment of companies like Dean Foster’s Sagaponacka Vodka, which is expected to launch this spring.

Mr. Roth said he was excited for the competition, and about the reputation that the South Fork is building in the beverage industry. “If you were a potato grower, what else can you do?” he asked. “It gives the farmers an option; the same as the ciders.”

Many of Wölffer’s wines—including the Wölffer Rosé 2014, Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and Fabiana Botrytis Late Harvest Rosé 2012—are sourced only from Long Island grapes. The winery notes on each bottle where the grapes were grown—creating a consistency that is “the key, we feel, to our reputation,” Mr. Roth said.

Mr. Roth believes that the original Farm Winery Act of 1976 created a wine industry now celebrated all over the state, in much the same way that the more recent farm-based beverage legislation has encouraged small-batch distillers. The original act allowed small-scale wineries to sell directly to consumers with reduced licensing fees, as long as they sourced exclusively from New York State. More recent legislation allows wineries to open branch stores, like Wölffer’s restaurant in Sag Harbor, and to host a greater number of charitable events on their properties.

“That started the whole wine business," said Mr. Roth. "A small-scale winery could sell its own wine. That gave grape growers a chance to make money."

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