Wurtsboro, New York

 

Growing up, Paul Deninno always loved the outdoors, but for the longest time, that love was never a part of his work life. After an accident working in mechanics, Paul happily got himself out and began work with computers. Still itching for the outdoors, he bought himself a piece of property in Wurtsboro, NY, right across the street from the Basha Kill public boat launch.

Paul’s commute to Jersey for work got much longer after his company’s reorganization making work in the office feel even more suffocating than it once did. With dreams of escaping the office and doing something agricultural, Paul began taking classes and seminars at Cornell. After an inspiring trip to California, he returned home thinking about growing grapes. He came to find out that the wetlands he lived across from act as an ideal microclimate for what he wanted to do. Most of Sullivan County has a cold climate that is not necessarily grape friendly, however, right around the wetlands, the soil is sandy and well drained, and the fog creates an insulating blanket for the grapes during cold temperatures, which is nearly perfect for growing grapes.

After taking some classes Paul casually tried out his new skill, gaining first place in an amateur wine competition. With the help of an old-time farmer he had met from purchasing some of his first grapes, the two began doing prep work to grow grapes on Paul’s land. In 2005 he planted his first vines and each following year planted a little bit more. By December 2007 he received the first Farm Winery license in Sullivan County, NY. Every year since then, Paul has been slowly growing his business, growing different grapes, crafting different wines, and adding additional services for his customers.

When Paul first opened for business in 2007, his concept was very much like a tasting room. People could come to try his wine and then leave with a bottle of their favorite. However, no one knew he was there. Eager to build his customer base, Paul and his friends began waving people down passing by on the street. Over time, word of mouth spread, and they accumulated a number of regulars. Today they have hundreds of people who come up for day trips from The City and New Jersey as well as a number of locals.

Before farm wineries could legally serve beer Paul went out of his way to acquire a farm brewery license in addition to his winery license. He was able to convert some of his wine equipment to start brewing beer because he knew this was a growing interest to many people. Last year the law changed and coincidentally Paul made the decision to focus more on his wine as both projects became a bit too much for his mostly, one-man show.

However, what Paul’s brewing endeavor did do for him, was inspire a more sustainable approach in serving his wines. This year they decided to keg a lot more of their wine as most customers drink it by the glass when they go to the vineyard. Paul then has to spend less time bottling to simply throw away the bottles at the end of the day. They’re also able to sell their wine for a bit cheaper to customers who are filling up growlers, as they’re no longer spending as much on bottles, labels, and corks. The actual process of kegging the wine keeps it fresher than it would otherwise be.

Paul is not planning on growing his operation to great volumes. What really speaks to him is being able to create a truly hand-crafted product. He crushes everything by hand and even pays extra for better quality, hand-picked grapes, instead of ones that are machine harvested. Paul does every part of the process he can naturally, using sheep in the vineyard to help get rid of the weeds. All the posts are black locust, a very hard wood that is not pressure treated so there are no chemicals leaching into the ground.

They are slowly working on becoming a sustainable vineyard. All the cups and plates they use are compostable. All their forks and napkins are made from wheat husks, which compost in 3 to 5 days. They compost all their extra food, and they’re looking into solar next year.

For now, Bashakill Vineyard’s growth is really about building onto what they already have, to create a better experience for their customers. They do sell their wines to a handful of local stores and restaurants, but they mostly sell it on premises. Paul is slowly working to grow more varieties of grapes as well as crafting exciting new varieties of wine for his customers. Cayuga White was their very first, and this year they made it sparkling and infused with lavender from a local friend’s farm. Their Cabernet Franc, called Black Bear, is always one of the first to go. Paul says it’s very smooth because, in addition to aging all their reds for two years, they use old school barrels instead of tanks and chips. Paul explained that this really makes a difference in his wines which have very low sulfites and no other chemical additives.

Another point that was very important to Paul and his wife Samara, the chef for their full farm to table catering, is keeping the money in the area. As they grow the food aspect of their business (this was their first year with a full menu) they want to make sure they continue to get all their food from local farms. This means their menu does change regularly with the seasons and availability, but they generally serve different tacos, cheese plates, ice cream, and even have pizza days with pizza made fresh from their wood-fired pizza oven.

Many of their customers come by after a day of hiking or bird watching. There are about 4 or 5 eagles that can usually be seen flying around near the boat launch right across the street. There are also multiple hiking trails that connect spanning all the way around the Basha Kill with a couple different lookout towers. Even in the middle of winter on a Saturday they still get customers stopping in after hiking or cross-country skiing. With customers from all walks of life, Bashakill Vineyards not only handcrafts an assortment of white and red wines (in addition to two rosés), they serve a house brewed kombucha, cocktails made with local spirits, and always have at least 4 NY beers on tap.

Their hand-painted signs are just a small example of the hard work, thought, and care that goes into what Paul, Samara, and their friends have built at Bashakill Vineyards. Committed to making sure every weekend is a celebration with live music, games, an upper deck overlooking the wetlands, and tasting of any 4 wines for free, Bashakill Vineyards is a beautiful getaway for just about anyone.

 

CONTACT

Phone: (845) 888 – 5858
Location: 1131 South Rd. Wurtsboro, NY 12790
Click Here to visit Bashakill Vineyard’s Website