Local winery “Artist’s Series” takes flight once again
Wine is often referred to as an art; for winemaker Robin Epperson-McCarthy, finding the opportunity to express that concept from the inside out is a wonderful perk of the job.
The Artist’s Series of wines, all drawn from estate-grown fruit, was part of the Osprey’s Dominion line-up about 20 years ago, but over time was discontinued. It was both a way to highlight a local artist’s work, and also meant to punctuate the notion of hyper-local food pairing — specifically, the fruits of our waters. It was an idea that the winemaker believed it to be high time to resuscitate.
“The whole concept is it goes with the local cuisine; it’s meant to be paired with with local seafood,” she says. The pretty watercolor imagery on the labels, created exclusively for the seriuesy makes them stand out from the rest, highlighting their special place in the local food and drink scene.
Local artist Melissa Hyatt, whose well-regarded work has caught the eye of everyone from Martha Stewart to Melinda Morris, owner of local bespoke invitation and card boutique, Arni Paperie — painted the watercolor labels in collaboration with Epperson-McCarthy’s input.
“I told her I wanted an osprey flying over the vineyard at sunset,” she says. “and we have a nest over one of vineyards and I wanted that reflected on another. And on the Bayman’s Harvest, it’s an osprey flying over the Peconic Bay.”
Fitting, certainly, for the winery named after what is perhaps the unofficial bird of eastern Long Island. But in addition to the beautiful scenes portrayed on these unique bottlings is what’s inside, which was the biggest reason to bring back the Artist’s Series for the winery.
“When I think about wine, I think about what I’m going to have it with,” says Epperson-McCarthy.
