A Generous Italian Hand At the Helm
By HOWARD G. GOLDBERG
Sunday, Published: August 7, 2005
THE grower and winemaker at the Diliberto Winery on the North Fork is Salvatore A. Diliberto. If you sit down in his tasting room - the kitchen at his weekend place in Jamesport - and relax and taste his slightly rustic 2003 merlot, you won't call him Mr. Diliberto, but Salvatore. After you sample his 2002 cabernet sauvignon, he'll become Sal. And after a few sips of the 2002 Tre, a blend, he'll be Sallie. Or if you wish to be courtly, Signore Vino Rosso: Mr. Red Wine. Mr. Diliberto makes what Hemingway called honest wines. The reds appeal to the gut and to the heart. They are so tasty that while an enthusiast may declare that Mr. Diliberto has a gift for reds, a dissenter would have to concede that he has at least a knack for them.
Judges in the 2004 New York Wine and Food Classic, the annual statewide contest, felt the almost personal touch of Diliberto reds. Even before the Diliberto Winery had opened for business, they awarded it three gold medals. That is eye-opening. Or maybe not. Speaking about customers, Mr. Diliberto said, "They call, they come over, they taste." And buy. If his plans proceed smoothly, he will break ground this fall for a formal tasting room, which he expects to open in the spring. When Mr. Diliberto is not commuting on weekdays from his home in Hollis Hills, Queens, and his law practice in Fresh Meadows, he tends the three acres of vines on the five-acre property that he and his wife, Maryann, own at 250 Manor Lane in Jamesport.
His merlot ($18) is opulent and velvety, flush with the flavors of plums and dark berries. A sweet woodiness comes through up front, and a sprinkle of herbs turns up as you swallow. The aroma of late-summer roses in the cabernet sauvignon ($22) and its bountiful near-sweet fruitiness are powerful. The wine, even plusher than the merlot, overflows with flavors of black currants. Only masochists would deny themselves a second full glass. Tre ($25), a gratifying blend of 65 percent merlot, 20 cabernet sauvignon and 15 percent cabernet franc, hints at an aroma of wood smoke and flavors of raspberry jam and dark Belgian chocolate. Tre is a Bordeaux-style blend, but its emphasis is not on Gallic stylishness; rather, it suggests a generous Italian hand. At bottom, every drop of Mr. Diliberto's reds is un lavoro d'amore, a work of love.
Mr. Diliberto's wines are not available in stores. Appointments can be made by calling (631) 722-3416 or writing diliberto1@msn.com.
A Newcomer, But a Winner
By HOWARD G. GOLDBERG
Published: Sunday, August 15, 2004
The unkwown Diliberto Winery got it right the first time. Although this North Fork property had not yet opened for business, Salvatore A. Diliberto's food-friendly reds won three gold medals in the annual New York State wine contest nearly two weeks ago. Today, those winners-the full-flavored 2001 merlot ($17.95), charmingly fruity 2002 merlot ($15.95) and beautiful 2001 Tre ($19.95), a red blend-go on sale at the winery, in a house at 250 Manor Lane, in Jamesport. So does an inviting 2001 cabernet sauvignon ($19.95). Customers need an appointment. (Information: 631-722-3416 and diliberto@msn.com)
Vines, including cabernet franc and chardonnay, cover two of Salvatore and Maryann Diliberto's five acres near their converted 19th century barn. On weekdays, they live in Hollis Hills, and he practices elder law in Fresh Meadows, both in Queens. "My plan is to gradually reduce the time I spend in my practice and increase my involvement in the winery and vineyard," he said. "We would like to be living full time in Jamesport by 2006 and, most importantly, to spend a month or two or more in Italy each year. If we keep the winery at 1,500 cases, I believe we can have this diversity in our lives." Mr. Diliberto, 59, produced his first commercial wines in 2001. His vines were planted in 1998 and 1999; he intendes to plant four more acres, partly in sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
When he decided in 1986 to become a home winemaker, he bought 500 pounds of California cabernet sauvignon. "The first time I smelled the fermenting grapes, I knew I would be making wine the rest of my life," he said. "The next year, I discovered the North Fork and began buying my grapes there. The wines turned out wonderfully. In 1989, I put an addition on my home, and added a wine celler, so I could increase production to 100 gallons." The couple bought land in Jamesport in 1991 toplant grapes and have a country residence, and six years later Mr. Diliberto decided to turn his hobby into an occupation. "I wanted to become connected with farming, both with the hard work and the pleasure of being in the fields," he said. "There has not been a day of my life that has not been influenced by my Italian-American heritage," he said. "I have never sat down at a meal at the home of a friend or relative in Italy where the wine was not on the table. Sometimes in my barrel room, I feel the presence of family members and paisans, and I sense their hands guiding me, giving me the benefit of all their knowledge of winemaking." When the tasting room , on Riverhead architect's drawing board, opens, perhaps the Dilibertos will dish up the homemade pasta and homemade tomato sauce they relish along with fat pours of vino rosso.
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