An Unexpected Wine Journey
The Dolcetto in my glass had gotten there via a long, strange trip.
The fruit was grown in Northern California’s Suisun Valley about 40 miles north of the City by the Bay. Trucked to WineUDesign, a winemaking facility on Long Island not far from New York City, the grapes were de-stemmed, pressed, fermented, then aged in thrice-used American oak for 10-11 months, and finally bottled.
So far, there isn’t anything really that unusual. While it may not be well known, California has long shipped grapes back east for hobbyists (and those more serious) eager to have their own wine-country experience outside of wine country. But I’ve left out some compelling details.
An Unexpected Bottle
You just never know how you are going to come across a bottle. Case in point. We hired Jason Walker Carpentry to make a vanity for one of our bathrooms. (Not for nothing, he did a great job, quickly and at a very fair price.) As we were saying our good-byes, he presented my wife with a bottle of the Dolcetto that is the subject of this post. My wife then told him what I do, and we started chatting about the wine.
As is clear from the label, there is a family connection! I emailed Jason with a bunch of questions that he passed onto his father-in-law, John Camello, who has been intimately involved in this “not-for-profit-just-for-gifts-and-personal-consumption” venture since the beginning. That beginning actually began in 2007 on Staten Island at the Piazza Wine Room, a place where "civilians" (meaning those not officially in the wine business) could participate in the winemaking process to come up with their own unique blends. Sadly, one of the partners died during COVID and the business was shuttered.
In Search of the Perfect Winemaking Facility
Because the family lived on Long Island, they figured they would poke around the North Fork to see if they could find a similar setup. No luck, however, because “some were just run like a classroom experience which I didn’t care for. I wanted to make wine that I could drink,” says John.
The search then took them back closer to home and away from the North Fork wine country. “Fortunately, I found a place called WineUDesign in Hicksville run by Vincenzo Saulle. The process was very similar to Piazza Wine Room’s, so we immediately picked up where we left off,” explains John.
From California Grapes to a Family Tradition
Each September after harvest, they select whichever variety or varieties they want to work with from that vintage. The fruit mostly comes from the Lanza Family, which has been growing grapes and making wines since the end of Prohibition. “We generally make blends using cabernet sauvignon as the base, though sometimes we make 100% Nero Davola, Zinfandel (old vines) and Merlot but this year we chose dolcetto to try something else,” says John.
The family participates in the process from start to finish, and gathers on the appointed bottling day to get that done. A custom label is designed for each vintage. The process usually yields about 100 cases, which are then distributed among the five families involved.
Now, About the Wine…
I actually tasted it before I sent Jason the questions because I wasn’t going to write about it unless it merited writing about. It did.
First Impression
The 2025 Walker Estate (I love that they put “Estate” on the label!) Dolcetto is fragrant from the jump, showing off a nose of cranberry, red beet and tart red cherry–note the color theme here. A little air brought out some nice dusty notes. Flavors mimic the nose which is no surprise. It is super fresh and will no doubt be drinkable for at least four or five years, maybe longer as it does show nice acidity.
Follow-Up Questions
When I sent my questions to Jason after tasting it, I told him I thought it couldn’t be more than 12.5% ABV (that number isn’t on the label because it doesn’t have to be because it’s not meant for sale). John said the wines usually clock in about 13%. I also thought it wasn’t oaked. I was sort of right in that three-times used oak, while not inert like stainless steel or concrete, really can’t impart oak attributes.
Final Verdict
While I’m not sure I would mistake it for a Dolcceto from Piedmont, the wine is legit, and the way it came to me and its backstory are fun. I’m always asked if I’ve ever tried to make wine and I’m always sure that I never will. That said, I’d love to hear from those who have.
Have you tried winemaking? If so, I’d love to taste and write about it!
Send me message, and I’ll be in touch.