Our Story
where do you make your wine?
Select varieties of our boutique rosés are produced on-site whereas our large volume rosés are produced in partnership with Premium Wine Group, located just seven miles west of our winery.
how old are the barn and farmhouse?
Croteaux Vineyards occupies the land of two historic North Fork Farms, each of which boasts a long agricultural history, The Howell Farm, purchased in 1992, and the Stepnoski Farm, purchased in 1994. The Howell Farm, where our tasting barn is located, dates back to the 1700s, and contains an 1889 farmhouse, the tasting barn and garden, and three additional historic barn structures.
The oldest structure on the property is a three-bay, post and beam, Dutch Colonial barn of hand-hewn oak timbers, dating back to 1749. The old Stepnoski Farm, between South Harbor and Bayview Roads, also contains an 1850s farmhouse and barn on 17.5 acres that has been moved to the northwest corner of the property, and is now under different ownership.
Why do you only produce Rosé?
We fell in love with the laidback vibe of Provence in the south of France where the beach community and great wine go hand-in-hand. Read on to find out why we are the only vineyard in North America to make Rosé on purpose.
How many acres of vines do we have?
There are 11 acres of planted vines on our property including several Merlot varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc.
How many cases do you produce a year?
Case production varies from year to year though we typically yield around 5000 cases -- and we sell out quickly!
How is rosé made?
There are three methods of producing rosé: skin contact, saignée, and blending. We grow and harvest our grapes with rosé in mind. We harvest early each year, between September and October, to ensure that our fruit goes into the tanks just on the cusp of its peak ripeness. Early harvest not only ensures optimal weather conditions but also ensures balanced levels of sugar and acids, as well as skins just thick enough to lend a subtle hue to the wines in their tanks. All of our grapes are hand-picked then de-stemmed and pressed. The juice is immediately separated from the skins, giving the wines a pale pink or salmon color. Stainless steel fermentation rounds out the style of each wine using wild yeast in some varieties. Our sparkling wines are infused with bubbles using the forced carbonation method. Sound fancy? Think of it as rosé soda, because it’s that easy to drink and every bit as delicious.