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Business |
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CULTIVATING A GRAPE OF AN IDEA: Silver Decoy Winery gearing up for first
harvest of a dream
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| CHARLES WEBSTER, Business
Editor |
August 08,
2002 |
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The
guys who are Silver Decoy Winery stand amidst the vines that they expect
will produce the area's first home grown wine this fall. From left,
William Perrine, Mark Carduner, Russ Forman, Richard McIntyre, Jerry
Watlington, Todd Abrahams, Scott Carduner
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ROBBINSVILLE --Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, Chambourcian, Marechal Foch and
Traminette -- all familiar wines with roots back to French vineyards. |
Those
grapes are bringing together a teacher, a family of wine shop owners, a
couple of landscape designers, a real estate appraiser, an accountant, a
self-employed builder and an electrician to form the Silver Decoy Winery.
The winery is cultivating the grapes and anxiously awaiting the sound of
clinking glasses when they can taste their hard earned work in the form of
wine that will be produced later this year.
The Silver Decoy Winery, tucked away on a lonely stretch of Windsor-Perrineville
Road, is gearing up to harvest its first grapes this autumn. The grapes will
be the first fruit crushed at the two year old winery and fermented into a
vineyard libation with a distinct central New Jersey taste.
The Silver Decoy Winery is really a group of friends, relatives and buddies
that all have something to offer in making the winery a success.
Todd Abrahams, Brian Carduner, Mark Carduner, Scott Carduner, Russell
Forman, Richard McIntyre, William Perrine and Jerry Watlington are the
founding members of Silver Decoy Winery. It's their hard work and the hard
work and support of their wives, kids and girlfriends that provides an
interesting dynamic at getting all the work done on the grounds.
The guys have attended winery and agricultural classes at Rutgers
University's Cook College and Agricultural School, University of California
at Davis and other wine schools.
Walking the grounds of the winery recently, the guys pointed out that what
started out as fertile land is now over six acres of healthy grape vines.
Silver Decoy sits on fifteen acres of fertile soil, so there is plenty of
room for expansion if the wine turns out great as expected.
They planted the first vines in April 2001 -- three acres of Cabernet Franc
and Chardonnay, as well as an acre of raspberries which will they intend to
use for dessert wines.In April 2002, another three acres of Merlot,
Chambourcian, Marechal Foch and Traminette vines were added. All totaled,
Silver Decoy Winery has over six acres of grapes and raspberries.
The eight men and their families were brought together by a love of wine,
love of nature and love of the land.
On the weekends, the guys and their families can be seen at the winery
grounds weeding, cutting grass -- generally tending to those chores expected
on a farm.
Each of the eight men offered a unique contribution in the formation of
Silver Decoy Winery when it was created two years ago.
The three Carduner's were all involved in Carduner's Fine Wine & Spirits in
East Windsor, and Abrahams was a sales associate there too.
It's Mark Carduner's obsession with wine that has proven to be one of the
greatest assets for the group, as he makes a point of traveling to all
points to understand the finer points of winemaking, while dragging at least
one of the partners with him.
The group really asdiverse a group of guys that have developed from what
started out as a hobby, but quickly turned into a business venture.
Forman is credited with the idea of creating Silver Decoy Winery.The guys
say, Forman started talking about a winery early last year, and one by one
convinced them of the fruity plan.
Watlington was the last one to join the bunch, but the guys say after some
long talks and a little time he enthusiastically came on board.
The guys are focused on their product and expect to meet the demand for
high-quality locally grown wines in New Jersey.
Silver Decoy's first grape crushing is scheduled for the fall, and a big
celebration is expected.
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| ©The
Trentonian 2002 |
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