Gabriella Macari lights up a room. Tonight, the room is a defunct train station, re-invented as a maritime museum. The town of Greenport, NY, was once a sleepy seaport, but is now referred to as Williamsburg East. Macari is conducting a wine tasting competition as a charity fundraiser for the museum. Her energy, sense of humor, knowledge, and casual approach delight the room.
Macari, along with her extended family, has been a part of Macari Vineyards since its inception in 1995. She wears many hats, including Director of Operations. She’s also involved in education, product distribution, and marketing. That’s when she’s not assisting in the cellar and vineyard.
Her background was in PR, where she worked with wine accounts including Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Wines from Spain, and Moët Hennessy’s Estates & Wine. A graduate of Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, she’s on the board of Slow Food East End, as well as being the co-founder of Cab Franc Forward, a group dedicated to educating wine drinkers about the Cabernet Franc grape.
Macari’s Southern Italian grandfather was her business inspiration. She told Worth, “I created wonderful memories working alongside him. His work ethic was mind-blowing. He’d leave his real estate office in Queens on Friday and run the busy tasting room all weekend. He taught me to love business.”
For farming inspiration, she looked to her father. He studied with world-renowned biodynamic visionaries Alan York and Alvaro Espinoza, who taught him that exceptional wine begins with healthy, living soil.
Macari admits, “Practicing the Biodynamic path has been challenging and expensive, but we wouldn’t do it any other way. We recognize that this approach is necessary to produce the quality we’re committed to delivering.”
Academia has been a consistent draw. She is one of only 425 Certified Sommeliers with the Court of Master Sommeliers worldwide, holds the Wine and Spirits Education Trust Diploma, and completed the Wine Executive Program at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. “The Master of Wine, for me, was a personal challenge and a way to deepen my understanding of the science and business of wine, winemaking, and viticulture,” she said.
Greenport is not the only place being transformed on Long Island’s North Fork. The cultivated land between Riverhead and Orient has transitioned from commodity potato fields into high-value vineyards. While there were wine “pioneers” on this fork who early on saw the land’s viticulture potential, Macari holds its pride of place. For over 30 years, they have aimed to be sustainable, organic, and, when possible, Biodynamic.
When her family started the winery 30 years ago, they were able (prices being so much more reasonable then) to buy 495 acres, a large holding by any standards. However, in a nod to the increasingly important practice of regenerative farming, only 130 vines are planted. The rest are low-lying wetlands, open fields, woods, and dunes.
The viticulture on the North Fork is unusual because so many grape varieties are grown. Unlike more monoculture regions like the South of France (Mourvèdre, Syrah) or New Zealand (Sauvignon Blanc), over 15 varieties are farmed. Macari focuses on Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. They also grow some Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Blends are important to their head winemaker, Byron Elmendorf, who joined Macari in 2020, having previously studied and worked with viticulturalists around the world. While some winemakers focus on a single varietal, he prides himself on being able to create the ultimate blend, aiming for a more layered flavor profile. He brings an academic slant based on his degrees in plant biology and environmental sciences from Brown University.
As all vineyards have terroir, the North Fork’s do too. Two significant influences are large bodies of water—the Peconic Bay to the south and the Long Island Sound to the north. Macari told Worth, “These result in a maritime climate, which moderates temperatures seasonally.” She added, “Our sandy, well-drained soils are perfect for viniculture. However, the region faces challenges ranging from extreme mildew-causing humidity (which we treat with an organic copper/sulfur mixture) to being in the hurricane path, not to mention frost that wiped out 60% of our crop in 2024. Climate chaos is also impacting our operations. Excessive rainfall is not infrequent.”
In terms of style, compared to other wine-growing regions, Macari thought, “The North Fork seems to me to have one foot in the Old World of France and Italy, and one in the New of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. There is a savory undertone to our wines that mimics examples from Europe, yet a delicate, sun-kissed ripeness similar to warmer New World offerings.”
Globally, winemaking is facing significant challenges. “A downturn is happening in wine consumption, especially affecting the entry-level, everyday wine segment. Small, family-owned businesses like ours, however, differ from large wine brands as we offer education, experiences, and a tasting room. Some visitors feel transported; they can sit among the vines and enjoy a flight of high-quality wine just two hours from Times Square.” This isn’t surprising, as most of their retail customers are from New York State, while wine club members live across the country.
Like Chateaux-specific bottlings from Bordeaux or Burgundy, Macari wines are, according to Macari, “vintage dependent. Every growing season is distinctive which keeps us on our toes and makes comparisons from year-to-year challenging. Ultimately, we are just farmers at the whim of mother nature.”
She continued, “No two days at a winery are the same. I’m either bottling Cabernet Franc, working on Excel spreadsheets, handling marketing, or hosting tours and tastings. My biggest reward is when a tasting customer enjoys something new.”
“We believe our wines are genuinely unique. They are fresh, layered with complexity, and low in alcohol, usually under 13%.” These ABV wines are appealing to a new generation of wine drinkers who reject the high alcohol, fruit bombs of some California and Southern European regions.
Aside from her winery roles, Macari is committed to furthering the careers of women in her chosen profession. Currently, only 35% of sommeliers are female. “Many still need mentors and supporters in this male-dominated field.” However, it’s not as bad as it used to be. Macari humorously told Worth, “I don’t often face the same challenges of being a woman in this industry as I used to. The issue usually arises at a restaurant where the man is asked to taste the wine I selected.”
Macari’s final words, “My reason in continuing my wine education is not fame or prestige. My intention is to share my love and knowledge of wine and, in the process, inspire and educate.”
