Wölffer's Roman Roth Elected LI Wine Council President

Congratulations to Roman Roth, winemaker and partner at Sagaponack’s Wölffer Estate Vineyard, for recently being elected president of the Long Island Wine Council.

He replaces Sal Diliberto of Jamesport’s Diliberto Winery, who was elected as Long Island Wine Council president in 2014.

Roth, who’s been with Wölffer since 1992, said in a statement, “The Long Island Wine Council has a longstanding tradition of supporting the diversity, talent and vision of our North and South Fork wineries, and I’m honored to continue to champion our vineyards in 2016 and beyond. We are all producing amazing wines and by working together, we can earn and secure our spot on the world’s wine stage.”

The Long Island Wine Council is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the East End’s winemaking region, as well as affiliated community businesses, including restaurants, hotels and transportation.

2015 was a banner year for Roth, as Wine Spectator named The Grapes of Roth Merlot 2010 by Wölffer Estate among its Top 100 Wines of 2015. Coming in at number 64, the wine is the first and only Long Island varietal to ever make the annual list, which highlights successful wineries, regions and vintages from around the world. In an interview with DansPapers.com last June, Roth recommended pairing The Grapes of Roth Merlot with Long Island duck.

Roth came to the East End at the persuasion of his late friend and Wölffer’s founder Christian Wölffer. “To be part of a vineyard in the middle of the Hamptons, just two hours from one of the greatest cities in the world was very tempting, as was the set goal to make some of the finest wines in the world,” Roth says.

“I think that the wineries on the East End are the glue to this unique combination of land and sea, viticulture, agriculture and local, seasonal cuisine,” he says of the relationship between East End wine and the agriculture, aquaculture and area culinary culture overall. “When consumed together, our wine and food certainly prove the adage, ‘what grows together goes together.’”

Taste The Grapes of Roth at Wölffer Estate Vineyard, which is open year round at 139 Sagg Road in Sagaponack.