Deliciousness & Reflection of Our Place

James Christopher Tracy was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. His father was an automobile dealer, former vineyard owner, racing car driver, and wine collector; his mother was a nurse, master gardener, and great cook. [^381^] The family exposed Christopher and his sister to great wines, wine regions, and foods from an early age. After earning a BA in Performing Arts/Philosophy, he migrated to New York City to pursue graduate theatre training. In 1993, with wife Allison Dubin, he co-founded the Momentary Theatre — a not-for-profit company that performed across the United States and in Hungary. [^381^]

After several years of writing "undercover" restaurant reviews in NYC, Christopher attended the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, graduating first in his class with a Grand Diplome. [^381^] He worked as Pastry Sous Chef at March restaurant and then as Executive Sous Chef of Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs. While working as a chef, he earned his Sommelier Certificate from the Sommelier Society of America, the Higher Certificate and Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), and a CWE (Certified Wine Educator) certification. [^381^] He was also a student candidate for the Masters of Wine program for several years.

Christopher's initial involvement with Channing Daughters Winery was as a Wine Club Member, then as a member of "Team Merlot." [^381^] In 2001, he began developing new products and cuvées for the winery, introducing indigenous yeast fermentations, longer extraction periods, small batches, field blends, white wine skin fermentation, and astute barrel control. [^381^] He is now a partner in the company, as well as the winemaker. Allison Dubin serves as Chief Operating Officer and partner — a theatre-trained producer who has brought her organisational skills and creative vision to the winery's operations. [^381^]

The winery was founded by Walter Channing in 1998 on 28 acres in Bridgehampton. [^374^] The Sculpture Garden Vineyard — the oldest on the South Fork — was planted in 1982 and 1987, giving the estate vines that are now over 40 years old. [^378^] In addition to the Bridgehampton estate, Channing Daughters purchased 30 acres of land on the North Fork to create more diversity in their wines. [^384^] This dual-coast approach — South Fork maritime influence combined with North Fork terroir — gives Channing Daughters a range of expression unmatched on Long Island.

Christopher Tracy's cellar style is defined by one common denominator: making the best-tasting wines. [^380^] "We want wines to be first and foremost delicious," he says. "We try to push the envelope and expand our horizons and varieties. We tend not to be too ideological." [^380^] The result is a portfolio that ranges from completely managed cellar techniques to wines allowed to ferment on their own without intervention — stainless steel-fermented Chardonnay alongside blends made using Blaufränkisch and Dornfelder from Cornell's research facility. [^380^]

"He's an artist with a palette with a lot of different colours — in this case it's grape varieties and techniques," says co-founder Larry Perrine. "These things are out of the mainstream, and the mainstream is clogged. We're more interested in things that are not being done by everybody." [^380^] That experimental spirit has produced some of Long Island's most distinctive wines: orange wines made by fermenting white grapes on their skins; pétillant naturel sparkling wines bottled before fermentation is complete; field blends where multiple varieties are grown, picked, and fermented together; and vermouths infused with dozens of local botanicals.

The Sculpture Garden field blend is a perfect example. The 2019 vintage — 91% Merlot, 6% Teroldego, 3% Blaufränkisch — was grown together, picked together, and fermented wild/ambiently together. [^378^] All fruit was hand-harvested, de-stemmed (but not crushed), stomped by foot, and punched down by hand. The wine went through natural malolactic fermentation and was raised in older French oak barrels for 24 months, handled minimally (only racked once), and bottled by gravity with no fining or filtration. [^378^]

The VerVino Vermouth program is equally distinctive. Six different variations are produced — a white with spring botanicals, a white and pink with early summer botanicals, a white and pink with late summer botanicals, and a red from autumn botanicals. [^378^] All botanicals are grown or foraged within a few miles of the winery — calendula, fennel, sage, nasturtium, lemon balm, rose, basil, Thai green chili peppers, borage, tarragon, zucchini blossoms, beets, arugula, black birch, blueberries, watermelon, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, mint, rosemary, and more. [^378^] The recipes are proprietary, but the labels show photographs of the plants steeping in the wine — a window into the process.