All photos courtesy of Rose Hill Vineyards
In 2017, Randy Frankel fell in love with the North Fork. On his first trip to the region, he purchased a vineyard. And it wasn’t just any vineyard. Shinn Estate Vineyard, the iconic property of David Page and Barbara Shinn, quietly changed hands, the vision remaining the same. For the past several years, Shinn Estate Vineyard has produced thoughtful wines with an eye toward sustainability, the Frankel’s continuation of the vineyard’s log history.
This week, Shinn Estate Vineyards will change once again. This time, the wines and method remain intact—but the name will change. The vineyard unveiled its new name—Rose Hill Vineyards—on April 15. The Farmhouse Inn, a four-guestroom bed and breakfast, will now be called the Rose Hill Inn. “Rose Hill Road was our first home out east, and it feels right,” said Chelsea Frankel, Rose Hill’s general manager.
The winery, which includes a 125-year-old converted barn, will also look to expand its footprint in the future, adding substantive acreage and more plantings. But besides the name, nothing is changing at Rose Hill Vineyards. The Frankels have immersed themselves in the North Fork community, and their hope is to continue the vineyard’s legacy as they move forward.
In 2018, they renovated and expanded some of the property’s outbuildings, and, beginning in 2019, they grew the property’s acreage, starting with a plot of land known as the Schrieber Farm, which was planted to Chardonnay and Riesling in 1982. The following year, they planted five additional acres on Schrieber Farm, this time to Gewurztraminer, Albariño, and Pinot Noir.
Stylistically, the wines of Rose Hill Vineyards will remain constant.
Stylistically, the wines of Rose Hill Vineyards will remain constant. Winemaker Patrick Caserta, who has also worked in the vineyards of New Zealand, Bordeaux, and Napa, will remain aboard, as will the members of the vineyard’s crew. In this sense, Rose Hill Vineyard is positioning itself not just as its own brand entity, but also as part of a long history of winemaking on the North Fork.
Rose Hill Vineyard, though, is the Frankel’s permanent mark on the North Fork, their legacy cemented in a name. Carrying with them the lineage of Barbara Shinn, the winery will continue to produce thoughtful, well-crafted wines. The change is proof of this adage: a rose by any other name does, indeed, smell as sweet.
