By Michael Morton
But under a plan proposed by its founder, James Trent, the 47-acre Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park will kick off its intoxicating dreams by planting 1,000 vines on less than one acre in early May. The project has already created a buzz.
“The experts say it can happen and even be high quality,” said Trent, whose museum will plant grapes for one white wine – chardonnay – and three reds – cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.
The quest is not without precedent, Trent said, as farms in Queens once grew grapes appropriate for wine, with Long Island still home to well-respected vineyards and wineries.
Trent came up with his idea shortly after Sept. 11, when school field trips were suspended, leading to a loss of business for the farm museum and forcing it to let go of 19 employees. While field trips have since resumed, Trent realized another source of revenue was needed to ensure the future of the farm museum, which showcases a way of life the borough has largely lost.
“The longer-term solution, I felt, was to become less dependent on school classes,” Trent said. “That meant catering more to adults.”
After two years of discussions among board members, some of whom Trent said were “doubting Thomases,” he sought out a consultant from one of the Long Island vineyards.
“All of that experience will be coming from that consultant,” Trent said, declining to name him since negotiations are not yet complete.
Trent said it would take three years for the grapes to mature, with 2007 the earliest date for a wine to be produced. Even then, the farm's grapes may have to be blended with those from Long Island if their flavor has not yet developed.
Once the grapes are ready, the museum can send them to a Long Island winery to be processed or do it on the farm, which Trent said had a building with extra space for a winery. He is hoping for the second option.
The museum already sells fruit, eggs and honey but takes a loss on the effort, mostly done for the ambiance it provides. But Trent said a vineyard could be rented out for private functions and the wine could be sold in shops and served in restaurants in the borough.
“I'm hoping this vineyard will be a money-maker,” he said.
But Damianos cautioned that vineyards were labor- and capital-intensive, and that only after 10 years had his operation finally reached the break-even point.
“It takes time,” he said. “It's not an overnight money-maker.”
Trent, who admits to not yet being much of a wine drinker, said vines last 60 to 80 years. He acknowledged the hurdles to his plan but said he still had high expectations.
“I think we could sell it just on the novelty of it even if it wasn't a great wine,” he said, “but our goal is to make a good wine.”
Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by calling 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
