Thursday, 08 July 2010 10:26 Dine & Cook Staff Report

A small organic winery preparing to open its doors will offer its customers the chance to pick and stomp their own grapes and bottle their own private label wine. The services being offered aren't necessarily out of the ordinary, but the location is.

The Brooklyn Winery will officially open for business this fall in an 8,000 square foot facility in the borough's trendy Williamsburg neighborhood and will offer everyone from wine novices to the knowledgeable connoisseur the opportunity to taste, learn, and even make their own wine.

Co-founders Brian Leventhal and John Stires met while working together and bonded over their mutual love of wines. They felt that despite New York's reputation as a food-centric city, their hometown was lacking in what other major food cities had in their own backyard.

"John and I felt that New York City was missing a place where people could learn how to make wine together in a relaxed, community-focused environment," Leventhal says. "Having made our own wine for the past three years in New Jersey, we want our patrons to feel the same satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that we felt when completing our own vintage."

The Brooklyn Winery is set to open in late 2010, just in time for the annual grape harvest. The Winery will also feature a wine bar and tasting room that will serve wines made on the premises. The venue will also have a large party room to host private gatherings. Visitors will have the chance to taste locally cultivated wines by the glass and purchase it by the bottle to take home.

Veteran winemaker Conor McCormack says visitors will be able to choose grapes from vineyards in New York and California, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Riesling.

"Brooklyn has some amazing locally made products," says Stires. "Now, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy wine that has been produced right in the heart of the city."

Brooklyn Winery is located at 213 North 8th Street in Brooklyn. For more information or to sign up to make your own wine, call 347-763-1506 or visit www.bkwinery.com. Get updates from Brooklyn Winery by following <http://www.twitter.com/brooklynwinery> and www.facebook.com/brooklynwinery.