Staten Island Wine In The Works
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- When one ponders the world's finest wines and where they come from, a sophisticated oenophile's flights of fancy turn to sumptuous regions like Napa in California, legendary Bordeaux in France, but what about Staten Island?
From the land of the bridge and the land of the landfill will soon come the land of the grape – wine grown and bottled on Staten Island.
"Forty-percent of the population is Italian on Staten Island. We drink a lot of wine here," Richard Nicotra, owner of The Nicotra Group, told CBS2's Scott Rapoport.
"We are sophisticated, educated, classy people," he continued.
The idea is the brainchild of mega Staten Island developer Nicotra, who, along with a proposal to build a $20 million office complex in Bloomfield, is planning to develop an actual vineyard on a 2-acre site at the project and on the roof of the building.
His vision includes planting imported vines.
"We are going to transport a vineyard from Tuscany to Staten Island," Nicotra said.
CBS2 asked residents to chime in about what a Staten Island wine should taste like.
"Probably a little bitter," one told Rapoport.
"Probably a little bold, like all the people here," another said.
The project is set to start next summer and take two years to complete.
Nicotra said all profits will benefit Staten Island charities.