Macari has a special place in my heart. In my Vintage days, I had a list of favorite wines I’d recommend, and there was more than one Macari among them, including the rosé and the unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, but their Bergen Road was my favorite Bordeaux-blend from Long Island. It made a lasting impression on me, and over time, I got to know the Macaris on my annual trips.

That humble list of favorites that started behind the counter at Vintage has grown since then, and winemaker Gilles Martin (Sparkling Pointe and Bouké) has joined its ranks. I thought he was joining the list, that is, but on this last trip to Long Island, in a serendipitous discovery, I learned that he’d been there all along. Gilles was formerly at Macari and responsible for the Bergen Road. Like coming across that old clipping on Vintage, life always circles back.