| Hello Bob,
Tragic how capricious the political power can be wielded by so
few. I truly wish you and Sue well. I hope that things turn around
for you in the future. If you think of something that I might be
able to help with let me know.
Bill
William T. Merritt - bill@merrittestatewinery.com]
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Please, please say
it isn't so. I hope that you are just renovating like your sign says
and not out of business which is what I glean from your website. We
are avid Rivendell wine drinkers and couldn't believe our eyes....are
you going to open again? Thanks,
Amy and Matt McCrae |
My name is Ruth Early and I was told that Rivendell is closing
how true is this? For me and I imagine that for others it is a great
loss.
jajajae@peoplepc.com
I was so devastated to see that your winery is closed!!!
My mother and I attend the Bounty of the Hudson every year!
This is truly disappointing news and it is unfathomable why
people cannot see that a winery is a beautiful neighbor to
have with its vines and greenery. And good for the local economy,
too.
We're very saddened by the news....
And on that sad note, I have noticed on your website that
many of your wines have sold out. Do you know of any local
vendors that still have stock of your wines, or can you let
me know what vendors in my area (Wappingers Falls.East Fishkill)
you partner with? Or have you only sold your wines directly
through your winery and wine events?
Thank you and best wishes for your future. You will be missed!
Amy Cook
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Hello!
I feel so sad to receive the news that you have been forced to
close your winery. What an injustice! I just wanted to let you know
that when my son entered SUNY New Paltz, it was a very difficult
time in my life. Visiting your winery made me feel better and actually
got me into a new hobby - wine tasting! I had never been to a winery
before. My first experience with wine tasting was at your winery
and this made leaving my son at college a little more palatable,
as I came to visit other wineries along the trail and subsequently
fall in love with beautiful New Paltz. You truly do not deserve
what has happened and although we don't know each other, I want
you to know that you have played an important role at an important
time of my life. And now where will I get pear wine?
Good luck in your future,
Wendi Ben-Ari
I'm so shocked and sad to hear of your closing! Northern
Lights/ Southern Nights are our favorite wines. Are there any
local wineries who will carry these?
I wish you the best of luck and hope this situation turns around
for you.
Sincerely
JoAnne Frisbie
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To Whom it may concern,
I was a new visitor to your site and was sad to read about your
closing. It is utterly confusing why this town your in is so anti
agriculture. In a day and age when organic and natural are finally
coming back into our vocabulary, why would you vote against a business
such as yours that gives back to the community in so many ways.
I was going to plan a trip to your winery and thought it would be
the perfect day, enjoy the scenery, learn about local wines, enjoy
getting away from the crowds and noise and see a place of beauty
and a traditional process of making wine . I wish you the best of
luck and i will write this town that is obviously filled with bureaucracy
and not interested in supporting its local businesses in a time
when they need it most.
Mark Mangam, NJ
To Melanie and all up at Rivendell Winery;
I am absolutely heart broken to have just gotten the news that
the winery is closed. I knew something was afoot when the Cellar
Door Wine club was suspended, but had hoped it was due to the
impending move.
Having been a member for several years, having joined after
our first visit to the winery, I feel like I've had a death
in the family. The winery was an automatic stop anytime we headed
upstate and my family and I were always treated as if we had
been lifelong friends. (in fact I have a meeting up in Albany
this week and had planned to stop in on the way home). I do
hope that somehow and somewhere Rivendell Winery will be resurrected,
but for now, due to the short sightedness of the New Paltz Town
leadership, there is a huge hole in the NY wine landscape.
My thought are with all of you.
Yours truly,
Wesley A. (Andy) Powell
Amityville, N.Y. |
I just wanted to write a note telling you I completely understand.
I am also going through a battle in a small town which happens to
be absurd. I live, work, and my daughter goes to school here. I
am trying to move my business across the street.
I wish you luck and I hope you have a great lawyer. My battle has
been a bit more than a year, and the building inspector started
the whole thing from a personal vendetta with my partners.
I wish you great luck and hopefully the Truth will be shone and
you'll get your property running,
Susie M. McDonagh
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| Robert and Susan,
I worked as a waiter at Gadalettos restaurant back in the late
90’s and had tasting classes at Rivendell. Anyway, I was just
taking a walk down memory lane for a possible return to New Paltz
this summer when I heard the horrible news! What kind of crackpot
believes that a winery is not agricultural?!
I truly hope that you win your appeal. If there is anything a lowly
Biology teacher from western NY can do to help, Let me know.
Brian Forsburg
AKA “Weasel” (back in the day)
|
We have so enjoyed tasting wines
at Rivendell…your employees were always so helpful and interesting…I
wish that I could have done something to prevent your closing in
our neighborhood. We miss you!
Erin Moriarty
| Dear Robert & Susan
I am very sorry to hear of your hardship and am most angry
at those who have fought you.
You have done a tremendous amount for NY State wine, and
we are all beholding to you.
I wish you the best of luck and please keep in touch.
Carlo De Vito
Hudson-Chatham Winery
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I just learned about the closing of
Vintage New York and Rivendell Winery!! I am distraught over this
news...and I can't even imagine how you feel.
I read some about the legal battle you waged for so long and it really
got my blood boiling.
I have been an evangelist for NYS wines out here in Oregon for the
five years since I relocated. "Take that, you Oregon wine snobs,"
I cry, with a bottle of Weimer or Wagner in my hands! I was so inspired
by everything I learned at VNY over the years!
My passion for wine eventually led me to ditch my career in the IT
industry and become a Professional Wino. I now work supervising the
tasting room at Erath Winery, one of the true pioneering wineries
in Oregon. I will always count Vintage New York as one of my inspirations
for making this change.
All this is just to say that I was so sorry to hear this news, and
I sincerely thank you for all of the knowledge and inspiration you
have provided me over the years. I will keep fighting the good fight
of educating the public about wine and wine industry issues. You will
continue to serve as inspiration in this regard.
I wish you the best in the future. If you ever make it out to Oregon,
please come by Erath for some Royal Treatment!
Sincerely, Mich
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