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Harvest East End raises nearly $50,000 for its beneficiaries

CARRIE MILLER PHOTO | Laura Klahre serving up a red wine from Coffee Pot Cellars Aug. 24 at Harvest East End.

The fourth annual celebration of Long Island Wine Country, known as Harvest East End, raised close to $50,000 for its beneficiaries: East End Hospice, Group for the East End and the Peconic Land Trust, as well as the Long Island Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Foundation, according to a press release.

The event, organized by the Long Island Wine Council with support from Merliance, celebrated wine country’s 40th anniversary and brought more than 1,300 people to McCall Vineyard & Ranch in Cutchogue Aug. 24.

It was the first time the event was held on the North Fork. Governor Andrew Cuomo attended the event and presented McCall Wines owner Russ McCall with a plaque for a “Winery of the Year” award, which he won at the 2013 New York Wine & Food Classic.

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Senator Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele also made an appearance.

Officials premiered a 30-second commercial promoting wine production in New York State. The spot is expected to run this fall throughout the region.

This year’s event surpassed last years fundraising total by close to $4,000, according to the release.

“There is a reason why so many of Long Island’s wines earn premium scores by our reviewers,” said Adam Strum, Editor & Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, which helped sponsor the event. “The wines of this region are distinct and delicious, elegant and eminently food-friendly. Long Island definitely is a wine region to watch.”

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