Meet the newest winery on the North Fork: Theo Vineyard

Journalist Chris Ariens spent the brunt of his career diving into the stories of others. But with the purchase of a gorgeous, well-tended vineyard in Jamesport exactly one year ago, he’s now in the process of re-writing his own tale.

Ariens’ Theo Vineyard at 480 Tuthills Lane is the latest entry into the decades-long story of Long Island wine country. And while he’s not the first journalist to get into the wine business — right here on the North Fork, we have Ev & Em Vineyards’ Dan Abrams in Laurel — his story is one with some pretty interesting provenance and history of its own.

The 20-acre parcel was owned and tended to by renowned Lenz Winery vineyard manager and all-around grape whisperer Sam McCullough since 1991. Post-sale, he’s sticking around to offer guidance to Ariens, with a little help from some friends, too: Lenz’s new vineyard manager Ken Deegan (taking over for McCullough, who is gently stepping into well-deserved retirement after 37 years at the winery) and award-winning winemaker Tom Spotteck.

For this crew to believe that Ariens’ has got the stuff to bring the Tuthills Lane spot into the future, lending their knowledge and talents to the cause, is no small vote of confidence. He may have spent his life at the keyboard, but don’t for a second think he’s not getting his hands dirty.

“I was a journalist — local TV news, then cable news, then digital, then magazines. It was something I always wanted to do,” he says of his years covering current events. After doing the local news circuit in Florida, he took a job with MSNBC for seven years in New York City, then moved over to the industry website Mediabistro, covering media news for then-owner and founder (and Shelter Island resident) Laurel Touby.

Read more at northforker.com.