Winemakers Claim New York`s First Commercial Rooftop Vineyard
New York (AFP) - Millennial US winemakers have established what they call the first commercially viable rooftop vineyard in New York, hoping wine harvested from the Brooklyn Naval Yard will hit the market next year.
The young wine enthusiasts intend to produce 300 bottles a year from 50 specially commissioned urban planters installed on the roof of an industrial building overlooking the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
The first harvest will be picked in the fall in the latest headline grabbing venture at a Naval Yard that has played host to Lady Gaga, fashion shows and the last presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
`The idea was really to re-purpose urban space in a sustainable manner,` one of the founders, Devin Shomaker, explained to AFP.
The vines are planted in 36 inches (0.9 meters) of soil, 40 percent of which is crushed, recycled glass that works as a sand element to make what Shomaker calls a `sustainable light-weight soil` similar to a traditional vineyard.
They include grape varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
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