In 2010, McCall Vineyard owner Russ McCall purchased 14 Charolais cows. Alongside the grapes are rolling pastures planted with native wild grasses, where the cattle roam.
Charolais are a historic breed of cattle originally from France and central Europe, which are praised by chefs as providing the finest beef. Mr. McCall’s cattle, today he’s raising a total of 55 of the, organically, fed on hay and grasses from the pasture. They also reproduce naturally and are antibiotic and steroid free.
He started making the beef available in 2011 for sale in his tasting room from May to November and in some local restaurants and markets. When they are about 2 1/2 years old, he takes two steer at a time to upstate New York where they are processed and the meat is packaged. He only takes around 15 a year.
Mr. McCall purchased his Main Road property with the Peconic Land Trust to save Down’s Woods, Fort Corchaug and the farmland adjoining his family’s property in 1996. He planted the first 22 acres with merlot and pinot noir grapes and later added more acres and planted cabernet sauvignon and cabernet blanc.
