One-vine winery flourishes in a Manhattan brownstone

Latif Jiji

What is smaller than a boutique winery? I'm not sure if there is a formal term for it, but I know where it is located.

Meet Chateau Latif, located in a Manhattan brownstone that is home to Latiff and Vera Jiji.

As noted in a feature story in the Jerusalem Post, " ... the winery’s grounds are their 15-by-45-foot backyard. The grapes come from a single vine, measuring more than 100 feet, that grows out of the garden, up the exterior wall and onto the roof."

The fruit produced is a Niagara grape, native to New York State. The first harvest was in 1984, and Jiji has been cranking out his small line ever since.

Go here for a fascinating story about how an immigrant from the Middle East wound up becoming a U.S. citizen, engineer, and smaller-than-boutique winemaker.

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• Go here to visit Notes On Napkins
• Go here to visit the Capital Region Brew Trail

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