NINAH Lynne
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Owner
Ninah is on the board of Lincoln Center Theater in New York City, and previously held the position of President of American Friends of the Israel Museum. As the owner of Bedell, she continues the 19-year legacy of her husband, Michael, who passed away in 2019 after a lifetime of success in wine, food, theater, film, and art. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1964, Michael founded an entertainment law firm, and in 1990 he began a 28-year association with New Line Cinema, as its Chairman and C.E.O. He produced and distributed such films such as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Austin Powers, Sex and the City, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Michael was also an esteemed contemporary art collector and Trustee of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
Peter Gundersen
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CEO
Peter is a native North Forker who joined Bedell as the Director of Operations in 2011. Known for his professionalism and meticulous organizational skills, he has played a pivotal role in the company’s success across various departments over the past decade, from enhancing the Wine Club’s efficiency to managing the estate’s beautiful grounds. Notably he orchestrated the innovative redesign and rejuvenation of the Corey Creek property, adopting a cozy, vineyard-inspired nautical aesthetic. Pete lives in East Marion and enjoys traveling abroad and boating in his spare time.
Richard Olsen-Harbich
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DIRECTOR OF WINEMAKING
Richard is a pioneer in Long Island winemaking with over 40 years of experience. He wrote the North Fork of Long Island appellation into existence in 1986, and is the only Winemaker in Eastern North America to use entirely indigenous yeasts. Rich developed the first Bordeaux/Long Island consultation partnership with M. Paul Pontallier of Chateau Margaux and also helped found Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing, the first third party certification program for vineyard sustainability on the East Coast.
Marin Brennan
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Winemaker
Marin came to Bedell while receiving her BA in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University in 2010. While she initially worked in the tasting room, her passion and curiosity for wine knowledge led Winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich to invite her to join the harvest team. She became Assistant Winemaker in 2016, and in 2019, launched a new line of boutique wines for Corey Creek while earning a certificate in enology from Washington State University. These Small Batch wines were an immediate success and in 2022 she was featured in Martha Stewart Living for her White Cabernet Franc, which received a stellar 93 points. The following year her foraged, sea-shell aged Chardonnay, Coquillage, was awarded 94 points – the highest score ever for a dry white wine from Long Island. A 94 rating in 2023 for her Malbec Rosé solidified her status as one of Long Islands’ most talented and exciting up-and-coming winemakers. In 2024, after 12 years honing her craft, she was promoted to Winemaker for both Bedell Cellars, and Corey Creek, continuing the Bedell legacy of creating unique, terroir driven wines of the highest quality.
DEB STROUP
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VINEYARD MANAGER
After graduating from Buffalo State, Deb realized she had a passion for growing things. She followed her instincts, pursuing horticultural opportunities across the country - but ultimately returned to her North Fork roots, managing the vineyard at Lenz before she came to Bedell in 2017. Since then, her wealth of experience and innovative use of emerging viticultural technology has elevated our growing program and enhanced our wines.
Amy Finno Israel
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SVP Events
Amy joined Bedell from VH1, where she was Senior Manager of Integrated Marketing from 2006-2009. While at VH1, Amy facilitated the marketing and selling of the VH1 Soul property to advertisers including developing the first franchise VH1 SoulStage. She holds a B.S. in Marketing and Communications from Long Island University.
DELANEY MACCHIROLE
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Event Manager
Delaney, a North Fork native, joined the Bedell team in 2017 as a summer employee with the wedding department. Delaney graduated from Johnson and Wales University in 2019 where she played collegiate tennis and studied Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management. Many internships later, Delaney fell in love with the wedding industry. After college, she moved back home and in 2021 became the Event Manager full-time at Bedell Cellars. On her off days she enjoys spending time with her family and her dog Serena.
ANGELA EISSLER
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Director of Wine Club & Direct to Consumer Sales
Angela joined Bedell in 2005 as a Tasting Room Associate and has contributed to several departments of the company over the last 17 years, currently serving in the role of Director of Wine Club and DTC sales. In 2019, she represented Long Island as one of 38 females selected nationwide to be a Tribe 1 Member of the Dream Big Darling Organization in Paso Robles, CA. Outside of work, Angela enjoys spending time with her husband Bobby their 3-year-old son, Matthew, and their newest addition to family, Madeline.
Steve Carlson
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Director of Digital Marketing
Steve grew up in bucolic upstate New York and became interested in the local wine industry during his undergraduate years at Cornell, tucked away in the heart of the Fingerlakes region. He is among the first official graduates of Cornell’s renowned Enology and Viticulture program. Having previously worked several harvests in the Fingerlakes and Long Island, he has since turned his passion towards the marketing of premium cool climate wines and sustainability in his home state.
Matthew Rizzo
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Director of Sales
Matthew joined the Bedell Cellars team in 2003 as a seasonal employee, while attending the University of Massachusetts. Since joining the Bedell team, Matthew’s role with the winery has grown along with his knowledge of wine. Matthew has flourished in his new position as Director of Sales, a role which requires him to be a perpetual motion machine, constantly on the road bringing his affable charm to Bedell’s dedicated wholesale customers.
Elizabeth Hudson
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Tasting Room ManAger
Elizabeth learned the ins and outs of the hospitality industry from an early age, growing up in the family business, and later graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University. Her passion for food dovetailed into a love of wine which brought her to Bedell Cellars in the spring of 2017. As Tasting Room Manager for both Bedell & Corey Creek Tap Room, she has overhauled the guest experience and streamlined service for more efficient front of the house operations. Elizabeth lives on the North Fork with her husband & two children who affectionately refer to Bedell as “the grape farm.”
TAYLOR CATHCART
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ASSISTANT TASTING ROOM MANAGER
Taylor comes to us from the heartland of America with a healthy dose of southern hospitality in tow. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, she focused on agricultural studies and soon became immersed in the service world with a focus on the local wine industry. This led her to complete a self-led residency during which she lived with and worked alongside many different winemakers and their families from Emporda to Priorat in Catalonia, Spain, thriving off the cross-cultural experiences and knowledge to be had abroad. Her curiosity and passion eventually led her to various internships at tasting rooms across the North Fork, where she came to Bedell with the goal of expanding her focus to promoting sustainable, local and terroir driven wines to a younger generation of discerning consumers.
Kathy Falbo
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Brand Ambassador
Growing up on Long Island, family weekends for Kathy often meant a drive “out east” to the Hamptons or Shelter Island during the nascent years of the Long Island wine industry. After a vacation trip to Napa, she finally caught the wine bug and began taking classes with the Society of Wine Educators in NYC. and later, visiting tasting rooms on the North Fork every chance she got. Kathy is a CSW and her passion for local wine and food is a boon to Bedell’s wholesale team.
JOE CATO
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CELLARMASTER
Joe brings a wealth of experience and passion for local wine to the table from previous positions on the North Fork, including Osprey’s Dominion and Premium Wine Group. He joined us full time as Cellarmaster after working several harvests at Bedell since 2016.