by Sue Giustino
In recognition of Women’s History Month (an annual observance dedicated to honoring the contributions of women throughout history and in contemporary society), I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the prominent female figures shaping the North Fork wine scene – Melissa Rockwell, Executive Director of Operations at Sparkling Pointe.
After admiring the impressive tasting room, Melissa a I sat in a back room with a view of one of their production rooms and had a lovely conversation. Covering many topics, I’ll attempt to share with you some of the highlights of her journey in the wine business.
While a student at RIT, Melissa’s curiosity about wine evolved from casual college sipping into a genuine passion after she took a “Wines of the World” elective. She loved the subject so much that she completed four more wine courses before graduating. Returning Home to Long Island, she scouted for opportunities along the North Fork’s main road until she landed a position in the tasting room at Lieb
Over the next five years or so, her experiences included a position working for Michael Croteaux’s graphic design company, as well as design and wholesale with Lieb. As she immersed herself in different aspects of the business, Melissa realized dealing directly with consumers was what she liked best. At the end of 2010- just a year after Sparkling Pointe opened its doors- she was hired to run their tasting room. Relying on her organizational skills and creativity her complex job included overseeing inventory, long term planning, developing tasting notes, events, and food pairing. Working along with the staff, she made improvements by implemented new ideas and innovations which led to great growth for the next ten years.
As with so many businesses, COVID not only halted the growth, but created intense new challenges for the LI wine industry. As unwelcomed as it may have been, for Melissa this time became a challenge. Seeing sales peak in 2019, post COVID impacts included seeing their guest counts during the years 2022 – 2025 at times 50% less than the number of people welcomed through their doors in 2019. People were going out less, staying home and saving money. As a result, Melissa’s job shifted to rebuilding. Utilizing her design skills and diligent data reporting, she’s been focusing on rebuilding through better programing, creating new events and food pairings which include not just tasting, but a complete experience including the history of the region and the making process.
As Sparkling Pointe’s EDOPS Melissa Rockwell has her pulse on just about every aspect of the business. During our conversation, we were discussing their wine making process and the various methods utilized to create great wine. In addition to getting the opportunity to view some of the tanks and taste a few delicious sparkling wines, Melissa expertly explained each method from growing and harvesting through the multiple steps needed for aging, blending, and ultimately distribution. I won’t even attempt to explain it, but I do recommend a visit to the winery and getting a first-hand experience.
As we spoke, I learned that in addition to her job at Sparkling Pointe, Melissa and her wine making husband have a daughter, and in her spare time, she served 6 years on the Wine Country Board. This led me to inquiring about what she would consider her greatest achievement thus far and if she would share advice for women starting out in their careers. As with the rest of our conversation, Melissa easily and willingly shared her thoughts. In moving from working in a tasting room to a full career, she sees the ten-year financial growth of Sparkling Pointe as her greatest achievement. For advice, she turned to her experience at Sparkling Pointe and attributes the owners with instilling in her effective and insightful managing skills, not just with great advice but by modeling it. She shared their lesson, ‘If you recognize what helps people around you meet their needs, you will work your way up the ladder. What’s meaningful to other is important.’ She continued with additional inspiring thoughts, “Be willing to start at the bottom and learn from people, recognize different perspectives, and give yourself time to grow.”
Right here in Montauk you can also enjoy a glass at Bird on the Roof or Mavericks, or if you have a chance to take a ride to the north fork, be sure to stop in and enjoy the Sparkling Point wines and their gorgeous tasting room. For additional information about your visit, go to https://sparklingpointe.com/ .