Welcomes
Brandon, Lutz, and friends…
Tonight’s wines!
#1 Dr. Konstantin Frank is one of the iconic pioneers in our region.
In the early 50’s, at the age of 52, with no knowledge of English and a PhD in Viticulture from the Ukraine, he immigrated to New York with his family in search of a new start. He planted roots - literally and figuratively - in 1958, becoming the very first to plant European grape varietals [Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, etc] in this part of the country.
His winery became operational by 1962. And over the decades since, the Frank family has helped transform the Finger Lakes from a region known primarily for farming grapes into one appreciated for crafting wines. Dr. Frank is located on the scenic western slopes of Keuka Lake and continues to innovate and experiment. They are traditionalists when it comes to sparkling wines, however, and release extraordinary cuvées that bring to mind vintage Champagne styles.
Read more about this wine - a two year old previous vintage - here.
#2 About Forge, in their words:
Our goal is for our wines to reflect the place that they come from, because this is where the pleasure is. When you smell a wine, you should be transported to its origins and see the landscape. It should relate to good memories, and provide a strong feeling of identity. This is why we try to listen, be soft and transparent in our winemaking.
Our choices in the cellar guard the purity of our vineyards. Simply put, we make wine in the traditional, handcrafted manner. We harvest by hand. We sort by hand. We load the grapes into the press by hand. We shovel the vats out by hand. We employ spontaneous fermentation and ferment in very tiny lots, so that we truly understand the expression of the vineyard each year. We use very low levels of sulphur, ferment our Rieslings bone dry, and do not fine or filter our red wines.
Our indigenous yeast fermentations proceed very slowly. It is not in spring, but in the summer after the vintage that we are finally able to move toward bottling the wines. Once fermentations are complete, our team begins diligently tasting through our barrels and tanks, giving each a detailed rating and review, and writing personal tasting notes. When we talk about small batch and individualized fermentations, we really mean it — hundreds of separate, small French barriques from 16 different vineyards, each with its own story and personality.
The 2020 Dry Riesling Classique is an expedition along the shores of southeast Seneca Lake. One that celebrates the diversity of the landscape and the styles of Riesling that it brings to life, and welcomes travelers from all walks of life to take part.
#3 Osmote is a tiny garagiste winery led by Ben Riccardi. Recently founded in 2014 and still without a public-facing tasting room, the winery is recognized by many in the wine community for its excellent wines. I particularly love their Seneca Lake Chardonnay and consider it one of the best expressions of the varietal in the region.
Garagistes are traditionally known in France as independent, artisan winemakers handcrafting small batches of wine on their own and not yet discovered by the mainstream. In Ben’s case, it’s also fitting that his winery actually resides in a former trucking garage.
But to consider it a casual pursuit that one plays with in their ‘garage’ would be an understatement. Ben approaches his art with tireless energy, a Cornell enology education, precise attention to detail, a love for mother nature, and a sincere respect for the Finger Lakes growers and winemakers on whose shoulders he stands.
Osmote releases one to two thousand cases of wines per year - mainly Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Franc. In miniscule quantities Ben also uses heirloom New York grapes for both a red and white pétillant naturel as well as a unique DeChaunac - which, depending on the vintage, varies between a structured rosé and a very light Côte Rôtie red wine.
Wine notes from their website: A bright, cool vintage Chardonnay. As is common with an acidic white like Muscadet, this wine has well integrated lees character to complement the fresh acidity. While lighter in structure, the yellow apple notes work alongside subtle hints of pineapple, shaved coconut and marzipan which all work in harmony to lemon zest flavors. The crisp and clean acidity cleanses the palate to create a dry finish that should complement an array of cuisine.
#4 Ravines Pinot Noir
Over the last twenty years since its founding, Lisa and Morten Hallgren have confidently grown Ravines into one of the bright shining stars in our Finger Lakes wine community.
With tasting rooms on both Seneca and Keuka lakes, they extend a thoughtful level of hospitality while guiding visitors through an exceptional collection of wines that reference the classic styles of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne.
Check out the video to learn more about them!
#5 Hermann J Wiemer Late Harvest Riesling
Hermann J. Wiemer founded his eponymous winery in 1979 after leaving Germany’s Mosel wine region as an educated viticulturalist. It quickly became one of the more respected wineries in the Finger Lakes and continues to influence and lead the region in countless ways.
Today it is owned and operated by Oskar Bynke and Fred Merwarth, friends and Cornellians driven to continue Hermann’s precise attention to detail in crafting exceptional wines.
Located on the gentle western slopes of Seneca Lake, this winery is globally-known for producing white, red, and sparkling wines; many considered as reference points for the region. They have recently been selected as one of the Wine & Spirits Magazine Top 100 Wineries (in the world) of 2020. Notably, this is the 10th time they have received this accolade.
Increasingly they are transitioning to fully organic and biodynamic farming and are releasing notable single vineyard expressions and traditional-method cuvées that compete on a world stage.
Learn more about the history of the winery from our very own podcast. Listen here or on Spotify.