I (heart) NY!

5/28/20 -

The Finger Lakes will always have a special place in my heart as a wine-making region. Perhaps because I have lived my whole life in New York (and I'm sure you know, New Yorkers have a lot of pride), and perhaps because my first venture into wine and fine dining was at The NoMad with Thomas Pastuszak where his passion for the region led to the most incredible selection of Finger Lakes wines in the city, probably the country. As Old World wines were my first love, I was fascinated by this cool weather climate of the New World, and the more I tasted the more I wanted to explore.

The history of wine-making in the Finger Lakes dates back to the 1850's. Though the climate is cold and harsh, the combination of lakes carved out by glacial movement, burying vines in the winter, and utilizing heartier rootstocks, help moderate the effects. Initially only American labrusca varieties and hybrids were viable options, but climate change has allowed for more and more success with the "noble" vitis vinifera. We can thank Dr. Konstantin Frank, a viticulturist from the Ukraine, for recognizing the great potential of this northern region by supporting earlier ripening grapes like Riesling and Chardonnay back in 1957. His work inspired many others to put down roots here and today there is ~11,000 acres of vineyards in the Finger Lakes AVA. Hermann J. Wiemer was among the first, opening their winery in 1979 and continues to be a benchmark for the region. Today they are committed to responsible farming, increasing biodiversity, and eliminating synthetic treatments.
Eminence Road's Landot Noir vines photo from Andrew Scott

Getting grapes to fully ripen in this climate is hard enough, keeping them free of disease is an even greater challenge. The Finger Lakes sees over 30 inches of precipitation every year so fungus and mold is a difficult beast to battle. Viticulturists must work tirelessly to relieve disease-pressure, and most rely on some kind of treatment spray. Winemaker Andrew Scott of Eminence Road tells me that "no one likes to spray. It is expensive (and boring). The materials, fuel, time, equipment wear, it all adds up and farmers by nature do not like to spend money. So all the growers are looking for ways to work smarter and more efficiently. Things like air drainage, canopy management and cover crops all come into play when trying to control mildew." When it comes to making the wine, his work in the cellar is all natural. All of the Eminence Road wines are spontaneously fermented, most are foot-stomped, and the only additive he ever uses is a small amount of sulfur depending on the wine.

Debra and Kim Engle of Bloomer Creek have a similar mindset. Their philosophy has been centered around working in tandem with nature; embracing the cold and variations of the vintages. They began in 1999 with just 10 acres and in 2012 expanded by taking on an abandoned vineyard that they have since nursed back to life. While caring for these vineyards and creating what they describe as "Old World-style" wines, they use no herbicides, no irrigation, harvest everything by hand, and employ only native yeasts for fermentations. This year's 'Half-Moon' rosé demonstrates their ability to let the land speak for itself.

There is a new generation of winemakers is emerging in the Finger Lakes and Nathan Kendall of Nathan K. wines is definitely one not to miss. He is making some very clean, compelling bottles of wine and encouraging the growers he works with to really think about the long-term health of their vineyards and the planet. Although he says the shift will take time, "In 20 years or so, due to climate change and the younger generations getting involved, we will likely be in a much better place for farming more responsibly."
Nathan Kendall tending to vines.

One of his most exciting projects is a collaboration with renowned Master Sommelier, and dear friend and contributor of Chambers Street Wines, Pascaline Lepeltier. Together they launched Chëpìka, an ode to the American grape varieties Catawba and Delaware, both "accidental hybrids" that were once immensely popular for their weather-hardiness and use for jams and jellies, as well as wine. The name Chëpìka comes from the Lenape (native language of the Delaware tribe of Indigenous Americans) word for "root" and is an apt reference to their quest to go back to the roots of American wine-making, creating wines that are 100% natural by anyone's definition. The grapes are sourced from the only certified organic vineyard in the Finger Lakes, the Buzzard's Crest Vineyard. Nathan tells me they are able to achieve this feat because these hybrid varieties are significantly more disease-resistant so they require less treatments. The wines are then made with absolutely nothing added or taken away; indigenous yeast fermentations, no fining or filtering, and no sulfur added. Here's hoping this inspires a comeback for these hearty hybrid grapes, as they could be the key to a more organic future for the Finger Lakes! (This year we received just 36 bottles each of their unique Catawba Pet-Nat and Rosé, so there will be a 2 bottle limit for each in order to spread the love.)

I hate to "pull at your heartstrings", but with New York at the epicenter of this unprecedented pandemic and lockdown, these winemakers have to work harder than ever. They have less hands to work their vineyards and bottle wines, tastings rooms have had to shut down, and their audience has drastically diminished with so many local restaurants closed, and an absence of tourists. On top of that, these wines are all bright, distinct, and most importantly delicious so we are thrilled to offer them for you today! Michelle DeWyngaert