Winemaker Notes
100% Riesling, 100% Finger Lakes terroir selection. Aged in stainless steel tanks for seven months with monthly stirring of the lees (bâtonnage sur lies). Notes of citrus spray and delicate peach aromas, the light-bodied palate shows clean citrus and stone-fruit flavors, straightforward and accessible. Alcohol 12.00%. A Finger Lakes winery with a French accent! Originally from Champagne, France, this winemaking family has hand crafted wine for Six generations. In 2011, the husband and wife team fell in love with Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes wine region of New York State and have been producing impressive world-class wines ever since.
This wine pairs well with seafood, Asian, Thai, sushi, veggies, garlic and lighter poultry or pork entrees. Also great with spicy fare, fruit dishes, lobster, scallops and fish, pork, BLT sandwiches, and smoked meat.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.