Winemaker Notes
Dr. Konstantin Frank's classic dry style of Riesling made from vines dating back to 1958 from both their estate vineyard sites.
Delicate and elegant, harmonizing lime zest, granny smith apples, and mineral stoniness from the Keuka vineyards with fresh citrus and nectarine from the Seneca vineyards. The zingy freshness brings energy, brightness, and persistence.
This Dry Riesling with elevated acidity pairs best with soft goat cheeses, simply prepared chicken or pork dishes sauteed or grilled, lightly prepared white fishes, salmon, or scallops, and greens salads.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A lot of floral delicacy and lemon and lime zest, but also some good white-peach fruit behind those high notes. Good depth on the mid-palate for the challenging vintage, with some wet-stone character at the long, crisp finish. Made from fruit grown on Kueka Lake and Seneca Lake.
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Wine Enthusiast
Delicately crafted from one of the Finger Lakes’s best-known producers, this opens with a lifted aromas of white peach, lemonlime and florals with a honeyed underbelly. The palate is dry with a lofty line of laser-like, lemony acidity and a slightly chalky texture. Crying out for flavorful fish dishes like spicy fish tacos or Thai red curry.
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.