Winemaker Notes
A "Wine is like poetry" So stated Robert Louis Stevenson, and how befitting that this analogy should be drawn. For good wine, like good poetry, has the power to raise the spirit to a heightened level of awareness and satisfy the soul.
Pindar, the name derived from the great Hellenic poet from Sparta, was founded in 1979 by the entrepreneurial Dr. Herodotus "Dan" Damianos. Starting off with just thirty acres of uncultivated land, Dr. Damianos envisioned the grand possibilities for his fledgling vineyard. His dream is being actualized for the ever expanding Pindar currently encompasses nearly 550 acres of prime viticultural property and is Long Island's largest and most prestigious vineyard. Sixteen different vinifera varieties are grown at Pindar including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and lesser known varieties such as Viognier and Syrah.
Whether designing a proprietary blend or a rich, elegant, pure varietal, Pindar takes meticulous care and pride in producing the finest wine available for consumption. In doing so Pindar has become a name synonymous with quality and reliability. So we welcome you to sample our liquid poetry, and be moved!
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”