“Quality all starts with the grapes,” says Peter Weis, co-owner of Weis Vineyards in Keuka Lake. In 2017, Weis and his wife Ashlee bought a small existing winery in Hammondsport. In the span of five years, they have turned quality grapes from the Finger Lakes into quality wine from Weis Vineyards. They’ve quickly become a celebrated winery in the region, earning the “Winery of the Year” award in the 2022
The early history of vinifera grape growing in the colder climates on the East Coast goes something like this: Vinifera was planted. It died. Grape growers and winemakers gave up and chose to use native grapes for wine, eventually turning to hybrid grapes, too. That’s an overly simplified version of how it unfolded, but for the most part, people believed growing vinifera in the cold and wet climate of the
Since 1988, Wölffer Estate Vineyards has been walking a fine line between innovation and elegance. It is rare indeed for a winery to coax former Long Island potato fields into producing wines that consistently earn 93+ point raves from Robert Parker while also cranking out fun, beach-worthy ciders infused with botanicals. Roman Roth, Winemaker. (Photo by Rima Brindamour) From the outside, it may seem incomprehensible. But few in the industry
Keuka Lake Vineyards snagged Best Red Wine at the 2022 New York Wine Classic for their 2020 Leon Millot, adding another accolade to an unconventional success story for the small, farmstead winery in the Finger Lakes. The New York Wine Classic’s judging process is comprehensive and painstaking: between April 15 and June 15, 694 entries from 101 wineries across the Empire State are sipped, assessed and analyzed. A total of
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards has a long agricultural history that goes well beyond wine. The winery’s name itself reveals a bit of its story. In 1852, the Hazlitt family purchased 153 acres in Hector, NY, already planted with fruit trees and vineyards. And while grapes thrived there for more than a century, the winery itself didn’t come along until 1985. In the 37 years since the family became winemakers, Hazlitt 1852
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the top winners of the 36th annual New York Wine Classic, a nationally recognized competition highlighting the best of New York’s wine. Governor Hochul made the announcement this evening during a special live virtual event hosted by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. This year, the Governor’s Cup was presented to two wineries in a surprise tie for the competition’s most esteemed award. The