Toasting to the veterans who fight to protect our freedom is one thing, but toasting with wines made by veterans themselves adds a whole new layer of meaning to this important national holiday.
The groundwork for Veterans Day was laid on November 11, 1921, when an unknown soldier who died fighting for the United States and its allies during World War I was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
In England and France, similar ceremonies took place in Westminster Abbey and the Arc de Triomphe. The day, which marked the date of the end of World War I in 1918 was first called Armistice Day. In 1954, Congress officially proclaimed November 11 Veterans Day, and local parades and celebrations have been held on that day ever since.
In New York, we are lucky enough to have several wineries that are either owned by Veterans or feature wine made by a Veteran.
Winemaking in the Barracks
Some actually learned their craft while serving.
“When I returned home from my first combat deployment, I still wasn’t old enough to buy alcohol,” says Thomas Spotteck, head winemaker at the North Fork’s Lenz Winery, of his time serving in the Marine Corps Infantry 1st Battalion 6th Marines. Spotteck began his service in 2006 and ended up on two combat deployments to the South Helmand Province of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2011.
“Being the young guy in my unit and not wanting to feel left out, I first taught myself to make beer,” Spotteck recalls. “Brewing turned into making mead, and mead turned to wine from grapes.”
These experiments were conducted in his barracks room at Camp Lejeune, and he supplemented the hands-on work with educational deep-dives into tomes discussing different fermentation methods and techniques. During his second deployment, he spent his spare time reading a book that his father gave him on winemaking.
When he came home, a friend introduced him to a marine-turned-vintner, and Spotteck says “a lightbulb went off.”
He snagged an internship under winemaker Eric Fry at Lenz Winery, and he learned everything he could. Eventually, he used his GI Bill to pursue a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology at Washington State University.
Inspired by Time Serving Abroad
Stephen Conway, president of Thousand Islands Winery, who served in the U.S. Army between 1981 and 2003 says his time on the road inspired his eventual foray into wine.
“I spent five years in Germany during the 1980s and 1990s,” Conway recalls. “During that time, I visited many wineries and wine festivals and became passionate about Riesling.”
Then in 1996, he was assigned to Fort Drum. Inspired by the grandeur of Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, which reminded him of the castles and wineries he visited in Germany, he decided to stay and pursue a second career in wine following his retirement from the military.
In many ways, Conway says he sees similarities between the ethos of the military and the wine community.
“The wine industry in New York collaborates continuously by sharing methods and techniques,” Conway says. “All of this is done to improve viticulture, enology, and the quality of the New York wine industry.”
Finding Connection and Community Through Wine
Corey Christman retired from the Air Force in 2012 after serving 21 years. He confesses that he’d already caught the wine bug before retirement.
“I began making wine at home in 2009,” Christman says, adding that when he retired, he saw an opportunity for a second career. “I worked as a harvest intern at Anthony Road Wine Company.”
That training inspired Christman to formally launch Bravery Wines in 2020. The experience has allowed him to find the same sense of community and excitement in wine that he cherished in his military career.
“Winemaking and grape-growing are very dynamic with every season and vintage offering challenges and opportunities for greatness,” Christman explains. “In both military service and winemaking, we have to be flexible and responsive to the situations we are presented with. And as in the military, I am lucky to have numerous colleagues who’ve helped and mentored me along the way.”
Support These Wineries Owned or Run By Veterans
Lenz Winery (Veterans get a 15% discount year-round): Perched on the North Fork of Long Island, Lenz Winery was founded in 1978 and welcomes visitors year-round. Lenz offers a range of red, white and rosé wines, from dry to dessert, still to sparkling.
Thousand Islands Winery (Veterans get a 10% discount on our wines at the tasting room, year-round): Thousand Islands opened in 2003, with just 1,100 gallons of wine. Today, it’s a thriving enterprise producing 50,000 gallons of wine annually, producing 23 varieties from dry to dessert, including a fortified port-style wine and a honey mead.
Bravery Wines: (Veterans get a discount year round, and $2.50 for every bottle sold is donated to veteran, military family and first responder nonprofits). The tagline of Bravery Wines is “celebrating the hero in you,” a concept that embraces courageous character. Bravery aims to unite all of us, regardless of where we come from or what we believe.
Lamoreaux Landing Winery (Veterans and active duty military get a 10% discount): This multi-generational winery has been growing grapes along the east side of Seneca Lake for three generations. The 20 vineyard blocks produce a range of still and sparkling wines from sustainably farmed grapes.
Buttonwood Grove Winery: Dave and Melissa purchased Buttonwood in 2014, expanded the vineyards and built a winery. They also upgraded on-site cabins and offer a summer-long music series, while offering a range of Vitis vinifera, fruit wines, sparkling wines and dessert wines.
Six Eighty Cellars: This Finger Lakes winery overlooks Cayuga Lake. Winemaking is sustainable and minimal intervention, from a variety of classic vinifera grapes with an emphasis on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
