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New York
Growing Regions
Wineries
Finger Lakes
1996 Vineyards in NY State Designed and
maintained by FLB Enterprises
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USA
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New York
Growing Regions
Wineries
Finger Lakes
1996 Vineyards in NY State Designed and
maintained by FLB Enterprises
|
|
HISTORY Like New York City, New York wine country has evolved from a mosaic of
immigrants from different countries, cultures and customs. Further to the west in the Finger Lakes, in 1829 vines were planted for sacramental wines by an Episcopal Church in the hamlet of Hammondsport, which soon became the focal point of the eastern wine industry, Great Western Winery, still with the distinction of being U.S. Bonded Winery No.1 was created in 1860 as the Pleasant Valley Wine Company, followed quickly by the Urbana Wine Company (subsequently known as Gold Seal Vineyards) in 1865 and the Taylor Wine Company in 1880. Further west, high above Hemlock Lake, O - Neh - Da Winery (now called Eagle Crest) was established in 1872, and at the south end of Canandaigua Lake, John Jacob Widner opened Widmer's Wine Cellars in 1888. The grape and wine industry of the Finger Lakes flourished in the late 1800's and early 1900's - with steamboats laden with grapes plying the lakes and the trains of "The Champagne Trail" taking the finished wines to markets far and wide - until Prohibition devastated the industry in 1920. When that disastrous experiment was repealed in 1933, the wineries which survived moved cautiously back into wine production. Two other European immigrants played pivotal roles in re-shaping the modern New York wine industry. Traditionally, New York wines were made from vitis labrusca grapes, which translate into fruity wines with a fragrant aroma reminiscent of a vineyard at harvest time. Though these wines remain popular in the eastern United States, consumer trends indicated movement toward more sophisticated, European - style wines. In 1934, Charles Fournier, the Champagne master at Veuve Cliquot in France, came to Finger Lakes to briefly consult for Gold Seal vineyards and after falling in love with the area, never left. Among many major contributions to the industry was his introduction of French - American grape varieties such as Seyval Banc and Baco Noir which were developed by French scientists in response to a devastating phylloxera epedemic throughout Europe. These varieties combined hardiness in the vineyard with the sophisticated taste characteristics of European wines. Fournier also took the industry one step further in collaboration with another immigrant, Dr. Konstantin Frank of Russia. Dr. Frank had been a vinyardist in the Ukraine - clearly a cool climate growing region - and was convinced that vitis vinifera, the classic European wine grapes, could be grown at Finger Lakes as well. Fournier hired him at Gold Seal, and together the Russian grape grower and the French Champagne master proved beyond any doubt that New York was hospitable to vinifera grapes and wine. The first grapes were planted in 1953, the first wines made in 1961, and the vinifera revolution had begun. Exciting Renaissance Willy Frank continues his father's work at Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera
Wine Cellars as well as Chateau Frank, a new sparkling wine facility. Marvin
Sands began with virtually nothing in 1945 and has built Canandaigua Wine
Company into the second largest winery in the United States, and the third
largest in the world. Alec and Louisa Hargrave established a vinifera vineyard
on Long Island in 1973, planting the seeds for explosive growth of the current
Long Island industry. Cene Pierce, a co-founder of Glenora Wine Cellars in 1977,
has led that winery to a national reputation of top-quality sparkling wines and
premium table wines. Of New York's 95 wineries, over 70 now produce vinifera
wines. Long Island More than 1,000 acres and some 17 wineries. From 215 to 233 growing days. Surrounded on three sides by huge bodies of water--the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, at Great Peconic Bay--Long Island's wine growing regions about 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of New York City benefit from a maritime climate with a long growing season and other characteristics reminiscent of Bordeaux. Hudson River Around 1,000 acres and more than 20 wineries. From 180 to 196 growing days. While the first vines were planted on the island of Manhattan--the image of "New York" to most people--the first significant plantings were in the Hudson River valley to the north. The broad, majestic river moderated the temperature somewhat, but far more important is the valley's funnelling of maritime air from the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Finger Lakes Some 50 wineries spanning 14,000 acres, with 190 to 205 growing days. Vineyards in the visually stunning Finger Lakes region benefit from a unique combination of the deep blue lakes and steep sloping hillsides. In winter, cold air slides down the steep hillsides to the lakes, which retain the warmth from summer and fall. The water-warmed air then rises, making room for more and in the process creating clouds of mist in the shape of the lakes which dissipate with the day's warmth. Lake Erie Around 20,000 acres of vineyards, with seven wineries. Approximately 200 growing days. Lake Erie, the lowest in altitude and most shallow of the Great Lakes, moderates the air masses from the northwest, and a ridge of hills--the Allegheny Plateau--traps the air along a three-mile corridor paralleling the lake's south shore. The Lake Erie district the largest grape growing region outside of California--accounts for about 60% of New York's total production, although 95% of the grapes are used for grape juice rather than wine. GRAPE VARIETIES New York grows a wide variety of premium wine grapes to suit every wine lover's taste. Building on the State's traditional wines made from Native American (Vitis labrusca) grapes, several viticultural pioneers planted French-American varieties in New York in the 1940's followed by classic European (Vitis vinifera) grapes in the late 1950's. Today New York grows more than 35 different grape varieties, offering consumers a broad spectrum of quality wines. Niagara, a Native American grape, produces a wonderfully aromatic, fruity wine reminiscent of plucking ripe grapes right off the vine at harvest. Seyval, developed by French scientists, is typical of French-American varieties which combine vine hardiness with sophisticated European taste characteristics. Chardonel, a cross of chardonnay and seyval developed by Cornell University's Geneva Experiment Station, combines the best of both worlds--Old and New Chardonnay, the grape grown in France's Burgundy and Champagne regions, finds a hospitable climate throughout New York and is the State's fastest growing grape variety and wine, with styles ranging from delicate and austere to full-bodied. Pinot Noir, the great red wine grape of Burgundy, grows especially well in the cool climate of the Finger Lakes, where it is used for table wines and sparkling wines. Riesling, Germany's noble grape, thrives throughout New York and produces a broad range of styles from elegantly dry, to fruity and semi-sweet, to lusciously sweet late harvest and ice wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, the foundation for the great red wines of Bordeaux, also produces great red wines
Designed and
maintained by FLB Enterprises
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