FINGER LAKES, New York — From the northern tip of Canandaigua Lake in the famed Finger Lakes region of upper New York state you can see for miles and miles, a shimmering wet wonderland of peace and tranquility.
There are eleven Finger Lakes ranging from 64 kilometres in length to an incredible 618 feet in depth. They lie within an imaginary triangle between Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira-Corning.
It is a pastoral vacationland untouched by the commercialization and slick trappings of big resorts and grandiose hotels. It’s all about the simple pleasures of lakeside living and exploring in a quiet part of the world that offers a range of activities to keep even the most discriminating visitor busy.
Native American legend explains the Finger Lakes this way: the Creator looked upon this land with special favour and reached down to bless it, leaving the imprint of his hand, hence, the Finger Lakes. Geology tells a different story, as the last Ice Age ended, the final glaciers covering what is now the northern reaches of the United States receded. The incredible grinding pressures of the receding glaciers gouged enormous holes in what is now the Finger Lakes region. These became not only the Finger Lakes, but also the magnificent geologic anomalies throughout the region that include amazing gorges and numerous waterfalls. All that according to the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Authority.
For me, the region offers what I most crave in a summer vacation: Wine touring, golfing and sunsets by the beach.
And the Finger Lakes has all of that in spades.
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It’s been two years since I first “discovered” the Finger Lakes wine region during an alternative bloggers conference called TasteCamp. It was my first event of this kind, where wine web media gather to thoroughly explore a region over an intense four- or five-day gathering.
To be honest, I had no idea what to expect but came away with a deep appreciation for the region and the wines being made here.
Two years ago, Finger Lakes was still in its infancy and, of course, it still is. There was a great divide between serious quality-oriented winemakers and those making gimmicky wines designed to simply draw tourists and sell wines made at the low end of quality and some not even from grapes grown in the region.
But the tide is turning. Following my visit two years ago, the mainstream U.S. wine magazines (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast etc.) started paying attention to the region and were effusive in their praise, mainly for the spectacular Rieslings but also for other varieties that are starting to show well as winemakers gain more confidence with cool climate winemaking and viticulture. It has put the Finger Lakes on the proverbial map.
I decide to take an entire day during a family summer vacation to visit some of the wineries that I remember as being top-notch during my previous visit to see how they have progressed
I arranged to meet Morten Hallgren (seen in very top photo, and above with his new sparkling wine), owner of the very fine Ravines Wine Cellars, who, along with his wife Lisa, have created a small (but growing), distinctive winery crafting elegant and food-friendly wines using Old World winemaking traditions with New World innovation.
They have just opened a second location in the Finger Lakes at the top of Seneca Lake and it is there that I agreed to tour and taste with Morten.
It is a gorgeous location, off the beaten track, surrounded by farmland and big-sky vistas. The Hallgrens purchased the farm from the just-retired 95-year-old Carl Fribolin, who, at age 85, decided to build a winery and plant a vineyard on his farm.
It consists of 160 acres, 42 of them planted to mostly vinifera (noble varieties, not hybrids), with replanting and grafting of vines taking place to better match the kind of wines the Hallgrens want to make.
While the new property allows for an increase in production from the 11,000 cases now made, Hallgren only wants to grow at “a reasonable pace.” One or two thousand cases a year, he says, to feed the growing list of new markets in the United States.
Ravines has built its reputation on Riesling, with its single vineyard Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling one of the finest wines made in the Finger Lakes. But the Hallgrens are also finding success with Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Rose, both white and red blends and they hope the new sparkling wine also finds a following.
“It’s become a legitimate wine region in many ways,” says Hallgren. “We have that surprise element. What held us back was our history,” he says, referring to the proliferation of hybrids that defined the region just a short 10 years ago.
Ravines’ original location was purchased in 2000, a 17-acre parcel of land on a glacier-carved hillside on the eastern slopes of Keuka Lake.
The charming tasting room, with scenic views of the lake, opened in spring 2003 and is decorated in a Provençal style. Two months after opening, Ravines won Best Dry Riesling in the 2003 World Riesling Cup at the Eastern International Wine Competition for the 2002 Dry Riesling and has continued to build its reputation.
The wines:
Ravines Wine Cellars Riesling 2011 ($17, 88 points) — A racy style of Riesling with a floral-mineral nose and plenty of lime-citrus zest and a touch of peach. The mouth reveals searing acidity, flinty minerality and tart lime and citrus flavours.
Ravines Wine Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($18, 89 points) — From the ripe 2010 vintage this SB shows tropical fruit, light grass and herbs and citrus fruit on the nose. It is round on the palate with grapefruit, garden herbs and lush tropical fruit.
Ravines Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc 2010 ($19, 90 points) — A bold nose of raspberry, cherry-kirsch, mingling herbs and bold spices. It’s smooth and ripe on the palate with soft tannins and length on the finish. Very nice Cab Franc.
Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2009 ($25, 92 points) — The fruit for this wine comes from one of the oldest vineyards on Seneca Lake. The nose is gorgeous with citrus, quince, minerals and petrol starting to emerge. It’s a grapefruit-lime bomb in the mouth with earthy-flinty notes and a clean, fresh finish.
Ravines Wine Cellars Chardonnay 2010 ($19, 89 points) — One of the first Chardonnays from the Finger Lakes that has really impressed me (though I admit to not having tried a lot of them). A nose of wonderful fig, almonds, apple and toasted vanilla spices. The French oak aging shows on the palate with a balanced attack of spice to go with rich and layered fruit and balancing acidity.
Ravines Wine Cellars Gewurztraminer 2011 ($19, 88 points) — A classic Alsatian style of Gewurz with one glaring difference: Acid. The nose shows ripe grapefruit, lychee, cloves and rose petals. I love the mouthful, succulent with being cloying, with juicy fruits and wonderful clove-nutmeg spices.
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Further south, along the western shore of Seneca Lake, the wineries come quickly, one after another: Billsboro, Fox Run, Serenity and Anthony Road, to name a few.
I have arranged a tasting with Anthony Road winemaker Johannes Reinhardt (seen in photo below), another Riesling ambassador who is turning heads in the region.
Reinhardt views the rising success of the Finger Lakes region with cautious optimism.
“I don’t get too carried away with success,” he says. “I don’t make wines for the ratings. The more we focus on higher ratings the more we lose sight of what we are doing,” he tells me.
Reinhardt maintains that he will continue to make his wines in the style that he feels is best for the Finger Lakes and not what he thinks will turn critics’ heads. “If the influencers out there don’t like it, I don’t really care,” he says.
Luckily for Reinhardt, critics and wine lovers have embraced the style of Anthony Road Rieslings, including the Arts Series and top Martini Reinhardt Selection Rieslings that rise in sweetness and quality all the way to a 100% botrytis affected, single-berry selection wine that sells for $100 for 375 Ml and will knock your socks off.
But what impresses me most with Anthony Road and the Finger Lakes in general this trip is the diversity and expansion of the portfolios to include other varieties such as the amazing Cabernet Francs, Lembergers and meritage blends being crafted.
If there was a knock on the Finger Lakes it was always the lack of depth in the wine portfolio. That is changing as you discover visiting the tasting rooms and wine shops in the region.
Riesling will always form the backbone of the Finger Lakes, but the Bordeaux red varieties, sparkling wines and some Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are emerging as seriously good wines.
The wines:
Anthony Road Dry Riesling 2011 ($16, 88 points) — The nose displays Meyer lemon and lime, green apple and tangerine with underlying minerality. It’s ripe and lush with grapefruit and lime flavours and balanced out by razor sharp acidity.
Anthony Road Art Series Riesling 2010 ($24, December release, 92 points) — This Riesling is wild fermented and one to watch from the Finger Lakes when it’s released in time for Christmas. The nose shows honeysuckle, beeswax, citrus and apple notes. It’s complex and layered on the palate with a range of citrus and apple fruit to go with white pepper, and profound minerality in a structured, almost viscous style through a long finish.
Anthony Road Cabernet Franc/Lemberger 2010 ($20, 89 points) — This has a memorable nose of bramble bush, raspberry, currants and an array of spices. It is ripe and full-bodied in the mouth with blueberry, cherry-raspberry flavours and garnished with pepper and spice. Can age beautifully for five to seven years.
Anthony Road Martini-Reinhardt Selection Riesling Berry Selection 2008 ($65 for 375 Ml, 93 points) — This is made from single-berry selection of fruit that’s 60% botrytised and finished at 165 grams per litre of residual sugar. Such an amazing nose of poached pear, wild honey, apricot and peach compote. With all that sweetness, this wine is still invigorating on the palate with ripe flavours of apple, melon, tropical fruits, honey through the long, long finish. Exquisite.
Anthony Road Martini-Reinhardt Selection Vignoles Trockenbeeren ($75 for 375 Ml, 94 points) — This is a true totally botrytis affected white and finished at 265 g/l of residual sugar. My, oh, my, this is sensational stuff if you like sweet wines. The nose shows complex aromas of dried fruit, orange peel, lemon drops, mango and tropical fruit compote. Such incredible intensity of fruit flavours on the palate that are integrated and lush yet shows that vibrant Finger Lake acidity. The finish lasts for minutes. A blockbuster.
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I also had a chance to quickly pop into Hermann J. Wiemer, located in the heart of the Finger Lakes wine country on the western shores of Seneca Lake.
The winery produces approximately 14,000 cases each year from the shell of a 90-year-old scissor-trussed barn that accommodates a full wine production area and tasting facility. Its unique white cathedral-like interior balances the bare wooden walls and sleek Italian stainless steel tanks.
The wines are crafted in very small lots to focus on subtle differences between site blocks within vineyards and even clones within varieties. Wiemer utilizes up to 25 different fermentation tanks within the winery to isolate vineyard sections and pickings dates to best showcase the varietal’s characteristics.
I wanted to taste (and load up on) Wiemer’s three single-vineyard Rieslings — Magdalena, Josef and the HJW — but, sadly, my timing was horrible. The current vintage was sold out and the new vintage wasn’t even in bottle yet.
I settled for a small tasting of what Rieslings the popular Wiemer had on hand.
The wines:
Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling 2011 ($18, 89 points) — A blend of Riesling from Wiemer’s top three vineyards, this sets the tone for the signature grape at the winery. The nose is fresh and expressive grapefruit, lime, apricot, summer peaches and just a whiff of white pepper-mineral. It’s bright and zesty on the palate with firm acidity, citrus-laced and moderated by ripe tropical fruit and orange peel.
Hermann J. Wiemer Reserve Dry Riesling 2010 ($29, 92 points) — Such a gorgeous Riesling that shows the Finger Lakes style. The aromas range from lemon-lime to orchard fruits with touches of tangerine, lanolin and just a subtle hint of earthiness. It’s a style built on a mineral foundation with lush fruit, a tough of ginger spice and typical racy acidity to balance it all out. Would love to revisit this wine in 10 years.
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With a day of tasting behind me, it was back to the Inn on the Lake at the northern tip of Canadaigua Lake. It is here we have based ourselves.
We had a panoramic view of the lake as boats zoomed by heading to points south in the heat of the summer. There are pools, open-air bars, Muskoka chairs by the lake and enough interesting restaurants surrounding us to keep us well fed for a week.
Wine, food, views, pool and touring around can only get us so far, especially for the golfers in my family.
We had heard about the Bristol Harbour Golf Club from many golfers in Ontario who make the short trek annually to test their skills on the Robert Trent Jones designed track.
It is part of the Bristol Harbour Resort, nestled on top of a mountain just south of Canandaigua. As you wind up the mountain to the resort property, the beauty of the drive and stunning views instantly grabs your attention. You’re suddenly enveloped in the quiet and peacefulness of the surroundings.
The 6,700-yard golf course is as well known for its championship layout, as it is for the amazing views of Canandaigua Lake and the surrounding hillsides. The well maintained course offers a sharp contrast between the front and back nine. While the front nine consists of open views of the lake, the back nine is cut through the woods and offers beautiful scenery of the rolling Bristol hills.
I’m playing this magnificent course with my 15-year-old son, a junior tour player in Niagara who is having a tough time on the tight layout of the back nine, which we play first to avoid a busy front nine.
But as we make the turn to the front nine, the nine with all the views, I am distracted by the beauty (well, that’s my story anyway) and he ends up kicking my butt. Down 2, down 4, down 6 … I stop counting and just soak in all that the Finger Lakes has to offer. To hell with the score!
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