NICHE NICHE VISITS THE FINGER LAKES
The Wines…
White Asparagus Salad, White Balsamic Whipped Egg Yolk, Black Truffle Glaze, Feuilles de Brick
Hermann J. Wiemer Cuvee Brut 2014
In the 1960s, Hermann J. Wiemer emigrated to the Finger Lakes from Bernkastel, Germany.
His mother and father were both heavily involved in viticulture and winemaking in Germany - his mother’s family made wine in the Mosel Valley of Germany for over 300 years and his father was in charge of experiments with rootstock for Riesling and the restoring of Riesling vines in the Mosel area after World War II. Wiemer was one of the first people to plant vinifera varieties in the Finger Lakes after seeing the similarities of soil and weather to his home area - and because of his background, he knew that grafting his Riesling onto American rootstock was of the utmost importance to ensure healthy vines as well. After these thoughts, Wiemer purchased 80 acres of land and began to plant Riesling - his first vineyard is now called the ‘HJW Vineyard’. He officially founded his winery in 1979 and became immediately successful, with high remarks for the wines coming from many critics. HJW retired in 2007 after many years of making excellent wine and encouraging the planting of vinifera varieties around the Finger Lakes.
The Cuvee Brut is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the HJW and Magdalena Vineyards - about 50% of the blend from each vineyard. This sparkling wine is made méthode champenoise with the 2014 vintage The wine was then bottled in 2015 and disgorged in 2020. Dosage is 3g/L for this vintage. Only 600 cases produced.
Region: Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake)
Grape: 60% Chardonnay/ 40% Pinot Noir
The Wine: Sourced from the HJW and Magdelana vineyards, the Cuvée Brut is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from each. 60% Chardonnay/40% Pinot Noir. Methode Champenoise with 3g/L dosage. 2014 vintage, bottled in 2015, disgorged 2020.
Stracciatella, Spring Onion Chermula, Spring Veg, Sourdough
N Kendall Dry Riesling 2014
N. Kendall/Nathan K. wines was founded in 2011 by Nathan Kendall, a Finger Lakes native. Training in winemaking internationally, Kendall has experience in the Mosel Valley, Adelaide Hills, Sonoma, Willamette, and Waipara NZ. Throughout this training, his plan was always to return to the shores of Seneca Lake to make wine. “His passion is to create wines in an old world style using quality grapes and minimal intervention” - with his travels focusing on cool climate regions and varieties, Kendall’s main focus is on Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. He also currently makes the wine for the Chepika sparkling wine project in partnership with Pascaline Lepeltier (Racines).
All of the fruit Kendall works with is carefully sorted and only the pristine fruit then undergoes long spontaneous fermentations. After fermentation, the wine ages for months on the gross lees to bring more texture - wines are then racked and filtered gently before bottling. Kendall never fines his wines.
The fruit for this bottling is sourced from three separate vineyards on Seneca Lake. The vines range from 20-40 years old in age and once picked, the fruit is fermented spontaneously ina mix of neutral barrel and stainless steel. Kendall then ages the wines on the gross lees until bottling the following summer.
Region: Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake)
Grape: Riesling
The Wine: Sourced from 3 vineyards in the Seneca Lake AVA, the wine is fermented spontaneously in neutral barrel and stainless steel. Aged on lees until a gentle racking and filtering before bottling.
Roasted Ocean Trout, Cucumber Dill Vadouvan Yogurt, Roasted Red and Yellow Beets with Cara Cara Orange
Bloomer Creek Gewurztraminer ‘Skin Fermented’ 2020
Bloomer Creek was founded in 1982 when Kim Engle and Deb Bermingham purchased a thirty-acre farm in the Finger Lakes region of NY and named it Bloomer Creek. They immediately planted ten acres of various cool climate grapes and have farmed the vines using only organic methods since. The wine is always made with as minimal intervention as possible. They use no herbicides, zero irrigation, all fruit is hand-harvested, and only native yeasts are used for fermentation (fermentations are mostly spontaneous). Kim and Deb often use whole cluster fermentation, including for their whites, as well as lengthy lees aging. Fermentations are allowed to go at their own rate and are not temperature controlled.
Bloomer Creek has two parcels of Gewürztraminer - one planted in their Morehouse Road Vineyard and one in their Auten Vineyard. The Morehouse Road vines are 26 years old and the Auten vines are quite young - only 7 years old. During harvest, two passes are made to pick the Gewurztraminer - the first is early in the season and the grapes are picked for their acidity. The second pass through is for when the grapes are fully ripened. Both batches spontaneously ferment and spend about 4 and a half weeks on the skins. The two batches are then blended together to complete the wine by balancing the fresh and juicy flavors of one with the dried citrus & earthy tannic experience of the other. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, with minimal SO2 at bottling.
Region: Finger Lakes
Grape: Gewurztraminer
The Wine: Gewurztraminer from two parcels in different organically farmed vineyards. Two passes are made during picking and the grapes are spontaneously fermented on the skins for 4.5 weeks until blending the two batches. Unfined, unfiltered, and extremely minimal SO2 at bottling.
Grapefruit-scented Pavlova, Citrus Pastry Cream, Blueberry Jam (vermouth, cinnamon, star anise)
Terrassen Cabernet Franc 2018
A project by Sommelier husband and wife team Thomas Pastuszak and Jessica Brown located in the Finger Lakes. They focus on higher acid and easy-drinking wine from grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Blaufrankisch.
This bottling is 100% Cabernet Franc from Loire Valley clones planted in the 80s on the East side of Lake Seneca - the vineyard is practicing organic viticulture. The soil here is a blend gravel, clay, and shale, which are each soils Cabernet Franc thrives on. The grapes are hand-harvested and 50% are left whole cluster - the grapes are then foot-trod and undergo a partial carbonic maceration. Jessica and Thomas use native yeast and 2 months of open-top fermentation for this wine. Punch-downs occur twice a day and then the wine is moved to old barrique for malo and 8months in barrel. The wine is then bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Region: Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake)
Grape: Cabernet Franc (Loire clones)
The Wine: Cabernet Franc from a single vineyard planted in the 80s from Loire Valley clones. 50% whole cluster, partial carbonic maceration, and 2 months in open top fermentation vessels. 8 months elevage in old barrique after malolactic fermentation. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
