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Finger Lakes
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The Finger Lakes region of New York State is home to more than 130 wineries and is the second largest wine producing region in the country. Historically the region was known for wine from native Vitis labrusca grapes like Concord, Pink Catawba and Vidal Blanc. And Hazlitt 1852 Winery on Seneca Lake sells 2.5 million bottles of its flagship Red Cat wine every year. (Cat is wine maker shorthand for Catawba).
Historically it was commonly thought that grapes native to Europe, i.e., Vitis vinifera, could not survive the harsh central New York winters. All of this changed in the 1950’s and ’60’s when a Ukrainian immigrant, Konstantin Frank, partnered with Gold Seal Winery and planted vinifera grapes like Riesling and Chardonnay which ultimately survived the winters. Dr. Frank reasoned that winter in the Crimea where he was from was much harsher than the Finger Lakes.
Join the PA Wine Society Friday November 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg to enjoy ten wines from eight different Finger Lakes producers, beginning with Dr. Frank Cellars whose wines don’t need much introduction. The aforementioned Konstantin Frank started the vinifera revolution in the Finger Lakes in 1958. The winery is still a family run business, now with the 4th generation leading. We will taste two wines from Dr. Frank: the Celebre NV, a medium sweet methode champenoise Riesling Crément-style sparkling wine with apple honey and spicy aromas on an acidic backbone. We will also be tasting the 2024 Rkatsiteli; a white wine made from a Georgian grape whose lineage can be traced to 3000 BC. The Rkatsiteli is a strikingly aromatic wine with a vibrant medley of tropical and herbal notes.
The next winery is Lakewood Vineyards on the southwestern shore of Seneca Lake. Lakewood started growing grapes in 1955 on land that was a derelict peach and apple orchard. Originally, they sold their grapes to larger winemakers such as Tatlor and Gold Seal. However, in the 1980’s changes in the market forced Lakewood to start making their own wine if they were to survive. Lakewood now farms 100 acres and grows everything from Riesling and Cabernet Franc to Catawba and Vignoles. We will be tasting the 2023 Chardonnay, described as rich and honeyed stone fruit character with caramel, mushroom and toasty vanillin notes. The flavor is on the quiet side, but the mouthfeel makes for food-friendly sipping. Wine Enthusiast awarded this wine 89 points.
Next, we will taste wines from Heart and Hands Wine Company. Heart and Hands was founded in 2007 by Tom and Susan Higgans focusing on producing high quality terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Riesling from their estate on the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga. In the early 2000’s Tom left the tech industry to pursue his passion for making wine, Tom followed this passion to Burgundy and California learning traditional winemaking techniques from masters in the field. Upon returning to the Finger Lakes, the Higgans set their sights on finding the perfect limestone-laden land to cultivate world class Pinot Noir. The winery’s vineyards are underpinned by rare limestone bedrock similar to Burgundy’s, and host nine Pinot Noir clones— Riesling as well as lesser-known cool climate varietals like Aligoté, Lagrein, and Pinot Auxerrois. The first wine is the 2021 Esoterra which is a blend of Aligoté and Pinot Auxerrois. The wine is characterized by bright acidity and stone fruit overtones.
The next wine from Heart and Hands is the 2022 Pinot Noir. This Pinot leaves you wanting more, with a tempting nose of roses, raspberries, and subtle hints of forest floor. A firm palate of tart cherries and black currents has a nice balance of refreshment. The finish is graceful with soft tannins lingering on the palate.
Forge Cellars was founded by Louis Barruol from the Rhone Valley’s Chateau de St.-Cosme, the flagship Domaine in Gigondas. The project debuted with the 2011 vintage. Forge specialized in bone dry Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc from the Southeastern shore of Seneca Lake. Forge has 16 different vineyard sites or “Lieux-dits” along an 18-mile stretch allowing an exploration of the unrivaled diversity of soil types.
We will taste the 2023 Forge Riesling Classique. According to Forge the Classique bottlings are their most important wines. Each of the 16 vineyards contribute to the blend aiming to reveal the true nature of each vintage and to explore the terroir of east Seneca Lake. The 2023 Classique is a dry medium bodied wine with notes of orchard fruit, peach and apricot balanced by a taut zesty spine of ginger and quinine with a mineral driven finish. The wine is notable for its precision and balance making it a sophisticated expression of the New York terroir.
A new winery to the region, Apollo’s Praise, was founded in 2023 by wine making couple Kelby James Russell and Julian Rose Hoyle. Apollo’s Praise is a winery committed to expressing the world class and artistic nature of Finger Lakes Wines. Based primarily on fruit from their Lahoma vineyard site on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake, the portfolio stretches from powerful dry Rieslings to Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, Cabernet Franc and surprises yet to come. The Lahoma vineyard is a 55-acre site composed of four rolling hills. Uniquely, the soil is sandstone which is uncommon in the Finger Lakes. “Walking through the vineyard you see large red rocks or quartz coming up from the ground …” Kelby explains. “The sandstone does a phenomenal job of draining away excess moisture … Rieslings on sandstone have real opulence.” We will taste the 2024 Riesling “Kabinett”: a celebration of one of the most delicious, thoughtful and misunderstood expressions of Rieslings that exists—Kabinett! This explosive and flavorful style of Riesling features ripping acidity to underline its precociousness, can age for decades, and is typically lower in alcohol. This wine aims to stop people in their tracks with simply how delicious it is.
Sheldrake Point was founded in 1997 by a group of wine enthusiasts who purchased a former dairy farm and orchard on the western shore of Lake Cayuga. The winery started with 5 acres of Vitis vinifera varietals and has since grown to 57 acres. The vineyard is wedged between two deep gorges gently sloping to the east almost to the shore of the lake, with depths of over 400 feet, the waters create a temperature moderating mesoclimate for the grapes. The lake effect hinders early bud break in the Spring, inhibits daily swings in temperature and can delay the effects of autumn frost. Sheldrake Point Rosé made from 100% Cabernet Franc is a cornerstone of the wine portfolio comprising one third of production (2,500-3,000) cases. To make their rosé Sheldrake Point uses the skin contact method. After harvest, the grapes were destemmed and crushed. The resulting must mixture is allowed to soak 12-18 hours. The must is pressed, and the skins are discarded. The 2024 Sheldrake Point Rosé opens with a bouquet of strawberries and cream, raspberry, tart cherry, grapefruit and delicate floral notes. On the palate it presents with a refreshing burst of tartness followed by sweet Jolly Rancher candy-like notes, all balanced by a dry finish.
Ryan William Vineyard was established in 2004 and is located on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake using a 100 % estate grown model. Several varieties of Vitis vinifera grapes are grown including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay and others. We will taste the 2021 Ryan William Cabernet Franc. James Suckling writes: “A translucent nose of cranberries and pomegranates turns to a juicy palate structured by acidity and medium grained tannins, a hint of rose petals and lavender hovering above notes of cherries and rooibos. Nice balance between fruit and more savory notes.”
The last wine of the evening is a Bordeaux blend from Ravines Wine Cellars. Ravines is the project of Lisa and Morten Hallgren. The Hallgren’s realized the serious potential for fine, cool climate wine making in the Finger Lakes. This was in 2000 and as timing would have it an opportunity to buy a 17-acre parcel of land on the eastern shore of Keuka Lake between two deep ravines. These particular ravines became the winery’s namesake. Ravines first vintage was in 2002 and was exclusively dry vinifera wines. The 2021 Maximilien is gorgeously textured with red fruits, spice and fine-grained tannins. The blend consists of od 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. Softened tannins are created by extended barrel and cellar aging while increasing complexity.
For pairing with these great wines, the Hilton Chefs plan three small plates fashioned after local Finger Lakes cuisine.
- Steamed Middleneck Clams w/White Garlic Butter Sauce
- Cornell Chicken Thighs with Syracuse Salt Potatoes
- ‘Beef on Weck’ Toast, Horseradish, Boursin, Caraway
Please send any food allergies to the Treasurer.
This promises to be a great fall event. We hope you will join us. Reservation deadline is Tuesday, November 4th. You may purchase reservations on the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$100
Patrons—$95
Nonmembers—$120