Wines
Dry Red | Dry White | Rosé | Sweet | Buy Online
Dry Red Wine
* = not currently available
Chambourcin*
This old French variety of grape is another whose parents can be traced back to Burgundy. Bred to be a cold and disease-tolerant version of Pinot noir. It is used for everything from light Beaujolais-style wines to very heavy Burgundy-style reds. Ours varies with vintage but is usually a little fruitier and fuller-bodied than a Pinot noir.
Nouveau Red*
This wine is made in the traditional style of Nouveau Beaujolais in which the grapes are not crushed prior to fermentation. The whole grapes undergo a very slow, cool fermentation. The result is a very fresh, fruitY red wine that pairs well with most holiday fare, save fish. The wines will age well.
Marechal Foch
An old variety from the Loire region of France. Small clusters made up of dark, tiny berries. A favorite of our local birds. Wines are always full-bodied with smooth, supple tannins and pleasant aroma of ripe fruits.
Frontenac
A relatively recently conceived variety from Minnesota, known for its cold tolerance and disease resistance. The wines are heavy, bordering on port.
Pinot Noir*
The classic red grape of Burgundy. We push the envelope for cold tolerance here at our vineyard, but it ripens very well in most years. It likes our cool nights and slow growing season. Well balanced, medium-bodied, and elegant.
Regent*
Deep purplish red to the edge. The bowl fills with very ripe red fruit, particularly sweet black cherry and plum. Almost overripe, but not jammy. Smooth, velvety, subtle tannins from lip to gullet. Rich, thick, and mouthfilling with a touch of honey. A hint of acidity belies its age.
Dry White Wine
Carmé*
This is our premium white, similar in style to the lighter white wines of Burgundy and Muscadet. Crisp, clean and balanced. Named after the matriarch of the family, Carmella. After six years, these vines are coming into their own and finding their balance.
Seyval
Stalwart. This venerable old variety from France has been creaking around the world for close to one hundred years, and in our vineyard for twenty-six. Never a problem in the vineyard, always looking happy and content. Versatile in the winery. Depending on the weather of a particular vintage, it can run the taste gamut from austere to lush. It goes well with heavy fish like tuna or salmon, and with spicy chicken dishes.
Seyval Reserve*
Every few years the balance between sunshine and rain during mid to late summer is perfect. All of the clusters look like drops of honey. For some reason, birds, bees, and yellow jackets leave them untouched, perhaps out of reverence. For these grapes, we bought new American Oak barrels in which to raise the wine from adolescence to maturity.
Frontenac Gris*
Weighty, full, and substantial. Early and uniform ripening allow for non-typical styles of wine for this area. Acids are subdued, nuances abound. In the vineyard, there is still a lot to learn about its potential. In the winery, we just go along for the ride. So far it has produced a traditional dry white, a late harvest barn burner and, of late, an archaic “orange” style of wine.
Joi*
Garden in a glass, the joy of Muscat. An aroma that commands attention, to the point of forgetting where you are. Chilled with a few frozen grapes it can be transformative. Lips curl, eyes close the mind wanders. How could the ancients keep that smell around for a while-wine, of course.
Arancia*
Technically a white wine, our Arancia is what has come to be called “orange wine” by modern wine pundits. They have traditionally been produced in the Caucasus area for some 6,000 years. They are not made from oranges, but differ from ordinary white wines in the high phenol content, which makes them more similar to red wines (apart from their lack of a true red color).
Moonlight White
Riesling was one of the first varieties we planted back in the day. It grew beautifully, but would rarely ripen enough to make a classic wine. Riesling needs a lot longer growing season than we can give it in most years. Fortunately, the good folks at Cornell University had the answer-Cayuga White. A progeny of Seyval, with a flavor profile similar to Riesling, but ripening much earlier. Excellent with crab legs, or with German sausage and paté.
Rosé Wine
Vin Di Pasqualina
Named after my Great Aunt Pasqualina Lapetina. This is a dry-ish rosé that at first sniff seems sweet, but sweet is not a smell. It is a blend of three grapes, but the aroma and character come from Niagara. Add a few frozen grapes and a slice of peach to a glass, close your eyes and drift to the islands. Makes a killer sangria.
Sweet Wine
Sunset Nouveau*
Picked just before becoming raisins, what little juice we can press out has ultra-concentrated flavors and aroma. There is a lot more to a true late harvest dessert wine than the sweetness. As the grapes lose moisture, all the flavor and aroma compounds are concentrated, along with the sugars and acids. While residual sugar may hover at 8% the wines are not cloying nor do they require a water chaser.
Sweet Muscat*
Pale platinum straw color. Ripe aromas of honeyed peaches, grapes and pears, with a round, fruity-sweet medium body and tangy green apple skin and mineral finish. A lovely Old World European styled dessert wine.
Dulcinea
Our sweet white wine made from Seyval. Not just sweet, but a well-balanced and delicious. The natural acidity plays well with the sweetness remaining in the finished wine.
La Brusca
Made with concord grapes. Moderately sweet with nice balance. Makes a wonderful sangria or chilled as an aperitif.
Apple Raspberry
An infusion of apple wine with red raspberries. The flavor of the apple is veiled by the perfume of the raspberry.
Spiced Apple
A seasonal wine made from tart apples, infused with cinnamon, clove, and orange zest. A wonderful punch when warmed in a crock pot or chilled with apple or pumpkin pie.