Thomas P. (or anyone else): Finger Lakes harvest, 2007?

About a month ago I was poking around a few vineyards on Seneca and Keuka and the grapes looked really great. Some places had started to harvest hybrids and grapes like Pinot Noir, but I wasn't able to talk with anyone particularly knowlegable. In light of the other harvest reports, does anyone have any insight into what we can expect from the FL this year?

BTW, most FL vineyards could do with more regular updates on their websites. Some haven't changed for years.

About a month ago I was poking around a few vineyards on Seneca and Keuka and the grapes looked really great. Some places had started to harvest hybrids and grapes like Pinot Noir, but I wasn't able to talk with anyone particularly knowlegable. In light of the other harvest reports, does anyone have any insight into what we can expect from the FL this year?

BTW, most FL vineyards could do with more regular updates on their websites. Some haven't changed for years.

Generally, it appears to be a stellar harvest coming off a medium-to-good growing season, depending of course on specific location.

In all, quite a good Finger Lakes vintage.

As for local Web sites, and other promotional capabilities, this region could use a lot of work, including the sanctioned promo arms...but I consider myself a voice in a large and dense wilderness.

if its anything like michigan, it will be one of the best if not THE best ever.

About a month ago I was poking around a few vineyards on Seneca and Keuka and the grapes looked really great. Some places had started to harvest hybrids and grapes like Pinot Noir, but I wasn't able to talk with anyone particularly knowlegable. In light of the other harvest reports, does anyone have any insight into what we can expect from the FL this year?

BTW, most FL vineyards could do with more regular updates on their websites. Some haven't changed for years.

Generally, it appears to be a stellar harvest coming off a medium-to-good growing season, depending of course on specific location.

In all, quite a good Finger Lakes vintage.

As for local Web sites, and other promotional capabilities, this region could use a lot of work, including the sanctioned promo arms...but I consider myself a voice in a large and dense wilderness.

Thanks. Was around for 3 days but spent most of the time cycling. In fact we were probably very close to your old place (do you still live there?) on the west side of Keuka. This was with a group of about 20 cyclists riding around the lake, stopping at a few wineries (not many wine geeks, however). The weather was superb and what grapes I saw looked great.
Have you seen the newly planted vineyards over at Red Tail Ridge on Seneca? Someone has put in some major $$ there: they will be getting their first crop this year.

I must say I'm getting increasingly discouraged by the Finger Lakes winery tasting experience. Crowds, drunken limo people, microscopic pours (I mean really silly small), poorly washed glasses, and clueless/misleading personnel seem to be flourishing. This includes tasting on a Friday as well, so not just a weekend problem. Add to this the shocking increase in price at several places: Wiemer, Frank, Fox Run and Heron Hill spring to mind. I realize there has been a grape shortage for the last few years but how Fox Run can charge $30 for an okay Gewurztraminer or $50 for a lousy "Reserve" Pinot Noir is beyond me.

Dr. Frank still does a good job running their tasting room; pity about some of the prices, though. One of my friends bought a $35 bottle of Dr. Frank "Champagne" based on the tasting room spiel (it was pretty nice wine, too). A few weeks later he was surprised when he discovered that a bottle of the real stuff (Duval-Leroy Brut, even better stuff) that we were drinking cost me only $25.

Thanks. Was around for 3 days but spent most of the time cycling. In fact we were probably very close to your old place (do you still live there?) on the west side of Keuka. This was with a group of about 20 cyclists riding around the lake, stopping at a few wineries (not many wine geeks, however). The weather was superb and what grapes I saw looked great.
Have you seen the newly planted vineyards over at Red Tail Ridge on Seneca? Someone has put in some major $$ there: they will be getting their first crop this year.

I must say I'm getting increasingly discouraged by the Finger Lakes winery tasting experience. Crowds, drunken limo people, microscopic pours (I mean really silly small), poorly washed glasses, and clueless/misleading personnel seem to be flourishing. This includes tasting on a Friday as well, so not just a weekend problem. Add to this the shocking increase in price at several places: Wiemer, Frank, Fox Run and Heron Hill spring to mind. I realize there has been a grape shortage for the last few years but how Fox Run can charge $30 for an okay Gewurztraminer or $50 for a lousy "Reserve" Pinot Noir is beyond me.

Dr. Frank still does a good job running their tasting room; pity about some of the prices, though. One of my friends bought a $35 bottle of Dr. Frank "Champagne" based on the tasting room spiel (it was pretty nice wine, too). A few weeks later he was surprised when he discovered that a bottle of the real stuff (Duval-Leroy Brut, even better stuff) that we were drinking cost me only $25.

Yes, Joe, I still live in the same place, across the road from where I had my tasting room, which is, incidentally, for sale again--not by me this time! So you must have driven by. Hell, you may have been one of the cyclists I almost ran off the road

I can't speak for the industry's pricing and I certainly can't speak for the tourists who come here, but I am aware that the wineries are trying to curtail the drinking problems that have arisen.

Regarding the lack of trained staff and top-notch presentation, as much as the Finger Lakes wine industry talks about it, I think few people connected to it understand the nature of the tourist business that they are in.

Image? A rare and elusive promotion device here, right down to wine labels.

I must say I'm getting increasingly discouraged by the Finger Lakes winery tasting experience. Crowds, drunken limo people, microscopic pours (I mean really silly small), poorly washed glasses, and clueless/misleading personnel seem to be flourishing.

Joe,

I've encountered these problems from time to time in Ontario wine country as well. I believe that much of it comes from wine still being largely a novelty item in our culture. The Finger Lakes and Ontario are, despite massive progress in the last decade or two for the better, still rather young regions where quality wine is concerned; wine hasn't penetrated "the blood and bones" of the culture, if you will, as it clearly has had time to do in Italy and France, to give but two examples. Although it's great to have people adopting wine as part of a healthy lifestyle, I think we need to get to the point where wine becomes truly part of our local culinary culture before the raison d'être behind such things as you cite actually fades away.

Them's my 2¢.

I've encountered these problems from time to time in Ontario wine country as well. I believe that much of it comes from wine still being largely a novelty item in our culture. The Finger Lakes and Ontario are, despite massive progress in the last decade or two for the better, still rather young regions where quality wine is concerned; wine hasn't penetrated "the blood and bones" of the culture, if you will, as it clearly has had time to do in Italy and France, to give but two examples. Although it's great to have people adopting wine as part of a healthy lifestyle, I think we need to get to the point where wine becomes truly part of our local culinary culture before the raison d'être behind such things as you cite actually fades away.

Them's my 2¢.

Paul,

In France and in Italy, probably all of Europe these days, drinking and driving has become an issue, complete with road checks and all, and especially in wine country, which in Italy is EVERYWHERE!

Drunk tourists abroad and at home play right into the hands of the new prohibition movement, which begins with seemingly benign things like government warnings and ends in crackdown and policy.

Drunk tourists abroad and at home play right into the hands of the new prohibition movement, which begins with seemingly benign things like government warnings and ends in crackdown and policy.

I wonder what the roots of the new European prohibitionism might be - a political elite whose generation does not associate with wine, perhaps? Sure, they probably want to address excesses and the costs associated with alcohol abuse - fair enough - but it makes you also wonder if it might have something of the puritanical self-righteousness of North American prohibitionism behind it.

Joe, The harvest has been outstanding as you might expect. Fruit quality has been wonderful with ripe flavors and clean fruit. This season is anything but run of the mill. Some isolated vineyards where there was very little rain suffered water stress and held back ripening but these sights were more the exception. It has been nice to be able to pick varieties when the flavors were optimum instead of responding to adverse weather conditions. Jeff Houck Lucas Vineyards

Paul: Earlier this summer I tasted at a few wineries on the Beamsville Bench around Jordan (Malivoire, Tawse, Flat Rock...) and the experience was much less frantic and commercial. IIRC, it was a Friday. Some nice things being done in that area: best wine of the day might have been the Reserve Chard at Malivoire. And that is from someone who is generally not a Chard fan at all! Granted, there were some places that were mobbed and I just turned around and went elsewhere.

Jeff: Great to hear that you all have had a great vintage after the trials of the last few years. Will try to stop by Lucas next time I am around Cayuga.

As a home winemaker I can tell you that sugar is up and acid is down in the Finger Lakes this year. I bought too much sugar in anticipation of a normal year and in a few cases added tartaric acid for the first time ever.

Paul asked:

I wonder what the roots of the new European prohibitionism might be

While in France a few years ago people were talking a lot about the horrible vehicle crashes and deaths linked to alcohol that were a regular feature of the TV news each night. I thought at the time that the breadth and intensity of these feelings seemed like public outrage.

I'm glad that my brown, ugly lawn will lead to great Rieslings next year (although I find it hard to believe any vintage can beat the great 2006 Finger Lake Riesling that I've enjoyed).
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A tasting room and great staff can be the key to building a brand. I've had plenty of customers come in with extreme brand loyalty to a local wine. All of which is due to a connection made at the winery. I've never had anyone come in and say "I had a tasty wine poured for me 3 deep into a tasting bar when I was drunk" I've had plenty people come in and say "I was at this winery talked to this person, bought a case of wine, loved it and I see you carry it, I'm glad I can buy it here" I'd bet money that a dedicated tasting staff and good tasting environment will sell more of a brand of local wine in my store than I can.

Joe,

You've made a couple of references to the traffic in the area, as if the wineries can do anything about controlling how many tourists come to see them. They really can't do much about traffic, except maybe set their operations up so that the crowds are handled well, and they are doing things to handle the drunks problem.

But then, you made reference to small taste samples, which seems to be at odds with your "traffic and drinking" complaints. Maybe the small tastes are to discourage drunkenness.

Seems to me the best time for wine people to visit any wine region is when tourists aren't. Stay away on weekends (Fri, Sat and Sun); stay away on holidays; and especially stay away from those special events that wineries sponsor--I used to like the money they brought to my winery, but hated what I had to go through for the cash!