The Atwater Times - April 2019
Greetings!
It's so exciting to hear the sweet warbling sounds of the Eastern Bluebird as we welcome spring to the vineyards!
The official bird of New York State is one of the first birds to return north each spring and we welcome them back with nesting boxes throughout our property.
These boxes provide shelter, and in return, the Bluebirds help us with pest control. It's a real win-win and part of a commitment to managing our vineyards in a sustainable fashion.
In the Vineyard
It's such a busy time for us in April. We are experiencing fairly typical weather patterns and the vines are looking good. With a little under three acres left to prune we've switched gears a bit to focus on repairing and replacing broken posts. We need to make sure our trellises are tight and strong enough to carry the weight of the crop. There's only a short window to get this done because the next step in vine prep is literally tying the canes to the wires.
Ideally this should be accomplished by the beginning of May when we expect bud break. If we don’t have the canes tied down by then, we'll have to slow down so we don’t break off the tender shoots. We wrap the canes along the wires and secure them with twist ties (like the bread bag ones, but paper coated). This helps to spread the growth out along the trellis so we get as much sunshine and airflow to the fruit as possible to help with disease prevention and ripening.
In the Cellar
Spring season ushers in our newest Rosé wine. It's back! Our Bubble Pinot Noir Rosé has been bottled and is for sale in the tasting room and on our website. We've doubled production on this popular wine this year, hope you get a chance to try some.
Other new releases this month:
- 2016 Gewürztraminer/Chardonnay - Skin Fermented "orange wine" with a sleek new label.
- 2017 Cabernet Franc
- 2017 Pinot Gris
IN THE TASTING ROOM
IT'S CASE CLUB PARTY TIME!
Join us for our annual "Party on the Lawn," June 15th.
- Meet the winemakers, try new release wines and revisit some of our cellared library vintages.
- Purchase online, in person or call 800-331-7323.
- Club members, remember to order early for $5 discount per ticket.
- Club members may purchase tickets for guests.
- Party date is June 15 from 5:00-sunset.
- Hawaiian themed menu by Lake Country Catering.
- Original Rockabilly / Americana Music from Aaron Lipp and the Slacktones.
- Vineyard Hayrides.
- Vertical Vintage Tastings.
- 25% off case purchases of all wines!!!
UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL
Sunday, April 21 - Closed for Easter
Saturday, April 27 - Burn's Dog Pound Food Truck will be parked here for the day. Hot dogs, nachos, fries etc. "Come Fetch A Dog"
MAY
Thursday, May 23 - Atwater After Hours - Join us on the deck! Celebrate the start of the summer season with wine by the glass and small snacks from 5:00 until sunset.
Note: we will be open Thursday-Sunday evenings from this date through Columbus Day weekend in October for After Hours.
Sunday, May 26th - The Vineyard Table with Red Dove Tavern. Tickets sold here.
Apr 16, 2019 at 4:25 PM
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Wine Traveler Blog by Kristy Wenz
Thank you Kristy for your kind review. It was so nice to meet you. We concur with your picks.
FULL ARTICLE
Mar 15, 2019 at 8:15 AM
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Meet Vinny, our winemaker
TVP: What is your winemaking philosophy
VINNY: I am not sure I would consider having a personal winemaking philosophy per se but rather a dogged determination to do what is necessary to make sure the precious cargo I am in charge of handling is properly nurtured and inevitably steered toward a life of consequence. To summarize, I tend to pick a bit early, sort when necessary, instigate fermentations, gas head space, top barrels religiously, eschew fining and sterile filter only when necessary.
Jan 14, 2019 at 2:21 PM
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Recipe - Seeded Nut Crisps
We all know wine makes a wonderful gift, yet we have a way to make it an extra sensational gift! All you need besides the wine is a block of your favorite local cheese and a package of these home-made nut crisps. Often served at our wine bar GRAFT on their cheese plate, we asked Chef Christina McKeough to share this simple and versatile recipe that will complete your wine gift like no other!
Seeded Nut Crisps
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds* (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, ch-ch-chia seeds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
olive oil as needed
Preheat oven to 350. Butter/spray 1 pound loaf pan. Combine the flour, nuts, seeds and salt in bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Add flour mixture to eggs and combine. The batter will be very thick. Spoon into loaf pan, spreading out evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until baked through. Take out to cool—but turn up oven to 400.
Remove loaf from pan and let cool a bit more. Using serrated knife, slice into thin slices. Line slices on cookie sheets and brush with olive oil. Bake until crisp and toasted –about 5 minutes. When cool, wrap in your favorite vessel for giving as gifts.
*Create countless variations to your liking—you can add dried fruit, spices and herbs, too.
Dec 6, 2018 at 8:51 AM
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