Atwater Vineyards

Discover Dry Rosé

Twenty eight wineries in the Finger Lakes Region are actively involved in a month long campaign showcasing this delightful wine style.

Producing elegant and aromatic Rosé wines from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Lemberger and Syrah varietals using traditional European methods, the skins are removed from the juice early in the process leaving the must a pale shade of pink. No oak or added sugar is used in the process. The result is a crisp, fruit forward wine with notes of delicate berry balanced by fresh acidity. 

Served well chilled and bridging the gap between red and white wine both in its weight and in its flavor profile, Dry Rosé is a fantastic wine that compliments many menu choices. Try pairing with charcuterie - prepared and cured meats such as sausages, salami, pâté , prosciutto, cheeses etc.

Atwater is offering 3 styles of Dry Rosé this year

 

Save the Dates!

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June 20, 2015 - Annual Case Club Party:

Tickets are now available for our party on the lawn.  

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August 8, 2015 - Celebrate Atwater Winery's 15th anniversary:

Old-time fun music by The Wiyos  winner of the Independent Music Awards "Best Concept Album - Twist".

Fireworks, food vendors, of course cool wines.  Join us under the big tent.

 

Wine Shipping To More States

We are excited to add our neighbors on the sea, Massachusetts to our list of available shipping states.

Bill HB294 went into effect January 1, 2015, thanks in part to the efforts of former quarterback NE Patriots - Drew Bledsoe.  In March 2013, former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe blitzed Boston in support of wine direct shipping. The former NFL star is now proprietor of Doubleback Winery in Washington state. Bledsoe tried to encourage support from others by using the Twitter hashtag #freethegrapes.

We will begin shipping via FedEx ground to consumers in MA as of 3/13/15.  To celebrate this new license, we offer you this coupon code good through the month of April 2015 to save on your shipping costs:  MA2015  flat rate $15 for 2-12 bottles.  Enjoy!
Thank you to Free The Grapes for continued efforts to get wine shipping across state lines.

Mention in Wine Spectator

http://www.winespectator.com/magazine/show/id/51089

Riesling Prevails in New York's Finger Lakes

A difficult 2013 yields mixed results, but the region's top grape succeeds once again
James Molesworth
Issue: February 28, 2015

Nature giveth and nature taketh away. Following the 2012 harvest, considered by most Finger Lakes vintners to be the best in recent memory, 2013 proved a challenge. The growing season was marked by wet and humid weather, which created higher-than-usual disease pressures and placed a premium on careful viticulture.

"2013 was warm and wet," says Paul Brock, who, along with his wife, Shannon, is owner and winemaker of Silver Thread winery, on Seneca Lake. "I worked in 11 different Riesling vineyards across the region and I saw nearly perfectly clean fruit and nearly devastated fruit [to rot]."

Luckily, the difficult growing season was offset by a warm, dry September, which helped freshen the vineyards and ripen grapes, particularly aromatic whites and other earlier-ripening varieties. Later-ripening grapes and most reds still struggled, as the weather broke down again in October.

Since last year's report ("Riesling Succeeds in 2012," Jan. 31 - Feb. 28, 2014), I have blind-tasted 265 wines from New York's Finger Lakes region. Of these, 14 earned outstanding ratings of 90 points or better on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale, while 215 (more than 80 percent) earned a very good 85 points or higher. Riesling, the region's leading vinifera variety, dominates the offerings here, with 121 wines. Wines from the 2013 vintage, now being released, account for 76 bottlings in this report. (A free alphabetical list of scores and prices for all wines tasted is available.)

The standout for the early-released 2013s is the Heart & Hands Riesling Finger Lakes Patrician Verona Vineyard 2013 (90, $28), a single-vineyard bottling from owner and winemaker Tom Higgins, whose lineup has expanded quickly in recent vintages. Also among the outstanding 2013s is a trio of wines from Silver Thread: its Riesling Cayuga Lake Randolph O'Neill Vineyard 2013 (90, $25), Riesling Finger Lakes Gridley Bluff Point Vineyard 2013 (90, $25) and Riesling Seneca Lake Doyle East Seneca Vineyard 2013 (90, $25). All three show a dry, bony style, a hallmark of many vintages marked by cooler temperatures.

Growers noted that terroir is becoming more pronounced in an increasing number of single-vineyard bottlings. Keuka Lake Vineyards, Atwater Estate and Red Tail Ridge produced notable examples of site-specific Rieslings in 2013. These single-vineyard bottlings show a distinctive range of slate, peach, jasmine and floral notes, but production remains limited. In contrast, wines produced from a blend of vineyard sources, including the Forge Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2013 (89, $24) and Ravines Riesling Finger Lakes Dry 2013 (89, $17), are more accessible and easier to find. Some top producers, including Hermann J. Wiemer and Red Newt Cellars, have not yet released their 2013s.

Because 2013 will require some sifting to find quality, consumers interested in trying Finger Lakes wines might be best served by grabbing any remaining 2012s. The vintage was drier and more consistent overall. The highest-scoring wines in this report are late-releases from 2012, including the Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling Seneca Lake Dry HJW Vineyard 2012 (92, $39) and Forge Riesling Finger Lakes Les Alliés 2012 (92, $26).

Although Riesling remains king, consumers can find other impressive white varietals, such as the Damiani Gewürztraminer Finger Lakes Sunrise Hill Vineyards 2012 (88, $19) and Domaine LeSeurre Chardonnay Finger Lakes Barrel Select 2012 (88, $25). Reds, primarily Pinot Noir, are improving, but at a slower pace; look for the Forge Pinot Noir Finger Lakes Les Alliés 2012 (89, $32) or Atwater Estate Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes North Block Six 2012 (88, $28).

Senior editor James Molesworth has been with Wine Spectator since 1997.