NOW OFFERING TASTINGS ON THE DECK BY RESERVATION
SEE DETAILS BELOW
It has been a very dry spring/early summer, and we’ve received less than an inch of rain in the past two months—six or more inches less than average. Fortunately, our soils have good water holding capacity and the grapevine roots go deep. We are seeing little stress, although we would be happy to get some rain! We have watered our young vines a couple of times because their root systems are not as developed as those in our older vines. It must be done by hand and is a time-consuming process since we do not have irrigation installed. The dryness does provide benefits: very little disease pressure and good fruit set, which is when the flower forms a berry. We often battle rain at bloom, which can cause poor fruit set. We did not have that issue this year, so there is a good crop out there if we can make it to the finish line with no problems.b
On the heels of bottling the Pinot Noir 2019 and a couple of “orange” wines from the 2016 and 2017 vintages, we tackled the Stone Bridge Red 2019 in July.
This Atwater favorite is a blend of Marechal Foch and Chancellor; both are fermented on the skins and barrel aged for eight months in neutral American oak. The wine is usually finished with a few grams of residual sugar to increase the fruit expression and help round out the mouthfeel.
Later this month, we will begin to start pulling out the 2018 and 2019 reds from their slumber in the barrel cellar for our final round of bottling before we begin preparations for the 2020 harvest season.
We’ve only got a few cases left of these vintages. Order before they are gone!
Cabernet-Merlot 2016
Pinot Gris 2017
New Release
Grapes were fermented in open-top bins for eight days, then the wine was aged in American and Hungarian oak barrels for nine months. It offers aromas of chocolate which merge into smooth silky tannins on the palate with favors of maraschino cherry and a caramel toffee finish.
New Release
The grapes in this wine were sourced from the Navone Vineyards. Fifty percent were barrel fermented and fifty percent fermented in stainless steel. The wine was aged in neutral French and American oak for eight months sur lees. Bright and zesty, it shows more mineral and spice than fruit. The flavors are rich and flinty with citrus and apple remaining upfront, and a delicate nuttiness rounds out the finish.
We’ve been re-open now just over a month, and we’ve loved having guests at the vineyard again. We are pleased to offer al fresco service with wine by the glass or bottle and wine cocktails or tastings by reservation only.
Since our last newsletter, we’ve also opened our deck for tastings by reservation. During these experiences, you’ll have a gorgeous view of our vineyards and Seneca Lake while one of our hosts guides you in an immersive wine tasting covering our estate, winemaking practices, and vintages.
Indoor and Deck Tastings
Al Fresco Service
We will be observing all New York state mandates regarding COVID-19 safety measures. Guests must wear a mask in all common areas; they may be removed once seated. We ask you follow all directional and traffic flow signs and observe social distancing (six feet) between groups. Please do not come to the winery if you are displaying signs of COVID-19 or another contagious disease or if you have been exposed. Thank you for helping make this a safe and pleasant environment for our other guests and employees.
For those outside of the area or who are still wanting to stay at home, we are offering a ground shipping offer, curbside pickup, and free local delivery.
Ground Shipping
Our $10 per case ground shipping. Quantity and club discounts apply.
Curbside Pick-up
Order online and choose the "Pickup" option at checkout. When you arrive, park and call (607) 546-8463 to let us know you’ve arrived. We'll bring your wine out to you and load it in your vehicle.
Local Delivery
Order wine by noon Monday through Friday for same-day local delivery. Call us at (607) 546-8463 or place an order online and select the "Local Delivery" shipping option. There is a six-bottle minimum and a twenty-five-mile radius delivery limit.
Orders for pick-up or delivery can include specialty food, puzzles, and even wine keys! Browse our selection here.
Amanda and her staff are busy preparing the next quarterly shipment for wine club members. Due to COVID-19 social distancing and space concerns, we will not be having a pick-up party in August, but we encourage you to take advantage of your free tasting or al fresco service for wine by the bottle or glass while picking up your wine. If you have questions, please email her at amanda@atwatervineyards.com or call (800) 331-7323.
Check out our Events Calendar for the latest events at and around Atwater Vineyards.
Missing wine country?
Be sure to tune in to our LIVE webcam and visit us from the comfort of your home!
Farming does not stop for anything, and we are grateful that we have been designated an "essential” business. In the vineyards, we are well acquainted with social distancing. It is often a solitary job, and even when there are a few of us working, we have a good amount of space between us—we are staying very safe!
Currently, we are working on tying the vines to the "fruit wires.” The wires will carry the weight of the fruit as the grapes ripen. We are also in the process of converting some varieties to "improved" trellis systems, which can make tying a bit challenging. When vines are trained a certain way for a long time, it can be difficult to retrain them. We will get them straightened out with a little time and effort.
READ MORE ABOUT VINE TRELLIS SYSTEMS IN OUR BLOG
On a side note, it’s been fun having help from winemaker Vinny during the past few weeks. He is getting back to his roots! We’ve been discussing our hopes and dreams for the vintage in depth which is always fun and productive.
In March, Vinny and George topped the barrels, and now the wine is aging before bottling begins in the summer.
Because wine barrels are porous, the liquid evaporates over time and creates “headspace” which increases the surface area of the wine and makes it vulnerable to oxidation. Topping the barrels replaces the evaporated wine, limiting oxygen contact and inhibiting microbial growth. The winemakers top the barrels with wine held back earlier in the winemaking process.
New Release
We destemmed 80% of the hand-picked and hand-sorted pinot noir grapes while leaving 20% in whole clusters. They underwent an eight-day fermentation in open-top bins. The wine was then transferred to neutral French oak barrels where it aged nine months. Its resulting deep ruby red color entices you to inhale aromas of violet, spice and cherry cola. Flavors of juicy ripe cherry and cranberry meld into velvety tannins on the finish.
New Release
Hand-harvested, estate grown Riesling and Gewürztraminer were whole-cluster pressed together in our wood basket press and fermented using a pied de cuve of indigenous yeasts. At 1.4 brix, the wine was bottled unfiltered and allowed to finish fermentation for carbonation. No sulfur was added and the wine has been left on its lees. Light, natural, and fizzy, it has a refreshing, spontaneous style.
Although we are closed for tastings, we’re still busy preparing orders for pickup, local delivery, and shipping, and our tasting room has been converted to a mini warehouse. We are also now able to ship to Arizona and North Carolina!
Ground Shipping
Our $10 per case ground shipping special lasts through the end of April. Quantity and club discounts apply.
Curbside Pick-up
Order online and choose the "Pickup" option at checkout. When you arrive, park in the marked space and call (607) 546-8463 to let us know you’ve arrived. We'll bring your wine out to you and load it in your vehicle.
Local Delivery
Order wine by noon Monday through Friday for same-day local delivery. Call us at (607) 546-8463 or place an order online and select the "Local Delivery" shipping option. There is a six bottle minimum and a twenty-five-mile radius delivery limit.
Many of our staff members were out of the area—and Matteo was even out of the country—when the President issued social distancing guidelines. All are healthy, but they’re sheltering in place for the time being. Other employees are staggering shifts and telecommuting to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Some employees working from home have gained new co-workers: four-legged furry friends who don’t necessarily respect office etiquette during video conference calls!
Lily had a prime spot on Aimee’s lap for the Seneca Lake Wine Trail marketing teleconference.
We’ll be bringing you updates on our social media channels about how our staff is weathering the stay-at-home order.
Amanda’s new co-worker, Storm, got tired of watching from the sidelines and decided to take over while Bali was upset her favorite break spot in the sun was occupied.
Check out our Events Calendar for the latest events at and around Atwater Vineyards.
Be sure to tune in to our LIVE webcam to watch March transition from a lion to a lamb.
We’ve passed the time of year when we expect to get our major cold events and have not seen significant bud damage, so we decided to push through and finish pruning the vineyards. Now we hope we don’t have a frost event after the vines have started to grow in the spring!
With pruning done, we’ve returned to trellis work to get things ready for tying. We’re repairing posts and wires now so that we can then tighten the wires. The canes left after pruning will be wrapped around the wires for support. The wires need to be tight so that they can support the weight of the fruit as the vines grow.
Our winemakers have been undertaking blending trials of skin-fermented, barrel-aged Vignoles 2016, Riesling 2016, and Gewürztraminer 2017. Vinny and George are also preparing to bottle our 2019 Vignoles and Stone Bridge White at the end of March.
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were handpicked and frozen for three weeks then whole-clustered pressed, cold-settled, racked and fermented in stainless steel. After fermentation was stopped, the wine was aged in stainless steel tanks. The wine has aromas of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and orange marmalade, intriguing flavors of apricot, honey, allspice, and strawberry jam, and a delightful silky texture.
We've rearranged our tasting room to give you more room to sit and enjoy our wines. Please join us for a tasting and see our new look!
Spring holidays are on the horizon, and we will be posting wine cocktail recipes Amanda developed for you to use for brunches and other special events. Our first featured drink is the MoonWalk. Check out our social media in the upcoming weeks for more delicious cocktails.
Combine:
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz. orange liqueur
3 drops rose water
Shake with ice
Top with Sparking Gewürztraminer 2013
Our annual Wine Club Party will be held on June 13th from 5:00 until sunset. Enjoy hayride tours throughout the vineyards, vertical wine tastings with the winemakers, great music with Aaron Lipp & the Slacktones, catered hors d'oeuvres with a full buffet dinner and delectable desserts. Close the evening by watching the sun set over the vineyards and Seneca Lake. Get your tickets here.
Be sure to tune in to our LIVE webcam to watch the winter weather.
Our vineyard is covered in snow from recent storms, but Punxsutawney Phil predicts we only have six more weeks of winter.
Now that we are in the heart of winter, the vineyard staff’s primary activity has been pruning. Although only about a quarter of the way through the vineyards, they are starting to pick up the pace since we will turn the corner toward spring very soon.
It is also a good time to prepare for the upcoming season by doing equipment maintenance and repairs since we don’t use our tractors and equipment as much use this time of year. In the heat of the growing season, it is important to have everything running properly so that we don’t have a breakdown at a critical stage.
The 2019 rosés are officially on deck for the first bottling run of 2020 season.
We sent all the rosés through their initial filtration to help clarify and aerate the wine, delivered samples for lab analysis to check the chemistry, and finally ran cold stability trials to ensure their integrity.
If all goes according to plan we should have what is shaping up to be an excellent batch of rosés coming this spring.
Our Cabernet Franc underwent 61% spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tank, 39% fermentation in open top bin and was aged nine months in neutral French oak barrels.
Its grapes produce delicate flavors of red cherry, raspberries, and sweet tobacco.
We are pleased to announce dates for our greatly anticipated Vineyard Table dinners.
Experience fine dining prepared table-side by acclaimed local chefs Giulietta Racciatti and Rune Hilt of Red Dove Tavern while nestled in Atwater’s beautiful vineyards overlooking Seneca Lake. Giulietta and Rune craft menus that focus on local and seasonal ingredients and are thoughtfully paired with Atwater wines. Meet our winemakers, learn about the chefs and the passion they bring to their craft, and enjoy lively conversation with friends.
Space is limited to 22 guests, so book your experience early to guarantee a spot. Club members receive $10 off per ticket (limit 2).
PURCHASE VINEYARD TABLE TICKETS NOW
We are pleased to announce that we are now able to ship orders to customers in Arizona!
Thank you to our Wine Club members who came out for the first pick-up party of 2020! From our cozy tasting room, we watched the snow hide Seneca Lake while tasting an array of wines including pre-releases and library wines and enjoying small bites. George brought winemaking equipment and barrel samples from the cellar for show-and-tell. Our next wine club shipment and party is in May.
Our annual Wine Club Party will be held on June 13th from 5:00 until sunset. Enjoy hayride tours throughout the vineyards, vertical wine tastings with the winemakers, great music with Aaron Lipp & the Slacktones, catered hors d'oeuvres with a full buffet dinner and delectable desserts. Close the evening by watching the sun set over the vineyards and Seneca Lake.
If you are not yet a member, please join our wine-loving community! Visit our website for more details.
Check out our Events Calendar for the latest events at and around Atwater Vineyards.