Find Out What Makes A Cool-Climate Wine Tick

"Clouds and Water" by Arthur Dove, Geneva's Foremost Artist

Our very first Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes, which takes a serious, global view of cool-climate winemaking, is slated for March 23. I’ve been actively involved with the conceptual planning of this event and currently serving as an advisor. We have a great line-up of seminars, led by top-flight experts and a five-star lunch planned. Here’s a breakdown of the day’s schedule:

Overall, the event is aimed at the serious wine enthusiast ready to learn more about this great American region, and stellar regions abroad, famous for their cool-climate bottlings.  The event is a terrific collaboration between Geneva Growth and the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, with support from the New York Wine and Culinary Center, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the City of Geneva and the Geneva Area of Commerce. Held at the beautiful Scandling Campus Center at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, it’s a great opportunity to really delve into what makes a cool-climate wine tick. Iconic wine expert Dan Berger and New York sommelier Thomas Pastuszak will demystify northern reds and whites, including those from Italy, France and Germany.  We will also mix it up with classical and innovative wine and food pairings, led by James Treadwell, one of Canada’s top sommeliers, and co-owner of Treadwell Farm-to-Table cuisine in Port Dalhousie, Ontario.

In the early afternoon, awards will be presented for the Finger Lakes AVA Riesling Challenge.

Following the ceremony, a culinary star from the White House, Chef Walter Scheib, together with five top chefs from the Finger Lakes, will present a five-course luncheon menu, expertly matched with wines selected  by our team of wine professionals. Chef Scheib will also share his personal experiences at the White House, over a span of 11 years, and serving under two presidents.

The day will end with a Finger Lakes Grand Tasting, offering up exciting new releases from the area's finest wineries. Winemakers and proprietors will be on hand to give an in-depth look at their wines and technique.

And fitting to have it all take place in Geneva, an historic lakeside city, that well-known wine writer Alice Feiring (recent Wine Personality of the Year from Imbibe magazine) referred to as the future Napa of the East Coast. With its historic districts and sweeping views of Lake Geneva, home to the early modernist artist Arthur Dove, and the Smith Opera House, one of the oldest operating theaters in the United States, it’s a city experiencing a renaissance.

Tickets and further information can be found at: www.winesymposiumfingerlakes.com

Scott Osborn, Proprietor

Tierce Goes to Washington

Tierce Goes to Washington

Yesterday was such a super day for all of us at Fox Run Vineyards. At Century Liquor and Wines in Rochester, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Tierce Riesling 2010 will be served at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon on January 21, 2013. Senator Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, informed us that it will be served along with the first course. Thank you Senator Schumer!  We are so proud of our senior winemaker Peter Bell and his winemaking team.

For those who are not familiar with Tierce (Latin for “third’) - this is a collaborative wine created by our senior winemaker Peter Bell, with winemakers, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road and Dave Whiting of Red Newt.  A limited production wine, with approximately 300 cases made each year, this innovative, “shared” venture brings into play complexities and nuances that set it apart from all other bottlings coming from single wineries – making it uniquely Finger Lakes.  Says Peter, “It's a one-third each blend of Riesling lots from each winery. It's all done by a series of punishing tastings. And ultimately we're looking for an austere style. We talk about minerality, electricity and tension. Can you quantify them? No, but we know what we're looking for.” Since the first vintage of Tierce, in 2004, it has gone on to be recognized as one of the iconic wines of the Finger Lakes wine region.

As Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation pointed out - "The Inaugural Luncheon is the ultimate power lunch in the world, with the President hosting his Cabinet, leaders of Congress, Supreme Court justices, diplomats, and others who wield global influence--and who will experience the fine wines and foods New York now produces."

I’d like to extend a very special thanks to Jim Trezise, for making this all possible. And Jim stated it so well. “The 2010 Tierce has won awards and accolades around the world, and is symbolic of the spontaneous cooperation among Finger Lakes wine producers.”

Other outstanding producers from across this great state will be represented at the luncheon as well,  including Bedell Cellars 2009 Merlot, from the North Fork of Long Island, to Rochester’s Crown Maple Syrup and apples from Golden Harvest Orchards in Otsego, NY. “The luncheon menu reflects Schumer’s choice of a theme for the 57th Inaugural Ceremonies. Faith in America’s Future commemorates the United States’ perseverance and unity and marks the sesquicentennial year of the placement of the Statue of Freedom atop the new Capital Dome in 1863.”

A great day, a great achievement – and what a superb way to start the New Year!

The "Tierce Brothers" with Senator Schumer, from left to right: 
Peter Bell, Dave Whiting and Johannes Reinhardt.

 Peter Bell and I listen to Senator Schumer announcing the great news.

Scott Osborn, Proprietor

December - A Time for Celebration and Appreciation.

Our estate vines in winter.

December is a time for celebration and appreciation. To all of our special customers and friends, we joyously extend our warmest wishes for the 2012 Holiday Season. Thank you for your business and valued friendship.

And what a landmark year this was for Fox Run. In January, we became a family-owned winery - a dream that has been 20 years in the making. We have always been about vinting our estate wines with perfection and passion. But now, with this pivotal change in place, we are pushing our creative boundaries even further.  2012 saw the launch of an exciting Riesling trilogy - the Lake Dana Vineyard Geology Series: three wines, three groundbreaking styles. These distinct and aromatic Rieslings express the beauty of our winemaking, our terroir and the geological profile of our unique soils. 

And known for our iconic cool-climate port series, we introduced Hedonia, a white port crafted from exotic Traminette grapes.

Our 20th Annual Garlic Festival took place this past August. It’s considered the reigning heirloom garlic festival on the East Coast. And, as in every year, thousands of epicureans, wine lovers, vacationers and fans descended upon our scenic winery grounds overlooking Seneca Lake, enjoying all of the fun and deliciousness of this great event.

Chatting with wine buyers in Hong Kong.

2012 was also a year of important travel overseas. Ruth and I crossed the Atlantic for Fox Run’s launch in the United Kingdom. We visited our importers in Belgium and Denmark as well, and saw how much wine drinkers in Europe are appreciating the distinctive flavors of New York’s Finger Lakes cool-climate wines. In November, I took my first trip to Hong Kong, an exciting wine market growing at an electrifying pace, where I poured Fox Run wines for influential sommeliers and beverage directors. The affinity between Asian food and Finger Lakes Riesling is so perfect that I’m expecting to have a very good problem - keeping up with the demand. 

A great year from start to finish.

From all of us at Fox Run Vineyards, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a very happy and healthy 2013.

Scott Osborn, Proprietor

Please enjoy our archival material!

If Your Refrigerator Could Talk

by Ben Peacock, President, Tousey Winery

Dieticians would say that you can tell a lot about a person from a peek inside their fridge.  I would argue you can tell just as much from what's on the outside.  For reasons unknown to me, people seem  desperate to reveal and express themselves via the white and chrome vastness of this kitchen utility's outer surfaces.  All of which are ready to be scanned and analyzed by covert fridge scanners like me.  There's the snotty nose kid on a bicycle, the reminder of a dentist appointment and more often than not, a green takeout menu.

The Key to Life?

by Dr. Steven Hickman, Intern Emeritus

“Has anyone seen the key?”

Especially in the fall and summer, this refrain can be heard echoing off the stainless steel tanks and concrete floors of the Fox Run cellar.  The key is not the one that unlocks the cellar door, which is a rather mundane looking item.  Winery hardware is more complicated than that: we're looking for the elusive but necessary key that will allow us to sample the wines in our tanks.

A Winery Owner's Screed

by Scott Osborn, President

The big question I hear in the tasting room these days is, “Why don’t New York restaurants carry a selection of New York wines?” This is a one of those hot-button questions that can get a winery owner seething with frustration. I define 'local' as anything made in my state, or better yet, within 100 miles or so of where it's being sold. We see advertisements every day from restaurants boasting that they use only local ingredients. This practice, called Locavorism, is a big selling point at the moment.

But too often you go out to support a good restaurant and the local farmers who they are sourcing from, and the first thing you notice is that the wine list is heavy on west coast and imported products. Often there are no local wines at all, or a token one just for show. How can they reconcile these two practices, one wonders? These folks have a double standard that is not even remotely defensible.

Here are some statistics.