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Experimentation in ‘the wild west of American wine’

Wines from the Finger Lakes are satisfying drinkers who appreciate freshness, authenticity and experimentation - and exports are on the rise. Jillian Dara talks to the winemakers getting creative with a diverse range of grape varieties in a region unbound by tradition

Words by Jillian Dara

Dr. Konstantin Frank, an estate in The Finger Lakes
The sun rises over one of the vineyards that make up the Dr. Konstantin Frank estate (photo: Stu Gallagher)

‘I like to think of the Finger Lakes as the real wild west of American wine,’ says Kelby James Russell, winemaker and co-owner of Apollo’s Praise, ‘given how open to experimentation we are.’ Just over a year old, Apollo’s Praise, on the west side of Seneca Lake in upstate New York’s cool-climate winegrowing region, is one of the newest labels to join the Finger Lakes’ burgeoning portfolio.

Reputed as an emerging wine region, the Finger Lakes has already earned praise in both the US and international markets for its high-quality Riesling; with searing acidity, its signature grape, accounting for 345 planted hectares, produces wine likened to the bone-dry expressions of Alsace.

Kelby James Russell, winemaker and co-owner of Apollo's Praise, one of the youngest Finger lakes wine producers
Kelby James Russell, winemaker and co-owner of Apollo's Praise

While Riesling has been the most successful variety for the Finger Lakes in modern times (in the 1800s, the region was famed for their sparkling varieties produced in the méthode champenoise), producers are collectively working together to define its future, including the identification of a signature red variety for the region.

‘One of my favourite parts about being in the Finger Lakes is that it is so new; our hands are not bound by tradition to particular grapes, practices or wine styles,’ says Vanessa Hoffman, winemaker at Knapp Winery on the west side of Cayuga Lake. One of the red grapes she believes in is Saperavi, as it makes a ‘stunning red wine’ with high acidity and powerful tannins but is also versatile, creating some of her favourite rosé and sparkling wines in the region.

The cool continental climate, moderated by the 11 surrounding lakes, is prone to unpredictable and extreme climatic events

Oskar Bynke, co-owner of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, echoes Hoffman, adding that the Finger Lakes is ‘not overplanted on any variety, therefore allowing the region to be quite flexible on trends or styles.’ He points to Blaufränkisch as an emerging variety. ‘Aside from making a stellar, varietally specific wine… the vines are cold, hardy, durable during wet conditions and ripen consistently,’ he says of the variety’s promise. He first planted it back in 2000 and expanded in 2017.

Oskar Bynke, co-owner of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

This collective energy among winemakers to plant new varieties, experiment with wine styles and collaborate to define the future of the region may appear as the resulting freedom of a young wine region but it’s also necessary. ‘If you do not have a sense of experimentation, you will not succeed in the Finger Lakes,’ says Julia Rose Hoyle, winemaker at Hosmer Winery and co-owner of Apollo’s Praise. While she acknowledges that the need for experimentation is attributable to the region’s age, ‘more importantly,’ she says, experimentation is required because of its ‘climate and highly variable weather patterns.’

The cool continental climate, moderated by the 11 surrounding lakes, is prone to unpredictable and extreme climatic events – like the extended freeze of May 2023 that dramatically stunted the vintage’s production – that are only exacerbated by climate change. ‘Even as we learn to manage our current challenges, we need to anticipate changes,’ says Hoffman. ‘Out of necessity, the Finger Lakes wine region has to be flexible and adaptable – and that energy is easily carried over into experimentation in the cellar and vineyard.’

Another factor that plays into innovation in the region and therefore a demand for Finger Lakes’ labels, is a shift in tastes. ‘The younger generation of wine enthusiasts seeks authenticity, freshness, experimentation and originality,’ says Benjamin Stamp, assistant winemaker at Lakewood Vineyards, adding that wines of the Finger Lakes inherently embody those qualities.

A foggy morning in the Dr Konstantin Frank vineyard (Photo: Stu Gallagher)

The style of wine appealing to the new wave is aided by young winemakers who understand their customers’ preferences. ‘We are actually a bit more aware of wine trends… with the influx of younger winemakers, I think we’re seeing a remarkable stylistic diversity start to spread across the region because people are drawing on so many varied ideas,’ says Russell.

Not only are winemakers perpetuating the shift but as with all other aspects of life, Stamp believes social media has given curious wine consumers permission to go off the beaten path. Older generations may have been pegged to the big, bold reds that were created to satisfy influential wine critics but today’s critic, he says, ‘can be anyone from large-following Insta-sommeliers to your old co-worker who always brought a great wine to share.’

It doesn’t matter, Stamp says, because ‘consumers are demanding variety and they are unafraid to try new wines, even wines without point scores attached to the label.’ This makes it an exciting time for winemakers around the globe but especially for the Finger Lakes, given the flexibility expected and required in the region.

The Magdalena vineyard, part of the Hermann J Wiemer estate

‘People are coming into the tasting room and asking for whatever we make that is different,’ says Hoffman, recalling how this couldn’t be further from the reality of decades ago, when consumers were afraid of the unfamiliar. Today, she says visitors are combing tasting sheets looking for varieties they haven’t tried before and are particularly thrilled when they find a grape they can’t pronounce.

This winemaking culture bodes well for the growth of Finger Lakes wine globally. In 2022 and 2023, exports to the UK from Finger Lakes wineries in the New York Wine & Grape Foundation increased 84% (value in USD) from 2020 and 2021. While total export volumes are still relatively small, local winemakers are thrilled at their ability to influence the region’s position in the wine world and buoyed by the prospects for the future. ‘People are finally starting to discover the breadth of what we can do here,’ says Stamp.

As consumers continue to support experimentation in the region, here are five wines that exemplify what is being created from the Finger Lakes’ most exciting varieties.

Five exciting Finger Lakes wines from the region’s emerging varieties

Finger lakes wine

Dr. Konstantin Frank, Blaufränkisch

This is a wine made with 100% Austrian-native Blaufränkisch, which is tolerant of cold and ripens consistently despite climatic swings. ‘Blaufränkisch is not well-established on the west coast [of the US] and therefore could be a niche for our region,’ says Meaghan Frank, vice president of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.

No stranger to European mountain varieties (Dr. Konstantin Frank was the first to plant Riesling in the Finger Lakes), the winery first invested in Blaufränkisch in the early 1990s. Once again speaking to the importance of versatility for an emerging region, Frank admires Blaufränkisch’s ability to ‘produce wines of grace and elegance in cooler years and powerful, spicy wines in warmer vintages.’

Finger lakes wine

Boundary Breaks, Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is not necessarily a recent innovation in the Finger Lakes, as it is currently the most planted red grape in the region (96 hectares) but it’s become increasingly popular as the crunchier, fresher style proves popular with contemporary palates. Plus, as Bruce Murray, owner of Boundary Breaks says, ‘Cabernet Franc, like Riesling, is so versatile.’ The producer’s #239 Riesling impressed judges at the IWSC 2024 and this bottling demonstrates what Cabernet Franc can yield in the region; the red wine it produces is unique to the Finger Lakes but it can also make rosé, sparkling wine and other styles of red blends, which increases the scope for experimentation.

Finger lakes wine

Knapp Winery, Saperavi

‘It seems like everyone I know is starting to plant Saperavi in their vineyards,’ says Hoffman. Though the Georgian grape was first planted decades ago by Dr. Saperavi, Hoffman credits its increasing appeal to the grape’s hardiness in both dry, hot years and cool, wet ones. It’s found success in the Finger Lakes, with an annual Saperavi festival bolstering its reputation as a grape yielding standout, bolder reds for the region with high acidity and powerful tannins.

Finger lakes wine

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Chardonnay

Chardonnay has been grown in the Finger Lakes for as long as Riesling but Stamp considers it a ‘huge sleeper’ for the region and one that shows great quality for value. Russell agrees, saying ‘its growth potential is higher than any other single grape.’

Finger lakes wine

Apollo’s Praise, Grüner Veltliner, Lahoma Vineyard

Despite his praise of Chardonnay, Russell says that at Apollo’s Praise they’re ‘doubling down’ on Grüner Veltliner. He believes the Austrian varietal has the potential to become a new piece of the Finger Lakes puzzle and Frank agrees. ‘It doesn’t have the same acidity level as Riesling but can produce very complex wines with the right vineyard management.’

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