“My grandfather used to
say that if we
could put a man
on the moon,
American
consumers
deserve good
quality wine.”
38 FOOD TRAVELER | SUMMER 2013
native species that includes Catawba
and Concord, and can sometimes be
described as “foxy,” with lip-smacking
jammy qualities) will find a lot to like
in semi-dry or semi-sweet Rieslings.
Vinifera tends toward more thoughtful wines, which makes for educated
consumers.”
Oskar Bynke from Hermann J.
Wiemer Vineyard agrees. In a charming accent that fits right in with the
Old-World-style Rieslings for which
Wiemer has become known, the Swedish agronomist observes that “to promote the region on the world stage,
vinifera is the only way.” He pauses
slightly, acknowledging what many
in the region also believe. “Labrusca
vines are easy to care for and grow.
They’re economically viable. So maybe
we need them. But we also need vinifera. The world wants vinifera.”
It would seem that the world
doesn’t want just vinifera – they also
want Finger Lakes vines. Wiemer
Vineyard grafts high-quality European-style vines at their home on Seneca
Lake. Want to grow your own Pinot
Noir, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, or
Malbec? Wiemer can supply the vines.
And supply they do – Bynke says they
ship vines to up-and-coming wineries
in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and — he adds with a bit of a song to
his tone — California.
As to what the Finger Lakes region
is doing, it’s a two-part equation. The
growers and winemakers must continue to explore and nurture grapes that
thrive in their climate – that means
embracing aromatic whites – while
understanding that certain varietals
just don’t belong here. Weiss puts it
simply: “We shouldn’t grow what California does, and they shouldn’t grow
what we do.”
But the success of the region also
relies on the messengers – the marketers, professional writers, and bloggers. “Sometimes it feels like we’re do-
PHOTOGRAPHY THIS PAGE STU GALLAGER
Wine Country