A wine label created from area artist's work

Edith McSorley's art will be the toast of Sonnenberg Gardens on June 21.

JEFF RICHARDS/Star-Gazette Edith McSorley stands next to her watercolor "Sonnenberg Gazebo" at the Finger Lakes Wine Center at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua.

That's the day that Canandaigua's Finger Lakes Wine Center at Sonnenberg Gardens will unveil Glorietta, a 2003 private-label wine. Edith's watercolor of a gazebo on the grounds of the famous gardens was selected for the wine's label.

Glorietta is the fourth private-label wine introduced by Sonnenberg to draw attention to the wine center, where dozens of wines from more than 30 Finger Lakes wineries are offered for tasting and sale.

On June 21, Edith will be signing wine labels from 1 to 3 p.m. during a reception at the wine center. Glorietta, produced by McGregor Vineyards of Dundee, is a semi-dry blend made from Cayuga, seyval and diamond grapes.

Edith joins a short list of artists whose work has been chosen for the Sonnenberg private label. In 2000, Pamela Glasscock's work was presented on chardonnay wine made by Heron Hill Vineyards of Hammondsport.

In 2001, Christopher Wheat's work graced the label of a garden rose made by Glenora Wine Cellars in Dundee. And last year, Tracy McIlveen's work was part of the wine label for Mary Red, produced by Swedish Hill Vineyards in Romulus.

The wine center is located in the historic Bay House at Sonnenberg Gardens. Years ago, huge, potted bay laurel trees were moved from the property into the building for protection during the winter. You can still see traces of skylights that gave the trees light.

During my visit to the gardens last week, I asked Edith how her artwork had been selected. She told me that her watercolor was on display with other artists' work at The Gallery on Main Street, a cooperative art shop in downtown Canandaigua. Representatives from Sonnenberg visited the gallery and chose her painting.

Edith has painted on the grounds of Sonnenberg many times, taking advantage of the natural beauty found in nine different gardens on the property.

However, for this painting, Edith worked from a photograph she had taken when the garden was at its peak of color, including tall canna and geranium plants in bloom.

Her painting is bursting with the vibrant colors of plantings around the gazebo, located on the southwest end of the expansive Italian Garden.

Sonnenberg Gardens features 52 acres of themed gardens and a 40-room Queen Anne-style mansion to tour. The Italian Garden has an expansive collection of annual flowers that become part of intricate, repeating garden patterns cut into the lawn. The view of this garden from the second floor of the mansion is breathtaking.

The wine center opens daily at 11 a.m. through Oct. 12. Sonnenberg Gardens is on Route 21, just east of Canandaigua. Guided tours are available until Sept. 1, and begin at 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears each Thursday on the Twin Tiers Life Food Page. For comments or questions, he can be reached at 607/271-8279 or 800/836-8970, ext. 279, or e-mail: thewineguy