For many home winemakers, Fall Bright is just right

Tom and Marcy Mitchell have run Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe, on the east side of Keuka Lake since 1982. There are actually two businesses there.

Tom manages a 21-acre vineyard that includes 35 varieties of grapes. Marcy operates the winemakersą shop, selling juice and winemaking supplies, mostly to home winemakers.

According to Tom, their vineyard is the oldest continuously operating vineyard in the Finger Lakes. It dates all the way back to 1865.

Marcy's stepfather, Vincente D'Ingianni, a doctor from New Orleans, purchased the vineyard in the early 1960's. By the time Tom came on board in 1972, approximately 85 percent of the vineyard was planted with native grapes with the remaining 15 percent planted with hybrid varieties. Over the last three decades, wine tastes have changed and many of the vines were pulled out, an acre at a time, and replaced with different grape varieties. Today, only 10 percent of the grapes are native, while the hybrid plantings are up to 50 percent. The remaining 40 percent are from the introduction of various vinifera grape varieties.

Tom draws on a wealth of experience to manage his vineyard. He was one of 18 people up for the assistant vineyard manager position at Gold Seal Winery in Hammondsport in 1982. He was surprised to see the vineyard manager Laverne Schoefler drive up to his place the next day and approach him in the barn while he was doing chores. When asked if he was still interested in the position, Tom said yes and was hired on the spot to start the following Monday.

"Laverne had the wisdom to assign me to work all three farms," Tom says. He got to work vineyards on the east and west sides of Keuka Lake as well as the Gold Seal's site on the east side of Seneca Lake. Tom was responsible for the spray control programs at all of the vineyards. Within a few months, Laverne retired and Tom was promoted to vineyard manager.

Following the winery's merger with Great Western and Taylor wineries in 1984, Tom continued to manage vineyards until January of 1994. Canandaigua Wine Company had a difference of opinion with Tom on the philosophy of operating vineyards. He felt the commitment for the vineyard should be long-term. According to Tom, the company policy was to reassess each holding annually.

"The only regret was putting the lid on this operation," Tom says. "We had some grandiose plans."

While Tom is tending to the grapes, Marcy is busy running the home winemaking shop.

"It takes a special woman to be married to someone who is involved in (so many) interests," Tom says.

Often he will be in the shop when a customer comes in with questions about making wine. Last week, a customer brought in a sample to see if Tom could figure out what was wrong with it. After a quick smell and taste Tom said that it was oxidized and suggested a "fining" agent that might clean it up.

The customer really smiled when Tom made an alternative suggestion ‹ to turn the unsatisfactory wine into sherry.

With suggestions, and ingredients in hand, the customer headed out the door.

Eventually, Tom would like to add another 12 acres of vineyards to the farm. That will have to wait until he has replaced vines lost during the last two harsh winters.

Tom and Marcy still believe in their plan dating back to 1977. They pulled things together in 1979 and 1980 and mapped out a planting program. "They (the varieties of grapes) are planted for the amateur winemaker." Fall Bright's vision for the amateur winemaker comes shining through.

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: jrichards@stargazette.com