Grapes prevail after difficult winter

Finger Lakes wineries have survived a very challenging year.

JEFF RICHARDS/Star-Gazette Workers at Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars load lugs of harvested Riesling grapes for pressing on Oct. 18.

Even with bitterly cold weather last winter, and what seemed at times like nonstop rain this summer, local wineries are moving on with a reduced crop this harvest.

Several tender vinifera grape varieties such as chardonnay and Gewurztraminer were hit very hard in January, when a cold arctic blast swept over the Finger Lakes from the Northeast. It eliminated any opportunity for a warming effect from Lake Ontario. Because the cold air came from the Northeast, vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake failed to receive the normal warming effect of the lake's water before the cold air hit their vines.

Bud kill last winter ranged from 65 to 90 percent in many vinifera vineyards. Vineyard managers altered their pruning plans to keep more canes on the vines in hopes that the remaining buds would bear a decent grape crop. It also created more work throughout the growing season, as the less manicured vines needed more attention to bring healthy, ripe fruit to harvest.

Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars is near the south end of Keuka Lake on the west side. Their 45-year-old Clone 90 Riesling vines survived the winter better than many others in the area. Because the vines are that old they only produce 2 tons per acre in a normal year.

This year, the harvest was cut in half -- however, the grapes were in great shape when harvested Oct. 18. They should yield a good dry or reserve Riesling according to Fred Frank, winery president.

Fred feels that these grapes provide the signature for their wine's flavor, producing a more full-bodied wine with pronounced mineral characteristics. These elements derived from the soil and sunshine, along with the climate, weather and vineyard management, contribute to create the "terroir" or signature taste of Dr. Frank's Riesling wine.

Back on the east side of Seneca Lake, there are other success stories.

Catherine Valley (in Burdett) winemaker Don Kilcoyne grows native grapes to make some of his wines.

"The grapes came in fine, around half of what I got the previous year," Don says of his Catawba and Niagara grapes. Don also contracts with other growers for grape varieties such as chardonnay, Riesling and Traminette that he does not produce.

"I have never seen chardonnay with no mildew. The quality of fruit was excellent," Don says.

Even though he got only half of what he was hoping for, the grapes were in great condition and should make good wine. Up the road at Atwater Estates Vineyards in Hector, winemaker Vinnie Aliperti must feel very fortunate. Even though their chardonnay and Gewurztraminer grapes were hit hard by the winter weather, they still harvested a normal year's tonnage.

Part of that is becayse they produce sturdier hybrid grape varieties along with the more delicate vinifera grapes. Early counts over the winter showed 75 percent bud kill on some of the vines. Atwater altered their pruning technique and were blessed with a good bud break and growing season with less mildew than last year.

Vinnie believes that the vineyard site helped them too. It got down to 14 below zero three nights in a row and the vines still held on to produce for them this year.

"The quality is really nice, good intensity," Vinnie says.

As the summer wound down, "We had five weeks of almost perfect weather," Vinnie adds. "September saved the '04 harvest."

There may be less wine from this year's Finger Lakes vintage, but what we will have seems to be shaping up just fine.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears Saturdays.