I’m way into context these days, I guess I always have been. Maps fascinate me, especially topographical and relief maps. I have a very difficult time gaining the lay of the land while walking an unknown path. Put a map of the area in front of me and the story changes, and once I have it down in my head, the terrain makes sense, and I can orientate myself on the ground without the map. Usually.
I like to study history. It’s fleeting, and trying to put it into context takes effort. Take Civil War history, which I must admit I studied for years, until I replaced it with wine. You can read a one volume history, such as “Battle Cry of Freedom” by James McPherson, and I recommend you do so at your earliest convenience. Or you can read a detailed account of a single battle, down to the guts and brains and screams of the wounded – right down to the nitty gritty. Or perhaps something in between. Both have value, and I would argue you can’t understand one without the other. History is opinionated as well. No one writes a biography about someone they’re neutral about. Love or hate, the biases are there. I like to read everything, then form my own opinion… but I have biases too.
With wine it’s the same, ad infinitum…. Do you want to study history tonight? Or perhaps religion? Maybe business and commerce. Or marketing and trade wars. Biology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, geology, geography, climate, climate change (no one out there in the vines is denying it), hydrology, mythology, and on, and on….. Nearly every aspect of human study and endeavor touches on wine in some big or tiny way. You could study the global economy of the 19th century that turned fifty-odd chateaus in Bordeaux into icons that remain with us today. Or maybe spend some time studying soils in the banana belt of Seneca Lake. If you get bored you can always pick a new topic, and maybe drink some wine as well. It’s the unlearnable subject, and even if you could get a grasp on it all at once, say after years of study for the chance to hang an MS or MW after your name, next year will be different – with a whole new wave of vintage charts to memorize, if that’s your thing. Just try to avoid being the pedantic (man) at the party, I have met this enemy, and he was me. Maybe he’s still me, but I’m trying.
So anyway, I like context. A lot. It might be my life’s work, trying to put myself into my proper place in the overall scheme of things. Probably not something to be attained, more something to continue to strive for. Understanding. Seriously, if we don’t figure out how to fit together in society, and in our environment, we are doomed. So I look for context in all things, but Finger Lakes wine has become my passion. A tip of the vast iceberg that is the world of wine in general. Whether contemplating how a wine fits with other wines of the region (horizontals), with wines from other years (verticals), and with other wine regions of the world, this is a fortunate time for such a quest. Opportunities abound in the region these days; wine bars, library tastings, restaurants with deep wine lists. Most of them serve pairings of food and wine because, let’s face it, without the context of food, wine is just a way to get tipsy. Let’s examine a few of these opportunities in contextual meaning.
The World Stage
Check out the wine list at the Park Inn in Hammondsport, at the southern end of Keuka lake. Designed by sommelier and manager, Jason Ferris, the pages are laid out in two columns. On the left are Finger Lakes wines and on the right, the rest of the cool climate wine world. You’ll find Champagne next to Dr. Frank’s Brut, Prosecco next to Weis’ Perle. If you care to go deep, there are Cremants from Burgundy, the Loire, and Alsace. There’s an Austrian Gruner Sekt, and the Muscat Ottonel sparkler from McGregor. And these are just the sparkling wines. You could try a comparative flight of Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc next to a Chinon, or a Cru Beaujolais. Get creative, Jason did, and he’s there every night to answer questions and make suggestions. It’s a go to place for an after dinner drink as well.
In Geneva, at the north end of Seneca, Kindred Fare is another restaurant with a wine list geared towards putting the region’s wines in context. Pinot Noirs, Rieslings, Cab Francs, sparklers, dessert wines, from the region and points abroad, all nestled together and playing nice. Here too, the menu pairs effortlessly with the wine list, a possible reason you’ll find such a mix of locals, visitors, and industry people rubbing shoulders at both places. You really never know who you might see, the word is out.
The Master Sommelier, In the Library, With the Bottle of Wine
So, you think you might like to try some older wines? Very cool. Just be aware, they’re not for everyone. If you like crisp, refreshing fruit, you might want to stick to the youngsters. They are delicious and they are plentiful. Old wines have more earthy notes, like a forest floor in autumn, caramel, orange marmalade, dried flowers, even a whiff of petrol, perhaps a hundred other faint aromas to be teased out of a hopelessly complex puzzle. If interesting is more important to you than awesome, subtlety more than an exclamation point, then old wines might be calling your name. It’s amazing that these old timers are around at all, they’re a luxury that most new wineries can’t afford, cash flow being a necessity for a business, particularly a new one. They are out there, though, and they are worth seeking out. Let’s check out a couple of wineries that have made library wines a part of their business plan.
One establishment that has held back a library from the start is Sheldrake Point, on Cayuga lake. I’ve admitted this before, but we are poorly acquainted with Cayuga, a visit to Sheldrake Point recently illustrated just what we’re missing. The vintage room pulled us in and astounded. The atmosphere is tastefully intimate, there are multiple flights to choose from, and there are library wines for sale. A lot of library wines. Their website explains that they’ve held back multiple cases of every wine produced since 1997. It’s a testament to their foresight, and to a confidence in the quality of the wines. You’ll need more than one visit to wrap your head around the entire room. We’ll be back.
Hermann Wiemer Vineyard is another winery confident in the strength of their library. Their sommelier, Thera Clark, has put together monthly library flights by varietal. We’ve done Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay, and plan on going back for the sparkling and the Riesling. I’ve never considered the ageability of Gewürztraminer, but tasting a couple of 20+ year old ones has me pondering away. Briefly, the oldest wine (a 1992?) had a stunning floral nose, beautiful structure, and no palate at all, it was like drinking rose water. Thera explained that she included it as an example of a wine past its drinking window, but it was hands down the most interesting wine of the flight. Not the best, the most interesting. And that’s even better. You really should check this out.
A Regional Style
Perhaps you’re tired of traveling around the world, or even through time. Finger Lakes wines are what you crave, the more the better. You can find this regional context waiting for you at Once, on the west side of Seneca Lake. Here, it’s all about the Finger Lakes, by the flight, glass, or bottle. The entire region isn’t represented, that would be a vast undertaking, but a dozen of the best and most typical are available all under one roof, with a terrific view of Seneca included. A flight of roses anyone? Or who’s got the best ’20 Cab Franc? I suspect more and more of these types of establishments are coming, it gives you a place to get ideas to go more places. And so on, and so on.
Seek and You Shall Find
So there you have it, a few places to search for meaning and your place in the universe, or at least in the wine world. The Finger Lakes have arrived on the world’s stage, there will be more and more written about the region and where it “fits”. I enjoy this conversation as much as anyone, probably more than most, but I would like to drop a small piece of unsolicited advice; read every opinion, get every angle, drink a lot of wine, and then make up your own mind. Have a late night glass of TBA on Linden street. Pack a picnic lunch and a bottle or two and find a trail to hike. Eat a state fair style dog at the FLX Wienery with a local beer. Come to the next Aficionados gathering, whenever that may be. Find a new winery you like and join their club, or eat at their cafe, or food truck. Find some live music and kick back with a glass of something good, which is really just anything made with commitment and passion. If you’re here, it must be because you care about such things. I care too. Let’s find our place in the region together.
And, as always, be kind.
Jerry.