There’s not that many wineries in the Finger Lakes. There, I said it. I know when you’re driving around the trails, it seems like they’re everywhere, clustered around the shores of the lakes like travelers to a spa, taking in that altered atmosphere. (A strategy that doesn’t always work.) Try finding more than a handful once you stray from those shores though, and it ain’t so easy.
I always use 130-140 as a reasonable estimate of just how many wineries there are in the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area. It sort of depends on how you count them, duh. Many are outright estate wineries, while others find a welcoming corner of an existing winery and stake out their own brand. I’m not qualified to delve into the TTB’s requirements on what constitutes a winery, but I still stand by 140 +/- as a reasonable estimate. That’s it. Have you ever looked at the FLX AVA on a map? It’s huge. Yet only 130. Or 140. Ponder that awhile.
I’m going to perhaps stray into controversial territory now, so let me offer a preface; every one of those relatively few wineries are important to the region. They’re all important because they add to the critical mass that draws people in to support the region financially, to spend money. Not everyone that comes to the region wants a thirty or forty dollar bottle of wine to put away in the cellar for a decade or two. Some want something a little sweet and fruity, maybe even a slushee. Or a beer. (Breweries and distilleries are just as important, but we’re talking about wine here.) So, every winery is providing something for their customers, something that hopefully keeps them coming back. They’re all important. But…
I’m sure you’ve noticed that the Finger Lakes is becoming something of a sensation in the rest of the world. The growth of the area’s reputation has been so rapid that it now seems like a self fulfilling prophecy. The wines are world class at their best, we just needed everyone to figure it out. Now, that’s a done deal. The world is watching, the world is starting to drink the wines. But which wines? This is shifting ground, and requires a nuanced approach. I’m on record talking about the particular wines I drink most often, although I’m game to try anything at least once. There are producers that I go back to over and over, vintage after vintage, trusting in the consistency they have shown over the years. Consistency of quality is what we’re talking about, the wines change every year from the producers I’m talking about, that vintage variation is a must for me to truly enjoy the wine. How many producers are making these wines? The wines that the world is looking for. Let’s ponder.
I’ll stop hemming and hawing and get to the point. I look at the Finger Lakes wine community as a pyramid with three levels. The apex of the pyramid, the very best producers, number in my estimation at around 15-20. That’s it. It’s a remarkably small number of wineries, of wines, to fulfill the world’s needs. Kind of makes burgundy look prolific. The next level down contains (again, by my count) about 20-30 wineries that have the motivation and are gaining the knowledge and abilities to make it into that top level. They have their eye on the ball and are driven to succeed, to gain esteem. That leaves us with 80-90 wineries that are what they are, and are comfortable in the role. Sweet, fruity wines, maybe even slushees, and hopefully a party going on, perhaps with a band. (You can have bands at a top tier winery, no doubt, but it’s usually a more restrained type of social gathering.) These wineries are vital to the region’s success, but they are not the wineries of which I speak. The top tier is not my topic tonight either. Say what? Yep, I want to speak tonight of the middle tier because, to my way of thinking, that’s where most of the action and a lot of the most interesting stuff is happening.
Borders and boundaries are where things are in flux for most things in life. Countries of course, but what about the boundary between salt and fresh water, an estuary? Anyone that studies such things knows that estuaries are teeming with life, and with change. It is a fragile system that is easily disrupted if either the fresh or salt water sides intrude too much. It is about balance; in salinity, in temperature, in predation and flight from such things. Same with a coral reef. Or a thermocline. Boundaries between two opposing sides are rarely quiet, why should it be any different with wine?
So, what of this middle tier I claim exists? Who are these wineries working to attain the pinnacle of Finger Lakes wine? Many of them are already there in quality, they just need time to prove they can maintain that quality through good vintages, as well as challenging ones. Time to build their reputation. Then there are some that already have built a social media reputation, they just need to “stuff the turkey”, if I may be a bit crass for a moment. Catching the world’s attention is hard enough, keeping it will require a sustained effort by all of these wineries to maintain quality and to drive higher production. Those two things are at odds with each other a great majority of the time, but they need to be harnessed here. If quality was all that mattered then perhaps the world’s best winemaker would be in his garage, producing a few dozen cases a year, to give away to friends and family, or perhaps to charge exorbitant prices for. To make an impact, to matter, on the world stage requires some quantity as well. It’s a tightrope walk that presents a lot of opportunities for missteps.
I suppose I have many of you muttering by now, “name names, for god’s sake! Who are these wineries of which you speak?” Well, I’m not gonna do it. We all have our own favorites, a five minute conversation at a Aficionados gathering, or the Rose Soirée should be enough to tell if you’re on the same page with each other. If not, chat with someone else and find agreement. Or better yet, listen to someone you don’t agree with and try to bridge the gap. It doesn’t have to get contentious here in the borderlands, it just takes equal respect and tolerance from each “side”. (I hate to call it sides, but it would be disingenuous to pretend that there isn’t a major divide between groups of people on which wines they like to drink. I prefer to point out the differences as a way to learn and grow, to understand each other. We’re not all looking for the same thing from a bottle of wine, let’s just hope we all find something worthwhile, something to enjoy.
Try this sometime. Take a bottle of wine you truly find amazing, then find a person that doesn’t enjoy it at all. Take ten minutes and make an impassioned plea for the wine. Explain all its allure to said doubter. You may not win them over but perhaps you will make them think a little and question what they thought they knew, what they are comfortable with. At the very least you might have some interesting conversation, just keep it civil. There are no right or wrong answers. None of our lists will be the same. Anyone with ability and drive can climb a mountain, or a pyramid, the view from the top will be perceived differently by each climber. Each drinker. Be kind. Be respectful. Make your own list and share it with others, but don’t pontificate or bully. Rather, listen more than talk, taste more than drink, defer to others and learn. See you on the fringes.
Cheers, Jerry.