Photos of Finger Lakes Distilling sign and barrels in distillery
The Three Brothers Wineries and Estates are located at 623 Lerch Rd Geneva, NY. It is just a short distance off of NY Rte 96A South at the north end of Seneca Lake. This winery is a collection of three distinctly different wineries (Passion Feet, Stony Lonesome and Bagg Dare) and a brewery (War Horse). We arrived at the property just a day after the conclusion of Winestock, a wine and music festival that had run through the weekend. Three Brothers was the only winery that we visited twice and is a perfect example of the saying “What a difference a day makes”. The first day we visited we were served in the tasting room of the Stony Lonesome Winery by a very well versed young man named Alex. Alex poured our selections and recited the characteristics of each flawlessly and with a friendly ease. That day we would purchase two Riesling: Degree 1 Medium Dry 2010 and Degree 2 Medium Sweet 2010 along with a wine that I was unfamiliar with Estate Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2011. I could have easily have picked up their Barbera, the first to be produced in the Finger Lakes but the promise of the wines in my near future caused me to pass on it. The next afternoon we decided to return to Three Brothers to pick up a bottle of their Pinot Noir and that Barbera that I had passed on the day before. We entered the Stony Lonesome tasting room and stood around until we were finally approached by a small young woman. We asked her several questions about their Pinot Noir and other red wines which she struggled to answer with her limited knowledge of the products. Since the Pinot was to be a gift I asked if she could do me a favor and photo copy the wine list and its tasting notes. She went into the other room only to return and say no and that it could be found on the website (I looked but couldn’t find it there). I bought the 2009 Pinot Noir and forgot about the Barbera.
The wines at Three Brothers Wineries and Estates were probably the best I tasted on this trip but the tasting room experience was surly the most sub-standard that I encountered. The management of this business has to remember that making good wine is important but there is much more to a brand than just that.
Photos include the tasting room for the Stony Lonesome Winery, sign post at Three Brothers Wineries, sign at entrance of Passion Feet Winery, grapes growing along numbered rows and immature grapes.
We have just returned from another wonderful trip to the wine country of the Finger Lakes Region of New York. The weather was summertime hot with temperatures in the low to mid 90’s. The weather may have been unusual but the welcoming hospitality and the genuine “glad to see you” attitude of the area’s population was unchanged. A boat captain told me that a cold wave in late spring had caused a 50% loss in the grape crop and a loss of nearly all of the cherry harvest this year.
We had set out early on our planned route down the east side of Seneca Lake and it was going great when an unexpected sighting caused me to make a quick U-turn and head back up Rte 414. The parking lot at Hazilitt 1852 Vineyards tasting room was full, which was strange because we had experienced a lighter than normal turn out at the other wineries. We pulled into the lot and parked next to the Tiki sign that pointed the way to the Tiki tent. As we walked to the front door I couldn’t help notice the large rusting propeller guarding the entrance. The music of Radio Margaritaville poured out of the tasting room as we opened the door and the eclectic interior was revealed. After finding our place at the bar we were greeted by Todd, an outgoing and personable young man who no doubt would feel at home in Key West as he does here in the Finger Lakes. Todd takes us through our flight of wines with his knowledgable description of each along with his lighthearted wit and humor. When I ask about the large tattoo on his right arm he proudly told me that it is a reproduction of an original painting he had done and that it will be incorporated into a full sleeve tattoo that he has planned out. After purchasing a bottle of the winery’s signature “Red Cat” wine Todd told us that Hazilitt 1852 had acquired a winery in the nearby town of Naples because they needed its capacity to meet the over 500,000 gallon demand for that wine. We bid everyone goodbye and continued south on Rte 414 looking forward to our next parrothead adventure. Fins Up! Hazilitt 1852 Vineyards can be found at 5712 Rte 414 Hector, New York.
A green wine grape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have just finished another enjoyable white wine from the New York Finger Lakes Region. Swedish Hill Vineyards in Romulus produced my latest subject for review and it is Cayuga White 2010. This wine is a light bodied semi dry that is crisp with aromas of apple and floral notes. I think this wine would be a perfect choice for a picnic on a warm summer day. Imagine reaching into a cooler and pulling out a bottle of Cayuga White and pouring a glass while sitting under a large oak tree in a lush meadow. These were probably the same images that the researchers at Cornell University had in mind when they developed the Cayuga White grape for the Finger Lakes Region. What they were thinking is open to debate but what is not in doubt is that they did an excellent job at the NYS Agricultural Station in Geneva, NY when they perfected this variety of wine grape. All I have to say is “Job well done and Thank You”
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