Summer in the Vineyard
This is what a cluster of red wine grapes looks like in June! The grapes and vines are happy with the rain and bursts of heat and sunshine. If the weather cooperates, those small green berries will be ripe, red, and hand-picked in October. Then they are crushed, pressed, and fermented into red wine. These are Chelois grapes that are blended into Jim’s Proprietor’s Reserve along with Chambourcin, maybe some Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. The varieties he chooses to make Proprietor’s Reserve will be aged in oak for at least three years. Then bottled and aged longer. Look for these grapes in the Frontenac Point 2024 Proprietor’s Reserve wine in 2030.
In the photo, the mist below the vines is fog rising from Cayuga Lake. This shows the effect of the lake on the climate of our vineyard. If you have questions about it, please ask us when you come to our Tasting Room.
Working With New York State Legislators
Sip & Sample held in the Legislative Office Building in Albany.
Since laws, rules, and regulations affect all New York wineries and consumers it’s important to keep in contact with those who propose and pass laws. Last March the New York Wine Policy Institute organized Sip & Sample. This annual event, held in Albany, is designed to let state legislators and government officials sip New York wines and sample selected foods produced in New York.
Winery owners from all over New York poured tastes of their wines. Through casual conversations with the winery owners, legislators and government employees learned more about the value, to the entire state, of the New York wine community.
Larry gave tastings of our 2019 Riesling, 2020 Maréchal Foch, 2021 Chambourcin, and Clos Frontenac.
New Wine Releases
Field Blend White II
Field Blend White II has been released. This ‘second edition’ is a blend of Vignoles/Traminette/Seyval grapes. It tastes slightly different from Jim’s first Field Blend White. We look forward to your reaction when you taste it.
What does “Field Blend” mean?
It means that the grapes that are made into this wine are “blended in the field.” We do this by hand-picking all of the grapes in each row, even where there are different grape varieties growing in those rows. For instance, in the original Seyval Blanc (planted in 1980) section of our vineyard, some Seyval vines died as vines do over time. So, we replaced the dead Seyval grapevines with Vignoles and Traminette grapevines in the early 2000’s. Then when we hand-pick the grapes in those rows, the wine varieties are “Field Blended.”
Vignoles and Seyval grapes were developed in France. Traminette was born by cross breeding existing grape varieties to create a new variety, in this case Traminette, at the Cornell Agri-Tech in Geneva (New York State Agricultural Station). The cross-breeders there develop new grapevines/varieties for desirable flavors in the wine, and vineyard sustainability. This sustainability means that the ‘hybrid’ vines need fewer sprays, if any, to combat certain diseases and can adapt to weather challenges.
2020 Maréchal Foch
We are delighted to announce Jim’s 2020 Maréchal Foch, dry red wine, is now available for tasting! His 2018 Maréchal Foch was so popular that it was limited in purchase as well as to taste but it still sold out quickly. So, those of you, reading this, who came back looking for more Maréchal Foch won’t be disappointed. The 2020 vintage is smooth with medium-full body. The hints of orange zest balances the blackberry, plum and tannin.
We also released his latest vintage of Pinot Noir – 2020. It has lovely aromas with hints of leather that are characteristic of Pinot Noir. While light in body – as many Pinots are – it is crisp on the palate that will mellow with age. This pairs well with roasted poultry, shrimp and vegetables.
Did you ever wonder what happens with the wines, in the winery cellar in the winter?
Being a limited production winery and open only 2-4 days 6 months of the year, we can age our wines before offering them for tasting and sale.
One tank of 2019 Riesling is resting for six more months before it will be bottled. It will be released as a Reserve Riesling. So part of this vintage has been ‘reserved’ to see how, with more time, it will develop. Now it has mild notes of lime with a crisp, clean finish.
Learn About Making Wine With Our Professional Staff
While you’re at the Frontenac Point tasting room, you can learn about the various methods of winemaking as well as walk in our vineyard. Tours are available when one of the owners is in the tasting room. Tour or not, you’ll learn about wine-growing and making wine while talking with our professional staff.
You can bring a picnic, add a glass of Frontenac Point wine and enjoy the view from our covered deck. But due to limited space if people are waiting to be on the deck, your time may be limited to one hour.
Jazz and Boots
We adopted our 13th and 14th vineyard dogs, Jazz and Boots, from Paws of Valor Animal Rescue in Tennessee in 2017. They were together for more than five years growing up in Detroit. Their story is full of love and tragedy. Now they enjoy life in the vineyard!
