When you visit 24 wineries in 4 days, the memorable ones have to be really special to stand out from the pack. Such was the case when Madam and I entered Weis Vineyards on day 4 of our adventure. This small, family-owned winery really spoke to me as it is operated by a young couple, reminding me of Madam and myself when we started our business 24 years ago.
Hans Peter Weis grew up in the Mosel River grape-growing area of Germany and learned winemaking at his grandfather's knee. Following earning his degree he traveled to the United States, first to Sonoma and then finding a second home in the Finger Lakes region, where he spent 11 vintages as a winemaker at another vineyard.
He and his lovely wife, Ashlee, opened Weis Vineyards on the east side of Keuka Lake in 2017, taking over a renovated schoolhouse that was previously known as Lime Berry Winery. Hans oversees the winemaking while Ashlee operates the tasting room and handles marketing and design. It was nice to visit a tasting room where the owners were pouring and sharing their love of their labors!
Specializing in German-style winemaking there were several nice reds and whites to try here. Madam, having traveled down the Rhine and Mosel rivers, chose to start with 4 dry whites. The Dry Riesling 2017, voted best in New York for 2017 vintage, had the slight mineral taste that this region is known for. The Gruner Veltliner 2017 had very nice apple and pear notes while the Gewurztraminer 2017 had rose petal notes. The Unoaked Chardonnay 2017 had a crisp nose and nice grapefruit notes.
She then opted to have the 2 semi-dry whites, as well. Heart of the Lake 2017, made from Cornell 31517 (a hybrid of Riesling & Cayuga) had peach notes and a slight sweetness to it. The Semi Dry Riesling 2017 also had peach notes with a very slight mineral finish.
I chose to focus on the dry reds. Schulhaus Red 2016 is a blend of Chancellor and Cabernet Sauvignon with a berry nose and peppery finish. The Cabernet Franc 2016 had a clean nose reminescent of leather with smoky cherry and pepper notes. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 had a tobacco and cherry nose that came through in the taste as well. I finished with One Eighty Three, named for the deepest part of Keuka Lake, a port-style dessert wine at 20% alcohol that had a delicious caramel finish on it.
Madam and I were excited to finish our tasting with a tank sample of their Riesling ice wine, which was harvested in December 2017 but won't be bottled until the end of this year. It had a slightly crisp nose and coated the mouth with its rich honey notes.
Since I am already planning a return trip to the Finger Lakes, I am looking forward to seeing how Weis Vineyards matures and grows!
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