Bud Break Blooms

So it's getting to be that season where the weather is warming up and we are starting to see tiny grapes pop on the vines. This popping of new growth and foliage on the vines is know as "bud break." Bud break in this area occurs around mid May. Bud break occurred here at Ventosa the week of May 13th.

Since that time, we have had some very warm days which is great for growing grapes. The best season you can have to grape vines is very hot dry weather. The grapes grow very well in this environment because the lack of water, stresses out the vine so that the plant soaks up nutrient from the soil and transports it directly to the grape. For red varieties, the sun and heat is great to ripen the grape so it has a lot of sugar content and the skin of the grape gets very purple so you can have a deep, rich, red wine. In years that we have cool temperatures and more rain, the vines soak up the water in the soil and rather than only getting nutrient to the grape, there is also more water. This is why in rainy, cooler years, red wines are lighter due to the vine soaking up water. The best part of living in the Finger Lakes w

ith two very distinct growing season possibilities, is that the hot dry years are great for red wines for ripening purposes while in cooler and rainy years, the white wines are excellent. Riesling in particular, being from Germany in origin, thrives in those cooler rainier seasons. This similarity in growing conditions is why this area excels in Riesling production.

The sun and heat that we have been experiencing here lately has resulted in new offshoot canes on the vines that have really grown and we're starting to see tiny grape clusters form. The ones featured here are from a Pinot Noir vine. Crazy to think that those tiny little grapes will be large and tasty by October. That's the fun in wine. The grape grows, the flavors in the grape evolve, and then after it's harvested it goes through yet another life process where it goes through fermentation, aging, and becomes the life force that will be in your glass. Cheers!

There's a Reason to Drink Riesling

So here we are at the tail end of April, and the weather is getting better, but still pretty gloomy. When I drove into the parking lot of Ventosa this morning among the fog, this was the view that greeted me:

Pretty mysterious and cool among vines that are trimmed and ready for the warm weather, and to have buds popping.

Among other news, our 2010 Riesling was tasted and we all agree, it's ready to be released!

The 2010 Riesling is dryer than our last vintage, but still lots of fruit flavors and a touch of acidity. Be sure to stop by this Friday night to get a great combo. Try our 2010 Riesling and enjoy a NO COVER show by the Dirtybirds who are a three piece acoustic rock band playing contemporary hits with vocals, guitar and harmonica! May is Riesling month too, so be sure to kick it off right!

Cheers!

Drink and Be Merry!

Wondering what our current wine list looks like? Well here it is!

Individual tastings are $2 per person for your selection of 4 wines. Group tastings (10+ people) are $4 per person and there's a predetermined list of 4-5 wines. All tasting fees are refundable on bottle purchases.

White Wines

Saggio series VI: Premium estate blend of Tocai Friulano, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. $19.95

2009 Chardonnay: Tropical fruit flavors and aromas with a hint of oak. $17.95

2009 Pinot Gris: Clean notes of kiwi and chamomile, and fresh cut honeydew. $15.95

2008 Tocai Friulano: A Ventosa exclusive! Rare Italian variety, light in body, with grapefruit and floral aromas. $15.95

Vino Bianco (NV): A sipping sensation with flavors of pear and honeydew. A blend of Tocai Friulano, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.

2009 Riesling: Zesty and hip through a melding of pineapple, mango, apricot and a subtle minerality. $16.95

2009 Sweet Riesling: Notes of melon and green apple soaked in honeysuckle and sweet clover nectar. $14.95

Red Wines

2009 Rosato: Fruit forward Sangiovese rose highlighting juicy watermelon and fresh raspberries. $15.95

2007 Pinot Noir: Toasty notes of cinnamon and earth with ripe cherry flavors. $15.95

2008 Vino Rosso: This red blend is crafted from Lemberger, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese with a nose of vanilla and cardamom, berry medley flavors and a caramel finish. $15.95

2008 Cabernet Franc: Robust layers of cranberry aged in both new and older French oak. $19.95

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon: Jammy with expressions of dark cherries and black currant framed by chewy tannins. $22.95

Saggio series VII: Signature premium Bordeaux blend highlighted with Syrah and Sangiovese grown on our estate. $25.95

Limited Production Wines, Try for $2

2007 Sangiovese: Estate grown Sangiovese with flavors of raspberry and subtle blueberry. Only 100 cases made of this unique varietal. $29.95

2009 Tocaice: Our unique Tocai Friulano iced wine. Flavors of caramelized figs and candied tree fruits. $29.95

Cheers!

Red, Red Wine...

The end of January its quickly approaching. The frosty weather makes everything seem to slow down. While the wine is still here and available for tasting it isn't flowing as abundantly as it is during the busy season. Though during the week it's slow, the weekends seem to be hopping right along with our music series continuing through the winter. Our music events are a nice change of pace getting people out and about and drawn here to the winery. The cafe is still serving up great food throughout the winter as well. Chef Ernesto is still serving up a wide variety of daily specials. Any of our pizzas are killer with a glass of Vino Rosso, or your choice favorite! Having bottled beer available also means we don't discriminate against those non wine drinkers.

The banquet hall has been pretty calm as well, even though the phone calls keep coming in from future brides checking in to see if their date is still available. The big banquet event of this weekend is our Bridal Extravaganza. It's free to the public and is running from 11-1pm this Saturday, February 5. This is a great way to scope out a potential venue while also having the opportunity to speak with other bridal vendors. It's going to be a great event to get a taste of what any bride's big day could look like.

Jenna's also down in the cellar working away to make great wines out of our excellent 2010 vintage. From the looks and tastes of some of the wines that we've seen samples of, things are going to be very fruity and delicious. Jenna's got plans for a Pinot Noir dry rose which from samples tastes great already even early on. While we're anxiously awaiting the 2010 releases, we're excited that we're getting Chardonnay back on the line up! For those Chardonnay fans, you may know we've been out of our Chardonnay for about 2-3 months. After some barrel aging, and then bottle aging, we're ready to release our 2009 Chard. It's very fruity and even better than the 2008. That was the general consensus among all of us who tried it but we'll let you be the judge! Feel free to leave me some feedback once it's released and what you think.

Cheers!