Eat First

Randolph O'Neill Vineyard, Cayuga Lake

There are many small, artisan wineries in the Finger Lakes region, but perhaps none so small as Randolph O'Neill Vineyard, on the west side of Cayuga Lake. It is literally a one-man operation.

 

The winery is owned and operated by Kelley O'Neill (above) and his wife, Angela. Kelley grows the grapes, manages the vineyard, makes the wine, bottles the wine and brings the wine to market -- he's a multi-tasking solopreneur. Angela, a financial consultant, manages the business end of the winery and helps out with the harvest -- which is coming up quickly, early October, Kelley believes.

 

Randolph O'Neill Vineyard takes its name from Angela's maiden name and Kelley's last name. "I thought Kelley O'Neill sounded like an Irish pub,'' Kelley explained when we visited.

 

Like many in the wine business in the Finger Lakes, Kelley started down other career paths. He grew up in Western New York, studied music and sound recording at SUNY Fredonia and played in bands. He moved to Atlanta to work in the music industry and visited the Finger Lakes most summers, where his grandparents had a cottage. He loved visiting the area and its wineries and was at the point in his music career, he recalls, where it was time to either move up the company ladder or do something else. "I decided that something else to do was to come up here and work in the wine business,'' he says. 

 

The O'Neills found a place to rent in Lodi and Kelley joined the staff at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, on the east side of Seneca Lake. He trained under and absorbed as much as he could from winemaker Rob Thomas, who went on to establish Shalestone Vineyards. He also spent a couple years at Silver Thread Vineyard, working with former owner Richard Figiel. 

 

The O'Neills eventually started looking for their own land and found it in Ovid, on the west side of Cayuga Lake. The 35-acre property slopes down to the lake and has three "active" acres, which are planted with Riesling and Cabernet Franc grapes. Good wine begins in the vineyard, Kelley says, so he is super attentive and hands-on there.

 

Randolph O'Neill Vineyard produces just 500 cases of wine a year. When we visited, we sampled a dry Riesling, an off-dry Riesling, a carbonated Riesling, Cabernet Franc and dry rose of Cabernet Franc. The dry rose has since sold out.

 

In COVID times, wine tasting has moved outside. There are just two picnic tables with umbrellas. We took a seat at one of the tables and Kelley poured us a sample of each wine. We like drier, European-style wines and liked everything we tasted -- I especially liked the dry rose and am glad we snagged a bottle. We also enjoyed chatting with Kelley. He's down-to-earth and personable and you don't often get the opportunity to converse with the winemaker, especially this time of year. We left with a bottle of each wine but the Cabernet Franc.

 

Kelley says the small size of the winery is off putting to some potential visitors. There's no live entertainment, no expansive tasting room and no gift shop. Some folks pull in off Route 89, see there are just two tables, turn around and leave. "The smallness scares some people away,'' O'Neill says. "And it attracts other people.''

 

We fall in the latter category. Drive away and you'll miss out on an intimate, truly one-of-a-kind tasting of limited-production wines with a person who is passionate about his craft and the Finger Lakes wine community.

 

Prior to COVID-19, Kelley had been getting together regularly with other winemakers from the area to talk shop, sample "works in progress'' and give each other advice. He hopes that can resume sometime soon.

 

"I've learned a lot through that,'' he says. "The better we all are, the better it is for the whole area. The more good wineries there are to visit, the better it is for all of us. My philosophy is do a few things well and concentrate on them.''

 

Randolph O'Neill Vineyard is at 6965 Route 89, Ovid, on the west side of Cayuga Lake (north of Hosmer Winery and south of Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery and Thirsty Owl Wine Company). Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through September and by appointment after that. For information, call 607-351-8890. More information: Website Facebook

 

Can't get to the winery? Look for Randolph O'Neill wines in shops like The Underground Bottle Shop in Auburn and Red Feet Wine Market & Spirit Provisions in Ithaca.

 

                                                  (Courtesy of Facebook)
 
Photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated

Finger Lakes wine tastings in the age of COVID-19

What's it like to do a wine tasting in the time of COVID-19? We'd been wondering that for a couple weeks, since wineries were given the go-ahead to operate somewhat as usual as part of the third phase of reopening in New York State. So on a sunny and breezy Sunday, we set out for the Finger Lakes to see for ourselves.

 

In a word, the experience is different.

Gone are the days, at least for now, of driving down the road with no set agenda and dropping in on a whim. Also missing is the convivial atmosphere that comes with crowding around a tasting room bar and chatting with other visitors. Depending on where you visit, the experience feels ordered and somewhat sterile. It's understandable. Like restaurants, wineries are walking the line of keeping both their guests and their employees safe. The new protocols are there for a reason.

Some things worth noting:

• Some wineries continue to be open strictly for curbside pickup of wine and take-out beverages.

• Reservations are required at many places.

• Group visits are limited to six people maximum per party -- so there aren't a lot of tour buses and limousines on the road. Parties of two or four are preferred.

•  Some wineries conduct tastings outside, so be attuned to the weather. Others have spaced out their tasting rooms for physical distancing between guests and added Plexiglass shields as a buffer between guests and tasting room staff.

• Masks are required for entry and any time you are not standing or seated for a tasting (or dining).

• Don't leave home without doing some legwork to make sure the winery or wineries you want to visit have reopened for visitors and so you know in advance how the wineries you'd like to visit are handling tastings at this time. 

We visited three wineries on the east side of Seneca Lake to sample wines and to get a feel for the current normal. We intentionally selected three spots within several miles of each other and allowed plenty of time at each venue. Most places that require reservations will hold your spot for 15 minutes. 

 

Boundary Breaks

At Boundary Breaks, a truly off-the-beaten path winery in Lodi, co-owners Bruce Murray and Diana Lyttle have added a series of 12-by-12-foot patios overlooking the vineyards and lake and all tastings take place outside. Reservations aren't required at this time for the seated tastings (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily). Visitors check in with an attendant, pay for tastings ($10 per person for five two-ounce pours) and are seated at one of the patios, which are outfitted with Adirondack-style chairs, a table and umbrellas. A server brings single-use slips of paper from which you select your wines. Our server returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and our selections, served "flight" style rather than poured individually. She checked in on us at regular intervals, answered questions, and arranged for our purchases -- thereby minimizing interactions and contact.

 

 

We had the place almost to ourselves at 11:30 a.m. on a gorgeous, 80-degree day, but the patios were filling up as we left. You couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting and a more knowledgeable yet relaxed tasting experience. Some guests ordered a bottle of wine and stayed to enjoy the grounds and scenery.

Tip: Boundary Breaks is known for its complex Rieslings, but be sure to try the unusually deep-colored (and full bodied) dry rose, made from DeChaunac grapes, a hybrid that does well in cool climates like ours.

 

Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery

We're grateful to Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery for getting us in for a tasting -- I entered the wrong date for our visit on the online reservation system and they were looking for us on Saturday. Major oops.

 

Tastings ($8 per person) take place in the tasting room, which has been retrofitted with Plexiglass to separate servers and visitors. Guests are spaced out six feet or more throughout the room. Masks are required any time you are not seated for food or wine/beer consumption or taking part in a tasting. (The winery has a restaurant, the Ginny Lee Cafe, and plenty of picnic tables are available outside for visitors to enjoy wine by the bottle or glass).

 

Wagner, in Lodi, is one of the oldest and largest wineries in the region, with a portfolio of 30 wines, including five Rieslings, a sparkling Riesling, Gewurztraminer, three Chardonnays (including one unoaked), Cabernet Franc, dry Rose of Cabernet Franc -- the list goes on. Two people with five different tasting selections can sample a nice range of the offerings. We left with a couple whites and a couple bottles of the dry Rose, a perfect summertime sipper. Tasting glasses are tucked in brown paper bags and sent home with you.

 

Atwater Estate Vineyards

 

Tastings by appointment for parties of one to four are available 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at Atwater Estate Vineyards, in Burdett, about eight miles north of Watkins Glen. Atwater uses Tock, an online reservations system. Tastings are $10 per person.

 

 

One masked employee greeted us, checked off our reservation and pointed out a hand sanitizer station. Another masked employee asked several COVID-19-related screening questions and led us to a highboy table in the tasting room. Our server was energetic and enthusiastic about the wines and accurately called two that turned out to be favorites: Bubble (a dry sparkling Riesling) and the pretty-in-pink dry Rose Blaufrankisch.

 

Three months of life spent mostly in isolation makes simple pleasures like taking a leisurely drive in the country and visiting a winery feel huge -- and extra special. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the special place that is the Finger Lakes this summer.

 

 

 

Drink pink: Discover Dry Rose from the Finger Lakes

Spring is here. It's time to lighten up our wardrobes, menus and beverages.

If you're a red wine drinker in the winter and a white wine drinker in the summer, it's time to bridge the gap and drink the pink. By that I mean dry Rose from the Finger Lakes region. This is the season the pink- and cherry- and salmon-hued wines are released and celebrated. There are plenty of new choices each year, as more and more Finger Lakes winemakers embrace this style of wine and put their best red wine grapes into it -- Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Merlot and others.

 

Finger Lakes dry Rose doesn't threaten to topple Riesling from its throne any time soon, but it is gaining momentum and appreciation. The Discover Dry Rose promotion was introduced in 2013 with just over a dozen participating wineries. This year, 30 wineries are represented --  from Anthony Road Wine Company, near Penn Yan, to Zugibe Vineyards, in Geneva. Click here for participants and visit the individual websites for promotions and deals.

 

I visited the New York State section of one of our neighborhood liquor stores (Liquor City) recently to see what they had in the way of Finger Lakes dry Rose. Unfortunately, the answer is: not enough! They did have dry roses from Fox Run, Anthony Road and -- happy surprise! -- the signature label dry Rose by Kelby James Russell, the winemaker at Red Newt Cellars.

 

The best place to find these wines is at liquor stores with excellent regional selections, like Ryan's Wines and Spirits, in Canandaigua, and directly at the wineries. Spring is a great time to hit the wine trails -- there's elbow room in the tasting rooms and the busy tourist season is just gearing up. Billsboro Winery, five miles south of Geneva on the west side of Seneca Lake, offers a rose of Merlot and rose of Pinot Noir.  Silver Thread Vineyard, on the east side of Seneca Lake, has an off-the-beaten path location and tasting room that is well worth a visit. Through the end of April, enjoy a complimentary sample of Silver Thread's rose of Pinot Noir, paired with a local cheese. 

 

If you think white zinfandel when you think of pink wine, think again. Dry Rose from the Finger Lakes isn't sweet. These wines are crisp, refreshing, fruity and a friend of all foods. Try them with cheeses, cured meats, salads and vegetables, poultry, shellfish, seafood, pizza, pasta, paninis, fruit desserts -- just about everything.

 

They would be perfect for a picnic. Don't forget the corkscrew.

 

 

 

 

 

The new and improved Sauders, Seneca Falls

Many people come to Seneca Falls to visit the National Women's Hall of Fame, the Women's Rights National Historic Park and the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Many more pass through on their way to the wineries that make up the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail -- and to their camps, cottages and homes in the Finger Lakes.

 

Sauders is a destination for food adventurists, "a unique country store'' that has grown from 10,000 square feet to 40,000-plus square feet -- the size of an Aldi or small Tops store. It's not a restaurant, but it ranks No. 1 on a Trip Advisor list of top restaurants in the Seneca Falls area, perhaps for its over-stuffed subs and deli sandwiches.

 

We've been hearing and reading about Sauders' expansion for a year now and stopped to check it out on our way to Seneca Lake. There's more parking, a covered drop-off and entry area and wide spacious aisles. If you're using a shopping cart, you'll no longer clog the aisles and bump into your fellow shoppers.

 

You might find yourself thinking the new Sauders reminds you of Wegmans. The store is big and more glossy, for sure, but still quaint and charming.

 

Sauders, open since 1978, was founded by Mennonites who moved here from Lancaster County, Pa. John Sauder, one of the owners, told the Finger Lakes Times last year the family has been wanting to expand the store for about five years and decided the time was right.

 

Basically, you'll find all the things you loved about the original Sauders -- on a larger scale.

 

You're greeted by a display of seasonal, local produce when you walk in the door. Next stop is a greatly expanded produce department.

  

There's an in-store bakery and an eat-in cafe called the Country Cookin' Cafe. The cafe also offers ice cream.

 

Grandma Sauders Candy Shack department has dozens of choices of bulk and packaged chocolate and candies, including every kind of "gummy" treat imaginable.

 

In the market for grains, pasta, rice, cereals and spices? You've come to the right place.

 

There's an expanded meat/deli department and cheeses galore, including local favorites like Muranda Cheese Co. and Yancey's Fancy cheeses. We spotted cheese curds and yogurts from Stoltzfus Family Farm, in Vernon Center.

 

Like to bake? There's an entire aisle of flour, sugars, sanding sugars, cookie and cake decorations in a kaleidoscope of colors, as well as candy-making supplies.

 

Are you "putting up summer"? There's canning and preserving gear and supplies galore.

 

No Mennonite store would be complete without jams, jellies, pickles, mustards, sauces, condiments and more -- Sauders has them all, including specialty items like pickled eggs.

 

Maple syrup, honey, nuts, dried fruit, trail mixes… the odds are good you'll go home with a thing or two NOT on your shopping list.

 

The "Book Nook" has Mennonite, Amish and community cookbooks.

 

The check-out area runs smoothly and is staffed by friendly young Mennonite women in their traditional white caps and calico print dresses. The store accepts debit and credit cards.

 

If you're in the Seneca Falls area and need some food/grocery items -- or even if you don't -- Sauders is worth a detour.

 

Sauders is at 2146 River Road, Seneca Falls. The store is open Monday to Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m. Information: 315-568-2673

 

Note: East of Syracuse and also worth checking out is the Troyers Country Store, 5518 Nelson Road, Cazenovia. The store offers meats, cheeses, baking supplies, bulk foods, nuts and a popular DIY nut butter grinding machine. The store is open Monday to Saturday. Information: 315-655-0346

 

Shalestone Vineyards: Red Is All They Do

In a region where Riesling is king -- and red wines are fickle, due to the short growing season and cruel winters -- it's surprising to come across a vineyard that specializes in red. And red only.

Welcome to Shalestone Vineyards, on the east side of Seneca Lake. We've driven by the picturesque tasting room and vine-covered production room overlooking the lake many times, but had never stopped in until recently.

 

Owners Rob and Kate Thomas established their vineyards in 1995, in the area known as the "Banana Belt'' of the Finger Lakes, which is said to be warmer than other areas. They now have about six acres near the lake, devoted to grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Lemberger and Pinot Noir.

 

When we arrived on a Sunday in August, Rob Thomas was putting the "open" sign out by the road and Kate was setting up in the tasting room. For a minute or two, we had that feeling one gets when one arrives a little early for a party, and finds the host not quite yet ready for guests. But as the room began to fill, everyone got to chatting.

 

Our tasting ($3 each) included five wines -- none of them with the usual descriptions, like "big," "bold," "jammy" and "juicy.''

 

Consider this description for the 2011 Lemberghini (a blend of Lemberger, Merlot and Syrah): "Like a ride at an amusement park that you get back in line for. A scenic drive to the state of ZING." And the 2012 Pinot Noir: "Oh, the fickle femme fatale! Some are like a cold shower and others give you multiple orgasms. They are always worth a try.''

 

We liked the Harmony, "an inter-vintage blend'' of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot "that sings with pleasure from balance and understanding, helping to elevate the quality of your life.''

 

We found something to like about all the wines we sampled. They made us think about fall and winter nights and warming meals. The Harmony would work well with a steak off the grill or a pot roast. The Red Legend would pair nicely with pasta or pizza -- who knows, maybe even barbecue. We left with a bottle of 2013 Beyond Rose (Zwiegelt and Lemberger). We've grown  to love dry Roses from the Finger Lakes -- they seem to go with everything. This one had deeper color, flavor and body than others we've tried. Kate recommended serving it at room temperature (a surprise) or chilled.

 

 

I was tempted to get a bottle of the Synergy ($25; Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) but it was our first stop of the day and I didn't want to spend all of my allotted wine allowance in one place.

 

We're close enough to come back, we told ourselves. I'm sure we will.

 

Asked why they do only red, Kate said they like the complexity of red wine, they wanted to do something different and they don't like Riesling.

 

Their philosophy: "Tune into nature, go with the natural ebb and flow of life. Red wines best reflect the complexity of life as they are built in layers, much like experiences and relationships.''

 

Shalestone isn't one of those loud, raucous wineries with a carnival atmosphere. It's small and intimate and you get to talk and learn from the people who grow and harvest the grapes and craft the wine. Groups of more than eight are discouraged from visiting. Visitors are asked to shut off their cell phones and enjoy the moment, the view -- and of course the wine.

 

The dry red wine. Red is all they do.

 

Shalestone Vineyards is at 9681 Route 414, Lodi. The tasting room has limited hours: Fridays in October (noon to 5 p.m.) and Saturdays in November (noon to 5 p.m.), plus Friday, Nov. 23 (noon to 5 p.m.). Information: 607-582-6600.

 

Eremita Winery: Worship at the altar of Finger Lakes wine

Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the…

WINE!

Eremita Winery is located in the former Reformed and (later) Presbyterian Church, which stood vacant for years, in the village of Lodi, Seneca County (Seneca Lake East). The church dates to the 1870’s.

Owner Josh Parker, a native of the Utica area who previously worked as a construction project manager in Florida, purchased the building in 2010 after seeing it advertised online.

He is restoring and repurposing the building in increments, putting reclaimed materials and his own design and construction skills to use. He lives there, as well, and his dog, Matouk, greets visitors.

If Parker were to say his winery is one of the most unique in the Finger Lakes, he would be justified. I can’t think of another winery in a former church, with light streaming in through stained glass windows. The church’s original wood floors gleam.

Stand at the tasting bar and admire the colorful collection of wine bottles housed in the space that once held the church’s organ pipes. The space is beautiful and has a great vibe.

Parker makes and cellars Riesling, unoaked Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, a blush wine called Goddess and others on the premises, using grapes from Wagner Vineyards and other growers.

It’s small in terms of staff and volume – about 1,500 cases a year. Stop in Eremita for a tasting and the chances are good you will find Parker working solo, pouring wine, answering questions and making and closing sales.

Eremita welcomes groups, but it’s a good idea to call ahead.

Speaking of small Finger Lakes wineries: About five miles south of Eremita, and off the beaten path (Route 414), is Silver Thread Vineyard. The vineyard produces small quantities of premium vinifera wines, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer that have gained notice well outside the Finger Lakes. The winery is rated among the top six Finger Lakes wine producers in the latest Robert Parker Wine Guide.

Silver Thread is a hidden gem, offering a secluded setting, gorgeous views of Seneca Lake and a small tasting room built into a hill, where co-owner Shannon Brock pours samples. Buses and recreational vehicles aren’t allowed on the gravel road that leads to the winery. Groups of eight or more must call in advance to make arrangements to visit.

There are advantages to visiting a small winery. When the owner pours, you learn things. Such as: Veraison – that’s the term used to describe the point in the growing season when grapes soften and change color. And that Gewurztraminer is a pink grape that yields a straw-colored wine.

Eremita Winery is at 2155 Church St., Lodi. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday. For information, call 607-474-5002. A website is under construction. Click here to visit Eremita on Facebook.

Silver Thread Vineyard is at 1401 Caywood Road, Lodi (about a mile off Route 414). The tasting room is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday (through November). For information, call 607-582-6116 or visit the website.

Greenwood Winery: a new winery in the suburbs of Syracuse

If you don’t mind a little dust and construction, you can now sample wines at DeWitt’s first winery.

Greenwood Winery, at 6475 Collamer Road (Route 298), opened to the public several weeks ago. Construction of a bar and bistro, adjacent to the tasting room and wine-processing building, will soon begin.

DeWitt’s first winery? A winery in the suburbs? It’s not as strange as it sounds. Grapes are now being grown in an estimated 80 percent of New York’s counties.

And wineries are popping up all over New York State: along Lake Ontario, in the Thousand Islands, near Watertown, on the Tug Hill Plateau, near the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

Greenwood Winery is an artisan winery owned and operated by local real estate developer Tom Greenwood. Wines are made from grapes grown in DeWitt and in the Finger Lakes. The tasting area shares space with sparkling new storage tanks and crush pads.

Most of the grapes Greenwood is growing are cold-hardy varieties developed by developed by Cornell University and the University of Minnesota: Traminette, Noiret, Chancellor, Marechal Foch and others.

In a Riesling rut? Looking to branch out from your nightly Merlot? Eight wines are available for tasting: four whites, a blush wine and three reds. Our $5 tasting included our choice of five wines and came with a souvenir glass.

I’m no wine expert, not by a long shot, but I do know what I like. I particularly enjoyed the Traminette, a crisp white wine that reminded me of the sunny Gewurztraminers I’ve enjoyed in the Finger Lakes, as well as two reds, the Noiret and Enthusiasm (Chancellor). The reds are dry but not bone dry. They’re full-bodied and flavorful, with a clean, smooth finish.

They definitely have a place at home, as we transition from light summer meals to heartier fall and winter fare, like soups, stews and braised meats.

They also have a place right at the Greenwood Winery, which has tables and Adirondack chairs on a patio overlooking the small vineyard. Wines are available by the glass, and bottles range in price from $10 to $14.

There’s also a small market section with local and regional food products, like Thousand Island River Rat cheeses and mustards, artisan breads, olives and cured meats – and other items that pair nicely with wine. A small farmstand holds tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squashes and other produce for sale, all from Greenwood’s nearby farm, we were told.

Stroll around the vineyards and you’ll lose awareness of the car and truck traffic on Route 298.

Enjoy a glass of wine and a little picnic on the patio.

You’ll think you’re in wine country instead of the wine suburbs.

Note: Greenwood Winery won a Gold medal for its Baco Noir at the recent New York Wine and Food Classic, considered the Oscars of New York State wine. It was not available to taste when we visited – one more reason to visit again.

Greenwood Winery is at 6475 Collamer Road (Route 298), DeWitt, a couple miles east of Carrier Circle. Tasting room hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information call 315-399-0835.