Our Winery
News
An Outstanding 2007 Harvest
2007 was an excellent season for our wine grapes here at Keuka Spring. We had warm weather, high Brix count in the grapes (Brix is a measure of sugar and ripeness), and outstanding grape quality. As usual, we took great care in the vineyard and winery to ensure that the 2007 vintages will be superb. For example, as in the past, we hand-picked the estate Lemberger and Cabernet Franc grapes.
According to Len, the 2007 season and vintage is comparable to 2005 in terms of warmth and dryness of weather and ripeness and quality of the grape harvest.
First Annual Barrel Tasting
To celebrate the vintage quality, last December we held our first annual barrel tasting. It was an opportunity for reserved guests to taste the first of the 2007 vintages side by side with the 2006 vintages. Tasters compared bottled and barreled samples of Chardonnay, Vignoles, Merlot, Lemberger, and Cabernet Franc. They also tasted and made their own blend using Merlot wine. The event was very successful and we are planning to hold it again this year.
Mark Oversees Winemaking
This year we were fortunate to have Mark Wiltberger, Len and Judy's oldest son, join us for harvest. Recently returning from extended travel, Mark has helped out with the winery in various capacities in the past while having a full-time job in Washington, D. C. He is now living on Keuka Lake.
"We are excited to have Mark back at the winery to work with us," says Len. "He brings experience and a fresh perspective to the business."
Mark managed and oversaw the harvest and winemaking in 2007. In the process, he made use of a new press and crusher/de-stemmer.
Coming up in 2008
As you make your plans for 2008, consider a day trip, rain or shine, to visit us here at the lake! We have some spectacular wines to share with you.
Lemberger 2006: This wine, made from vinifera grapes, is perfect for Keuka Lake's climate and sells out each year. A smooth, rich, gamay-like dry red wine. Have you tasted our 2006 Chardonnay? This wine highlights the true beauty of malolactic fermentation. Melon fruit, characteristic of our hillside terroir, combines nicely with buttery tones and moderate oak to make a soft, mellow, and refreshing wine. Chardonnay is one of the grape varieties we grow next to the winery. Keuka Spring has been producing award-winning Chardonnay since our first harvest in 1985.
We make our Chardonnay using a process called malolactic fermentation. You've probably heard of this process either in our tasting room or through sampling other wines. It's a process, secondary to fermentation, where the winemaker adds a bacteria that changes malic acid to lactic acid in the wine. The process lends a buttery, smooth character, especially to the finish of the wine. It may help to think of the tart character of apples, "Malus spp." (ie. malic acid) being converted to a cream character--like lactose (ie. lactic acid) in milk.
