Wine Travel: Sunday at Wiemer Vineyards

There's something special about a vineyard.  When I lived in Stuttgart, Germany, I loved running up and down the rows of vineyards conveniently located next to my apartment building. The vines,  the smell of the grapes, the colors provided a perfect sanctuary in the middle of the city.  It's not hard to fall in love with a vineyard.  From Napa in California to Styria in Austria, I've had very fond memories of these visits, which all have the happy ending of a tasting.  A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go on my first vineyard trip in my home state of New York at the Finger Lakes region.  We spent a Sunday at Seneca Lake and had a memorable visit at the Weimer Vineyards. 

It was a beautiful Sunday at the Finger Lakes.  The sun made the Seneca Lake sparkle and the sky was bright blue when we arrived at the beautiful property of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard.  We were welcomed by Oskar, a charming Swede who manages the vineyard.  He gave us a tour of their newly renovated tasting room, a former barn.  The barn still had the warm scent of the cedar that the shingles were made from. The tasting room and cellar transported me back to Europe and the tasting areas I visited in Germany and Austria.

We had the opportunity to sample several of the wines offered at the vineyard. Oskar enthusiastically talked about the wine making traditions of the winery.  One of the traditions Hermann J. Wiemer brought with him from his native Mosel Valley was Riesling. I admit I was one of those people who for a long time thought Riesling was only a dessert wine. On the contrary, the Finger Lakes has been producing some beautiful Rieslings which work fabulously with fish or poultry.  Although all the varieties we sampled were delectable in their own right, there were two we still remember (and bought). First it was the Reserve Dry Riesling. The wine is light yet rich in flavor. It starts strong but it leaves a lovely citrus taste in your palate. Our second favorite was the Dry Riesling. I recall telling Oskar that I felt I was on holiday tasting this wine. It is light, crisp, aromatic, and I believe it makes a good aperitif at a warm summer outdoor dinner party.

After our tasting, we had a cheese and salami wine pairing with the winery chef, Michael Murphy at the winery gardens.  Just like me, Michael is also a repatriate after spending many years working in Switzerland and France. He used a combination of local and European products to achieve this tasting. The ones which resonate with me the most is the truffle laced French salami and the locally made blue cheese. The best wine to sample this with was the Gewürztraminer, a slightly sweeter wine which worked really well with the strong flavors of the charcuterie. We enjoyed how the winery had this offering as it's a delicious way to end the tasting at the gorgeous patio of the winery.  

What we enjoyed the most about the winery was the passion we encountered from the people who worked there.  From Oskar to Michael to the those who ran the tastings, you can tell they all have a knowledge and passion which makes you enjoy the offerings even more.  That was more evident when we went to other wineries which focus was herding large tour groups.  For us, this is a true oenophile experience.  

Wiemer tip:  On a weekend, go early in the morning as it gets busy in the afternoon.  After your tasting, drive half a mile down the road to the Wienery, a local hot dog and sausage joint. I went for the homemade chorizo with blue cheese. Yum!!!