Hello from Erin,

As an ardent lover of sparkling wine, I became infatuated with the smaller, grower-style sparkling wines coming out of France. Rather than blending juice from various vineyards, these wines represent a particular place and time, highlighting the work of the grower. And it clicked–we can do this here. We can produce a high-quality sparkling wine that is representative of our estate on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes.

It was important for me to use sustainably-grown grapes from our vineyard. And it was also important for me to use non-traditional (or at least, less traditional) varietals. I selected Riesling, Cayuga White, and Delaware to showcase vinifera, hybrid, and native grapes. They all bring something different to the table and these varieties will appeal to adventurous and open-minded sparkling wine lovers.

Producing traditional method sparkling wine is extremely time-consuming–each bottle is touched numerous times, probably too many to count. And every time the process moves forward, I become more excited about what’s inside. This is an exploration. This is a labor of love. This is what wine is all about. I can’t wait to share it with you.