PINOT GRIGIO
ESTATE GROWN
DRY
BLEND: 90% Pinot Grigio - 10% Cayuga (var.10%)
VINEYARD SIZE: 1.9 Acres (0.2 Cayuga)
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 200-300 cases
TASTING NOTES: Light-bodied with a delicate fruit bouquet of peaches and limes, our Pinot Grigio displays a dry, crisp and fresh flavor that complements lighter style cuisine. An outstanding companion to poultry, seafood, salads and pasta with light red sauces. Serve chilled.
THE GRAPE: Pinot Grigio (Italian) or Pinot Gris (French) is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera with a particular pink-gray colored skin. Pinot Grigio originates from Burgundy (France). The origin of the French name "pinot" comes from the word "pin", meaning "pine". In fact, the shape of its cluster looks like a small pine cone, a characteristic that unites all the vines with the name "pinot". The cultivation of Pinot Grigio is particularly complex and requires special conditions and attention not only in the countryside but also in the cellar.
VINTNER'S NOTE: Blended with Cayuga to widen the flavor profile and aromas, our Pinot Grigio is dedicated to Autism research and intervention and the profits from the sale of the wine benefit directly non-profit care providers and research institutions.
CHARDONNAY
ESTATE GROWN
DRY
BLEND: 90%Chardonnay - 10% Pinot Grigio (var.5%)
VINEYARD SIZE: 2.5 Acres (1 Chardonnel)
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 250-300 cases
TASTING NOTES: Medium-bodied with a smooth finish, our lightly oak-aged Chardonnay suggests flavors of pears, apples and vanilla. An excellent complement to seafood with rich sauces, chicken and veal. Serve chilled at 45 degrees.
THE GRAPE: Chardonnay is a white grape varietal originating also from Burgundy and is probably the most known white variety in the world. The incredible complexity of aromatic components that Chardonnay gives to wines emerges in different ways depending on the soils and climates where it is grown, thus making the tasting of its wines always a unique experience. Chardonnay is part of the blend of the best classic method sparkling wines in the world, and is also renowned for its great aging potential.
VINTNER'S NOTE: We age our Chardonnay in French oak. American oak tends to be more intense, as the oak absorbs/ transfers into the wine much faster. French oak tends to be more subdued in its taste and creates a smoother mouthfeel.
VIDAL BLANC
ESTATE GROWN
OFF DRY
BLEND: 80% Vidal Blanc 20% Traminette
VINEYARD SIZE: 3.3 acres
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 300-400 cases
TASTING NOTES: Light-bodied and fruity, our Vidal Blanc is a crisp and fruity wine with accents of apples, pears and grapefruit. A great aperitif wine! An excellent complement to chicken, veal and fruit salads. Serve chilled.
THE GRAPE: Like Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc is one of the grape vines that adapts the best to the Atlantic region all the way up to Canada. Very characteristic is the grape skins that are really thick and tough, which allows the grape to stay on the vine way past normal harvest time. That's why Vidal is often used in late harvest wines or in ice wines in Canada. Vidal Blanc is a white hybrid grape variety produced from the Vitis vinifera variety Ugni blanc (also known as Trebbiano Toscano) and another hybrid variety, Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986)*
*Albert Seibel was a French viticulturist who created many hybrid varieties in an effort to contain the disaster of the phylloxera infection in European grape varietals.
VINTNER'S NOTE: Our Vidal is blended with another estate grape called Traminette, which is an offspring of another German grapevine, Gewurztraminer, which is more aromatic and also adds more spicy undertones to the blend.
STONY BROOK BLUSH
ESTATE GROWN
OFF DRY
BLEND: 80% Chambourcin (vinified as white) 20% Vidal Blanc
VINEYARD SIZE: 1.5 acres
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 150-200 cases
TASTING NOTES: Medium-bodied and pleasantly aromatic, our Stony Brook Blush is a light and fruity wine with accents of cherries and strawberries. Great with appetizers, mild cheeses, ham, turkey and fruit salads. Serve chilled.
THE GRAPE: Stony Brook Blush is based on the red Chambourcin grape vinified as white wine (blanc de noirs). Chambourcin is an experimental interspecific grape variety (resistant to vine diseases) created around 1950 by Joannes Siebel. See our Rosso Della Valle description for more information.
VINTNER'S NOTE: Although named "blush" after more common North American sweet "pink wine", I consider this wine a typical European style rosé with a crisp, acidic and dry flavor profile.
WHITE MERLOT
ESTATE FERMENTED
SWEET
BLEND: 100% Merlot
GRAPES ORIGIN: New York and California
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 250-350 cases
TASTING NOTES: Light-bodied with a delicate bouquet of peaches and pears, our White Merlot displays sweet fresh fruit flavors that complement light meals and desserts. Great with appetizers and fruit salads. Serve chilled.
THE GRAPE: White Merlot is fermented using Merlot grapes and vinified as a white wine, hence, the name "White Merlot". Merlot is a black grape variety originating from Gironde in the South-West of France and in particular from the Bordeaux area, from which some of the most prestigious wines are produced. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. In character, Merlot offers flavors of chocolate, plums, licorice, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries and blackberries .
VINTNER'S NOTE: Because of its natural fruity character and ability to ripen to high sugar levels, Merlot grapes are ideal to create a blush wine with residual sugar up to 6% and alcohol levels no lower than 11%. To obtain these values, we stop fermentation using rapid cooling when the desired amount of residual sugar is reached.