THE VINEYARDS
Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes, the vineyards are just one hour south of the Canadian border in the eastern part of the US, on Seneca Lake’s west bank.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard is situated on the west side of Seneca Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes region of New York. The Finger Lakes are comprised of seven lakes, each varying in length, width, and depth, that formed as a result of the last Ice Age. The remaining terrain is a collage of soil types, elevation changes, and mesoclimates, making the region an optimal setting for diverse vineyard sites.
Seneca Lake, the deepest of the lakes, provides a beautiful backdrop for our three unique vineyard sites - the HJW Vineyard, the Josef Vineyard and the Magdalena Vineyard. More important than its beauty is the temperature-moderating effect this massive body of water provides during the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. The Finger Lakes' long growing season often draws comparison to other cool-climate regions such as the Mosel Valley in Germany, the Loire Valley in France, and cooler parts of New Zealand.
As a true cool-climate wine region, vineyard site selection is critical for vine health and fruit development as well as for offering interesting flavor profiles. Seneca Lake wine embodies this careful consideration. These three factors are precisely why it can take a lifetime to truly understand where the best sites exist within a region to produce world-class wines.
Magdalena Vineyard
The Magdalena Vineyard is located 10 miles north of the winery on Route 14. Planted in 1999, this 24-acre vineyard is an impressive site offering expansive views of Seneca Lake. The different soil types vary from rich honeoye silt loam to eroded hillside gravel. The vineyard blocks were planted in coordination with the changing soil types to capture the different flavor profiles of each block and grape variety, and were grafted with the highest-quality clonal material that Hermann could find.
The site of the Magdalena Vineyard was chosen for its significant mesoclimate. Not only is this one of the warmest sites in the Finger Lakes, it also is one of the most protected from winter injury. These unique characteristics result from the site's elevation, soil composition, proximity to the Lake, making it an ideal location for crafting world-class wines.
Josef Vineyard
The Josef Vineyard is also 10 miles north of the winery, just south of Magdalena. While this vineyard site displays a similar mesoclimate to Magdalena, the Josef Vineyard wines differ remarkably due to the slope, soil type, and average age of the vines. The Vineyard rests on a 6% slope with deep honeoye silt loam soils, producing wines that exemplify the elegance of our Dry Riesling with the ripening capabilities for Late Harvest and TBA. The Josef Vineyard features 30-year old plantings of Riesling and Chardonnay, as well as a one-acre block of Gewurztraminer planted in 1967 - the oldest planting of all New York Vineyards.
In 1977, the Taylor Wine Company planted this vineyard with vines grafted by Hermann. Since then, Hermann kept his eye on this site noting the consistent ripening and protection it offered the Riesling vines. In 1996, Hermann purchased the Josef Vineyard, which has now become the backbone of our Riesling production.
HJW Vineyard
The HJW Vineyard site was planted in 1976 at the same location as the winery and represents Hermann's first planting of Riesling and Chardonnay. This vineyard is defined by its thin , gravelly topsoil, yielding low-vigor vines and expressively vibrant wines that capture minerality from the soil. It was 20 years before Hermann located another site that complimented the flavor profile and quality level of these original plantings.
The HJW Vineyard is situated one mile from the Lake at an elevation of 800 ft, making it a considerably cooler site than both the Magdalena and Josef Vineyards. Due in part to the cool mesoclimate and gravelly soils, the wines portray an unprecedented minerality and acid structure that allows for excellent aging potential. The HJW vineyard is farmed under strict sustainable viticultural practices and is consistently some of the highest-quality fruit we harvest.