New York State of Mind #TheChaList
I pride myself on the generations that my family has built for us in the state of New York. But like many middle-class families in Harlem, my relatives are fleeing due to gentrification and rising rent prices, deterring public education and lack of opportunity for sustaining in exchange for a more quality lifestyle. My great-grandmother worked hard to create a new life for her family in New York. Three generations later, I am learning more about the journey of my ancestors to this state that promised so much hope not only for Black people but also immigrants and women.
It was not until I attended Syracuse University that I was able to feel what it meant to be a New Yorker. I learned more about our moniker The Big Apple, as I drank fresh cider in the dining hall each Fall. The leaves changing along my drive along I-81 back and forth to NYC was a pure sign of beauty that only this region can offer along with amazing local ingredients that attribute to defining New York’s terroir. And the Freedom Trail and how Syracuse got its name “Free City” and the home of the Prince of the Underground Railroad Rev. Jermain Logen. Just an hour drive from Syracuse, a few miles from vineyards on the northern tip of the Finger Lakes sits the Women’s Rights National Park and the house of one of my heroes, Harriet Tubman.
Downstaters, as people from NYC are referred to here, are detached from the beauty, rich culture, and history our state has to offer and that also includes New York wines. In 2020, I had the opportunity to spend time Upstate with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, which reminded me of the treasures from this region. My last deep dive trip to the region was back in 2018 and I was thrilled to return to curb my urges for Europe during COVID. As a wine consultant and an overall lover of great wine, the Finger Lakes, or FLX, allowed me to reimage again how I viewed the wine country I was already rooted in.
Here are three must visit wineries during your trip to Finger Lakes or as writer, Paul Greenberg, calls it “Upstate Europe” in his latest article My European Staycation on the Erie Canal for Food & Wine. Though I went by car vs boat, I think you can still get a feel of the European vibe while touring the beautiful boutique wineries and enjoying the local cuisine accompanied with great views.
Sheldrake Point Winery
Starting from the top of the lakes, on my journey from Syracuse to Auburn I visited Sheldrake Point Winery which literally sits right on the lake in front of a dock which is the best commute from one side of Cayuga to the other since none of the 11 Finger Lakes have a way across. This privately owned vineyard has been since 1997. It’s owned by Chuck Tauck & Fran Littin, who I have been a fan of for years from my time working at the wine shop in Harlem. We carried Sheldrake’s wine and I have developed a relationship with the team over the years. I was happy to return to their property after my first visit in 2018. And this time was right in time for their Riesling harvest. As I have worked harvest many times before, it was great to be able to work with their vineyard manager, affectionately named “Outside Dave” since his partner in crime is winemaker, David Breeden, or “Inside Dave”. The beauty of my time there beyond the wines was picking grapes in the rain - a personal first! Having this alone time with “Outside Dave” in nature and learning firsthand about noble rot (aka the good fungus) we like to call it botrytis which gives some wines its sweetness, was a highlight for me.
Hosemer Winery
As a perfect second winery, pay a visit to Hosmer, neighbor on Cayuga where the vineyards are your first greeter off the highway.I almost drove right past its tasting room taking in the views of the vines. The unassuming tasting room feels more like a cozy family cabin with a beautiful garden that just happens to be made up of sprawling vineyards. I soon remembered I was not a tourist and found my meeting point, which was across the street.It was even harder to identify as the winery and the actual home of the Hosmer family. Here I connected with winemaker Julia Hoyle, and it was Cabernet Franc time. Fresh picked magenta juice right in the middle of punch down sat in large containers and was ready for blending. Here are a few photos of my time tasting through a few vintages, tasting from bottle and barrel. Julia’s beautiful expressions of what is becoming the leading red variety of New York. As Julia has spent time working in Peace Corp in Senegal, we passed the time talking about Senegalese cuisine;. We would love to pair her wines, Chardonnay with a Fonio based dish and Cabernet Franc reminds us of both of Bissap.
Just a few miles south, but this time on Seneca, you will find Red Newt Cellars. Due to the design winery and equally important restaurant and tasting room on the property, I pulled up to a slight hill where these operations are run on the top level with a gorgeous view of the vineyards and Seneca lake. On the bottom level, you can find the engine of the business, the winery. I arrived just in time to stamp on the Cabernet Franc - not for their reds but for their Rose. Winemaker Kelby Russell has become a great source for me over the past year as I continued to reconnect with New York wines during my time at home during quarantine. And as I met the harvest team for the season it seems as if he is becoming an extension for many of us downstaters to FLX. I joined a team of predominantly women who worked as sommeliers and in beer, who has joined the team to gain more hands-on experience during harvest. Work they described would be held off typically for the men on the team. Assistant Winemaker Meagz Goodwin was leading the charge and the embodiment of the phrase ‘women can do anything men can do. In the winery, she whipped the giant stainless tank of Cab Franc into submission as we patiently waited for the juice. Beyond my time working on punch down for the remainder of the grapes, I had the opportunity to taste a flight of their wines, various vintages of Rieslings, Reds, and Roses. They pride themselves on delaying releases and letting their wines spend a much longer time aging. Some of my favorite wines were the ten-year-old dry Riesling and the Pinot Noir.
As the weather gets warmer for us on the East Coast be sure to check out these three wineries on your road trip to the Finger Lakes and to take in some important American history on your way there. You can try out the these Cha approved wines before your trip as they all have direct-to-consumer shipping.