Posts Written ByEvan Dawson

Photo courtesy of Heart & Hands Wine Company By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Listen carefully, and you can hear the din of late-night celebrations at Heart & Hands Wine Company on Cayuga Lake. They are toasting the warm, nearly arid September for resurrecting the pinot noir that is now coming in. "September not only saved the vintage, but we're looking at some of the ripest fruit I've seen so far," says owner and winemaker Tom Higgins, now in his third vintage. Heart & Hands makes 90% pinot noir and 10% riesling, so there was a lot riding on September.…

This iconic old barn greets visitors to Hermann J. Wiemer's Magdalena Vineyard By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor In a challenging vintage such as this one, Hermann J. Wiemer has two advantages over many other producers: low yields and a thoughtful picking strategy that brings grapes in on multiple days. First, the picking strategy, which has been carefully developed over many years — first by Hermann and then by current owner and winemaker Fred Merwarth. Instead of picking riesling and gewurztraminer in one sweep, Wiemer brings the grapes in during numerous waves. The last of the three waves of gewurztraminer…

Syrah clusters hanging in there as harvest approaches at Lucas Vineyards By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes EditorPhotos by Morgan Dawson Photography Lucas winemaker Jeff Houck is unaware of this, but he was born with trace amounts of sodium pentothal in his blood. You know it better as "truth serum." He's incapable of even trying to mislead you about the wines made by Lucas Vineyards on the southwestern part of Cayuga Lake. He's an FBI agent's dream — were he ever to commit a high-profile felony, that is. Easiest conviction ever. I didn't know this, of course, until I asked why…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor     You drive down lake roads this time of year and I know what you're thinking. The sunflowers appear to be slumped over, bowing their heads and mourning the death of summer. It's important to remember that they're only weighed down by seeds. New life. Harvest is here. Perhaps you've attended a harvest dinner before, but I'd guess you've never attended a harvest dinner that pairs locally grown food with a full flight of… beer? Yes, beer, for the entire evening. "Beer fanatics are already excited about this one," says Liz Karabinakis, the community food…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Today Constellation Brands confirmed that it will shut down production at the massive Widmer Wine Cellars facility in Naples in 2011. The facility cranks out 2.2 million cases of wine each year, including the Widmer, Brickstone, Taylor and Manischewitz brands. Constellation will continue to make the wine, moving all production to its Canandaigua facility. "We expect the full 2.2 million cases to transfer to Canandaigua as part of the consolidation," says Constellation Director of Corporate Communications Angela Blackwell. The move will bring the Canandaigua facility's annual production to an even 10 million cases. While…