New York Wine, Seneca Lakes

About Red Newt Winery and Vineyard

Red Newt is located in the hamlet of Hector, on the east side of Seneca Lake in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York State. The Winery produces exceptional wines made from Seneca Lake grapes. And "the Bistro" is the place to find inspired, seasonal Finger Lakes cuisine.

Chardonnay

Barrel fermented and sur lie characters integrated with crisp, well defined fruit. Lush flavors make this wine enjoyable on its own, crisp well defined structure let it stand up well with a variety of delicate and rich foods. Chardonnay production at Red Newt Cellars is simple and traditional. Careful fruit selection, harvest at optimal maturity, barrel fermentation, sur lie aging and partial malolactic fermentation make up the usual wine production methods.

Riesling

Delicately structured with tangerine, apricot and citrus overtones. Crisp and lean, this wine is a classically structured Finger Lakes Riesling. Riesling production is straightforward and simple. Fermentation is in stainless steel, mostly with Epernay II yeast at moderate temperatures. Fermentation is stopped with some residual sweetness. Wine is finished and fine tuned using the traditional method of adding back unfermented Riesling to the wine after fermentation.

Gewurztraminer

Off dry, rich and aromatic. This is a style of Gewurztraminer that is remeniscent of a rich, dry alsatian wine. Harvested very ripe and allowed 48 hours of skin contact, this wine displays intense aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine and lychee. Palate is rich, warm and complex.

Red Newt White

A semi-dry, exquisitely fruity blend of Vidal Blanc and Cayuga White. Perfectly balanced to accompany a wide variety of foods and please most any palate. Cayuga White and Vidal Blanc are both excellent wine varieties. Cayuga lends brightness and crispness to the blend. Vidal lends fruit intensity, body and structure. Both varieties are fermented in stainless tanks with a variety of yeast strains. Various cellar management techniques such as cool, gentle fermentation, sur lie aging, lees stirring and juice reserve addition increase the complexity and structure of the wine while retaining delicate characters.

Cabernet Franc

An up and coming variety for the Finger Lakes. Cranberry and raspberry with overtones of smoke and spice make an elegant red that shows well young and ages beautifully. Cabernet Franc is one of the most promising red varieties ever introduced in the Finger Lakes. Structure is typically complex, complete but delicate. Color is moderate to dark and tannins soft. In many ways, my production of Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc parallels a typical Burgundian vinification model. Gentle crushing with some whole cluster and stem inclusion, pre-fermentation cold soaking and intensive early fermentation cap management by punching down manually are important production practices. Wine is aged in 60 gallon oak cooperage that is selected to be moderately neutral in order to allow the development of wine complexities without overbearing oak extraction. Rackings are kept to a minimum, with wine somewhat reductive throughout aging. Small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are utilized to fine-tune the finished blend.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Ample fruit combined with elements of smoke and pepper make this a Cabernet Sauvignon that displays the classic terroir of the Finger Lakes. Best with a couple years of age in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon in the Finger Lakes expressed itself with intense, forward berry fruit with clean, slightly hollow middle and well-defined supple finish. Fruit is fully crushed with some stem and whole cluster inclusion. Fermentation is initiated without extensive cold soaking and progresses very warm with aggressive cap management. Usually wine is press at about dryness and aged in 60 gallon oak barrels. Barrels will show heavy to extra heavy toast and will moderately new. Aromas and flavors of heavy toast barrels enhance smoky, rich fruit elements. Small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc are typically blended to help bolster mid palate and highlight fruit complexity.

Merlot

Classic in style. Rich and dark with plum and berry characters. Smoke and chocolate nuances make the wine complex and elegant. Merlot typically shows the most rich, ripe fruity characters of the three Bordeaux varieties in the Finger Lakes. Fermentation is warm without pre-fermentation cold soaking, and cap management is aggressive. Limited whole clusters and moderate addition of stems combined with some post fermentation maceration enhance rich complex fruit and tannin. Oak selection favors newer barrels, but heavy, smoky characters are more moderate than with the Cabernet Sauvignon. Typically, a small amount of Cabernet Franc is used in blending in order to soften structure and enhance complexity

Pinot Noir

One of the most difficult and rewarding of grape varieties. The Finger Lakes offers an outstanding combination of soil and climate for the production of this variety. Pinot Noir production at Red Newt Cellars is straightforward and traditional. Fermentatioon in small open top fermenters with manual punchdown of the cap yields a wine that shows elegance and complexity. Aging in some new, but mostly older French oak barrels allows the bright cherry and complex fruit characters to show elegantly.