History King Ferry Winery (http://www.treleavenwines.com) was founded in 1984 by Peter and Tacie Saltonstall. The winery produces approximately 7,500 cases of wine per year. King Ferry owns 22 acres of vines surrounding the winery and also purchases another 10 acres' worth of fruit from the North Fork of Long Island. Although the winery was founded in 1984, the vines did not come on line until 1989. Farming has been in the Saltonstall family for several decades. Peter's father was an agriculture professor at nearby Cornell University. After several years in the classroom, he left his post and bought seven hundred acres of local farmland. The land was developed to raise beef cattle and a variety of grains for seed purposes to sell to other local farmers. When Peter's father passed away most of the family land was sold. However, a small parcel of land named Treleavan Farm (named for the family the land was purchased from) was kept in the family and this is now home to the vines that produce the grapes used in King Ferry's wines. Although Peter grew up in a farming family, winemaking was not on his list of career aspirations. After spending some time with a brother in Napa Valley developing vineyards, he decided the family farm back in upstate NY might be suitable for growing high quality vinifera vines. Upon his return to NY, Peter spent about ten years building homes in the area. As the NY wine industry began to develop, he seriously looked into the idea of opening his own winery. After some basic research and several conversations with local vintners, the decision was made to enter the wine business full time. Peter liked the soil types and the proximity to a large lake - two key important factors for producing the high quality vinifera wines he fell in love with while in Napa Valley. Another important decision Peter made was to hire a trained and experienced consulting winemaker to help get his winery started. Eric Fry, currently a winemaker on the North Fork of Long Island, was hired to show Peter the in's and out's of grape growing and winemaking. Fry received his formal training at University of California at Davis, then went on to work full time for Robert Mondavi and Jordan Winery in California. Upon his return to the east, he took over as the full time winemaker for Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars when legendary founder Konstantin Frank passed away. Key Grapes and Viticulture King Ferry Winery produces about a dozen wines each year, however, the main grape and key wine is Chardonnay. Peter firmly believes in quality and takes great care to create the finest wines with pure varietal character. Mass production and mechanical harvesting are ignored - only time honored and traditional winemaking techniques are used in King Ferry Chardonnay. Peter achieves "Burgundian style Chardonnay" through harvesting the grapes only by hand, reducing yields, barrel fermentation and aging in 100% French Vosages oak casks, full malolactic fermentation (conversion of harsh malic acids to softer lactic acids to create a rich, round, complex, style) and leaving the wine sur lie (aging the wine on its lees) to develop complexity and character. Knowing full well that he can never compete on a quantity scale with other local wineries, King Ferry's niche is crafting the finest Chardonnay possible. One major challenge to producing world class vinifera wine in the Finger Lakes Region is the inconsistent weather pattern. Each season the weather will dictate when the grapes have to be harvested. Unlike other famous fine wine regions with fairly constant climates such as Napa Valley and South East Australia, wild swings in weather including prolonged cold spells, long Indian summers and premature frosts can all impact the decisions to pick the grapes. As a result, wine quality can vary greatly from one vintage to the next. To help combat the erratic weather in the region, Peter uses a vertical shoot positioning ("VSP") trellis system. To do this, he uses multiple catch wires to provide the most wide open canopy possible. An open canopy is beneficial to the vines and the fruit because it allows for maximum air circulation to dry the fruit and foliage when it's wet from dew or rain. Wet conditions expose the grapes to molds and disease, which can quickly damage the vines and impact overall quality. Industry Challenges New York State has been producing wine for roughly 150 years; however, it is not widely regarded as a "fine wine" region by the industry. The main reason is that New York built it's reputation by producing massive quantities of "bulk" and "jug" wines from native grape varieties (vitis labrusca). The resulting wines were often sweet and referred to as "foxy" because of the "grapey" aromas and flavors often found in these wines. Dr. Konstantin Frank did his best to prove to the world that European vinifera vines could grow and thrive in New York State but overall New York still suffers from a reputation of low quality when compared to the other major wine districts in the world. Peter is a firm believer that the key to overcoming these stereotypes is to gain widespread acceptance in the vast New York City metropolitan market. New York State has recently awarded a grant of $350,000 to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation to market wine in New York City during the upcoming 2001-harvest season. This grant reflects the state government's new attitude towards the farming industry - the wine industry in particular. Overall the farm industry is poor in the state but the wine industry is a growing segment and producing large revenues on an annual basis. Peter is hopeful that this grant will be the first of many steps taken by the government to help promote the wine industry in the state's largest and most important market - New York City. Marketing, Distribution and Future Goals At the present time King Ferry Winery does the majority of their own marketing and distribution. Peter feels that by working with a big distributor such as Eber Brothers or Colony Liquor that his brand will get lost in their huge portfolios and won't receive the individual attention he is looking for. However, Peter does realize the power of mass distribution and may be changing his business practices in the very near future. King Ferry's wines are currently available in select stores and restaurants in Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester, and Syracuse and also through Vintage Imports, a small distributor located in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to expanding distribution in the New York City market, Peter's other short term goals for King Ferry Winery include doubling the size of the current tasting room and experimenting with Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc clones in the vineyards. The winery also recently agreed to an extension on their lease for their retail gift shop and tasting room located in the Waterloo Premium Outlets Mall on Route 318, just off the New York State Thruway between Rochester and Syracuse, NY. The outlet location provides King Ferry the unusual opportunity to legally sell wine in a very large retail environment on Sunday's while traditional liquor stores and wine shops remain closed due to state law. To visit the winery and retail tasting room, look for King Ferry Winery Inc. at 658 Lake Rd., King Ferry, NY 13081. Also call them at 315-364-5100 or toll free at 1-800-439-5271 or send e-mail to treleaven@aol.com. TASTING NOTES - hey, give me a break - I'm not Robert Parker, Jr.! 1998 King Ferry Main Chardonnay - Cayuga Lake, New York: Lighter in style, a pleasant balance of French Vosges oak and fruit with firm acidity. Great summer sipping, also versatile enough for many foods. 1998 King Ferry Meritage - Cayuga Lake, New York: Classic Bordeaux style, a blend of 70% Cab. Franc 30% Cab Sauv. The more aggressive Cab. Franc softened by the Cab Sauv. Dry with pleasing depth of fruit. Wild black berry and cedar characters. And yes wine snobs, King Ferry is a member of the official Meritage Association (http://www.meritagewine.org ) and has license their product as an "Official Meritage." 2000 Gewürztraminer (500 ml) - Cayuga Lake, New York: Ginger and cinnamon on the nose. Dry crisp style with a touch of sweetness to round out. Cloves on the finish. Refreshing and very satisfying!! 1998 King Ferry Reserve Chardonnay - Cayuga Lake, New York: Burgundian style - apples and spice on the nose. Full body and rich on the palate - excellent mix of oak and fruit. Long finish - yummy wine, one of their best offerings. That's it, finally! Thanks for the visit. Please feel free to write me at cellarbrat1@yahoo.com with your comments, questions and suggestions. Everyone gets a reply! All feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Know someone that likes wine? Send 'em the link - I'd love to increase my circulation to double digits! See ya next time from the cellar, and remember wine is more fun than you think. Gunerman writes "The Brat In The Cellar" twice per month for the Rochester, NY chapter of Wine Brats, found at www.ggw.org/winebrats/. Wine Brats is a national non-profit organization based in California. They are an active group of adult wine enthusiasts who are mostly young in age but absolutely young at heart. Wine Brats enjoy sharing their passion for wine with their peers and take pride in breaking down the cultural walls that for too long have mystified this beautiful beverage. Ultimately, as a non-profit organization, the Brats' purpose is to attract a whole new generation of adults to the wonders of life with wine. For more information, visit the national site at www.winebrats.org/. May 14, 2001
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