Vidal ice wine brings back memories of NY Finger Lakes (#WorldWineTravel)

When I lived in Pennsylvania, I took spring road trips to one of my favorite U.S. wine regions – New York State’s Finger Lakes. I’d go in April when the region was just waking up from winter and tiny green buds were just starting to appear on trees. By going this early, I’d beat the tourist rush and have leisurely time to chat up winemakers and hike the region’s stunning gorges.

Now my spring trips cover Washington and Oregon wine regions. Different climate. Different terrain. Different everything! I’m lucky to live within driving distance of these other world-renowned wine destinations – but the Finger Lakes will always be my first love.

I got to thinking about the Finger Lakes as a region to re-explore when the World Wine Travel bloggers landed on “Hybrids and PIWI” as this month’s theme. (For a list of blog posts on this theme, please scroll to the bottom of this post.)

Hybrids are a cross between two different species of grapes, for example, old-world (vinifera) grapes and species grown or developed elsewhere. Cold-tolerant and disease-resistant, hybrids have been popular in Canada and the eastern United States for a long time. In recent years, hybrids have also been gaining ground in Europe, where they go by the acronym PIWI for the German word pilzwiderstandsfähige (“fungus-resistant”).

Luckily, I was able to find a Finger Lakes hybrid ice wine that meets the criteria for this month’s theme and brings back fond memories of my East Coast spring trips.

One of oldest Finger Lakes wineries

Highly recognizable on a map, the Finger Lakes look just like they sound. Eleven in all, they were carved by ancient glaciers descending from the north. Seneca Lake is the largest by volume and the second longest by length. At over 600 feet deep, Seneca rarely, if ever, freezes over. The lake spreads a blanket of warmth over the vines to temper the harsh winter cold and reflects the heat back onto the vines in summer to help ripen the fruit.

Founded in June 1979 and family owned for five generations, Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery is one of the oldest wineries in the Finger Lakes and the first to open on the east side of Seneca Lake.

Bill Wagner designed the winery’s distinctive octagon building himself. I recall standing in the octagon and being able to see into the winery’s tank room from the walkway that wraps part way around it. Many of our tanks were custom-made to fit the space available. Over time, new tanks were added until the tank room became full. Below the tank room (and retail shop, tasting rooms and bottling room) is the cellar.

In the cellar, seven of the eight sides of the octagon are full of barrels for the winery’s barrel-aged wines. Because it is underground, the cellar maintains a relatively even temperature year-round. This allows for optimal aging conditions and natural climate control. In 2015, the Wagner family added an extensive solar array to the property.

As an estate winery with 250 acres under vine, Wagner cultivates all of its own grapes. These include vinifera (Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Riesling) as well as grapes native to the United States (Delaware and Niagara), and hybrids (Cayuga White, DeChaunac, Seyval Blanc, Melody, Vignoles and Vidal Blanc). Wagner Vineyards is also home to a brewing operation, the Wagner Valley Brewing Co.

East Coast wine producers generally find the climate too wet and the weather too variable for organic farming, but many have taken steps to conserve resources. At Wagner, I was told, the Scott Henry trellis system is used to manage the leaf canopy, reducing the need to spray.

2021 Wagner Vineyards Vidal Ice, Finger Lakes

A crossing of Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc) and Seibel 4986 (Rayon d’Or), Vidal is known for its hardiness and high natural acidity – characteristics that lend themselves to ice wine. (Source)

Wagner ice wines are gently pressed from frozen grapes. This method coaxes the juice out while leaving the water behind as ice crystals. The result is a sweet dessert wine. For you wine geeks, the Brix (sugar content of the grape) increased from 19.4 degrees at harvest to 37 degrees at pressing. The finished wine has 16.5% residual sugar.

My tasting notes: Gold in color. Floral and nutty aromas with a whiff of apricot. Palate balances sweetness with high acidity and a pleasing blend of pineapple and honey. Alcohol: 12.8%. Price: $34.99.

The pairing: Speaking of memory… I remembered these easy mini-cheesecakes I made for my kids when we lived on the East Coast. Seemed appropriate for this dessert wine. Hershey’s (PA) special dark chocolate rounded out the experience. Both were superb with this dessert wine, but Wagner Vidal ice wine is yummy on its own, too.

Here’s what the group is sharing…

• Camilla at Culinary Cam shares “A Taste of the Mid-West: Double-Decker Butter Burgers & A Multi-County Marquette from Wisconsin + Fun House Potatoes from Minnesota“
  • Terri at Our Good Life shares “Missouri’s Most Popular Hybrid: the Norton“
  • David at Cooking Chatshares “Exploring Marquette Wine Pairings“
  • Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Marcel Zanolari and PiWi Grapes in the Valtellina Valley“
  • Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Vidal ice wine brings back memories of NY Finger Lakes” 
  • Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares “A Taste of Mad Marvlus Wines“
  • Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Enjoying the Hybrid Wines of Old Mission Peninsula“
  • Gwendolyn at Wine Predatorshares “Oh, hi,  hybrids! Adam Tolmach experiments with UC Davis to replant his Ojai Vineyard“
  • Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Marquessa – a Marquette Hybrid Appellation“