One Of New York's
Finest Wineries
Guided Tours -
Wine Tastings - Catering Services
Picnic Groves - Private Beach - Paddle Boats
Hiking Trails - Private Fishing Areas
Gift Shop - Wholesale& Retail Wine Sales
Open Year Round.
May to December Open Normal Hours
December through April Open on Weekends or by Appointment Only.
Chautauqua
County is the western-most region of New York State and is the gateway
to the wine and grape country which blankets the southern shore of Lake
Erie. Chautauqua County has a grape and wine heritage that lies deep
in the history of the area.
During the
Ice Age, glaciers descended gouging deep trenches and brought with them
tremendous quantities of rich Canadian soil. These glacial ridges separate
Chautauqua County into climatic regions. The gravel loam soil and moderating
effect of Lake Erie make the area suitable for the production of grapes
and other fruit. The area has nearly 20,000 acres which produces almost
60% of New York State's Grape tonnage.
The Chautauqua
County grape industry began in 1824 when Deacon Elizah Fry successfully
planted the first "ISABELLA" and "CATAWBA" grape
vines. In 1830 he made the first six gallons of wine and continued to
expand his wine production to two thousand gallons at the time of his
death in 1860. The first commercial winery was established in Brocton,
NY in 1859. Other wineries followed and the total wine production grew
to over two million gallons per year in 1900.
The signing
of the Farm Winery Act in 1976 allowed individual grape farms to establish
small wineries limited to a maximum production of 50,000 gallons per
year. Passage of this law in New York State resulted in an increase
in the number of wineries from fourteen in 1976 to over eighty in 1986.
Today Chautauqua
County produces wines for all tastes which rivals the quality of premium
vintages throughout the world. These wines include the fruity native
Labruscas and exquisite French-American wines to European-style Chardonnays
and Rieslings. The diversity and unique styles produced here are unequaled
anywhere in the world, resulting in customer enthusiasm for New York
wines everywhere.
