4024 State Route 14, Watkins Glen, NY 14891 • Phone: 877-535-9252 June 2018 • Volume 29 • No. 1

Last year, in our unrelenting quest to provide ourvisitors a more memorable “Lakewood Experience”,we razed our aging outdoor deck and replaced it withan upgraded version, replete with new railings and anoutdoor tasting bar. It was a wonderful place tosample our wares, WHEN IT WASN’T RAINING(which it did all of last summer). Obviously, to gainmore utility from this space, we needed a roof, but wereally didn’t want to detract from the breezy outdoorsfeel. Many an idea was bandied about, but nothingfully addressed our conundrum, which, in a nutshellwas: we wanted a roof, but we didn’t want a roof.As it turns out, “they” actually make such a thing andit’s called a louvered roof. It’s like horizontalVenetian blinds on steroids. It was the solution we’dbeen searching for. Plans were finalized over thewinter and as soon as the frost was out of the groundthis spring, construction began. Now complete, wecan allow our guests the perfect degree of FingerLakes sun, or close out less agreeable weather, all withthe press of a button. For the present, we believe weare the only Finger Lakes winery offering such aversatile wine tasting space. Obviously, you need to

come taste some Lakewood wine in our spiffy newvenue. We think you’ll “louve” it.

Tasting room management hasinformed this lowly scribe that the deck tasting area(aka “Vineyard Bar”) is available by rotation and theycan’t guarantee immediate access. And, they want tomake it perfectly clear that they don’t want you to getangry with them if they give you a taste of wine at oneof our other bars.

On will take the stage on our new, functionallyenhanced deck (see “Lakewood is for Louvers” above). By fortune ofcircumstance we managed to book this awesome Boston based Ska band.What’s Ska? I knew some of you would ask so I googled it. Wikipedia says,and I paraphrase, it originated in Jamaica, and was a precursor to reggae,combining elements of calypso and American jazz. Wikipedia goes on to saythat it’s great music to listen to while enjoying a glass of Lakewood Vineyardswine (Ya gotta love Wikipedia). The band’s percussionist, Jesse Hayes,happens to be from this area. What’s more, he worked the summer of 2001 atLakewood before growing crazy hair and becoming a professional musician.Just returning from a European tour, The Void Union plans to kick back andrelax in the Finger Lakes for a few days and agreed to play for us. We’ll have

food trucks on hand to satisfy your hunger and Lakewood wine to slake your thirst. We hope you’ll join usstarting at . Cost is $10pp and includes a stemless wine glass and your first fill. No reservations needed.

.

Lakewood is for Louvers

Lakewood’s deck with the louvered roof.Photo by Norrie Cornelius

The Void Union

I must state here at the outset, mywife and I are still wed. Happily, Ibelieve, but I will check with herthis evening. For the momentthough, I’d like to say a few wordsabout single vineyards. You won’t findsingle vineyards on a dating site,but rather as a special wine labeldesignation. To bear the “singlevineyard” designation, a wine mustbe at least 95% from a particularvineyard. Whether deserved or not,single vineyard wines oftencommand a higher price than theirportfolio peers. The logicalassumption being that singlevineyard wines will express a moredistinct sense of place, or terroir,than their blended counterparts.To get the big picture, let’s zoomout to a satellite view of the entireUnited States. If your wine is madefrom grapes grown anywhere here,then it may use the “American”appellation. Wines produced fromsuch a broad geographical area canbe grown anywhere from hot dryclimates to cold and wet, sounderstandably you can’t gleanmuch about a wine based on thisappellation. This doesn’t mean thewine won’t taste good but itprobably won’t be worthy ofcontemplation. I like to think ofthese as “McWines”, although I’dnever say it out loud.As we zoom in to the Eastern US,past the Great Lakes, right down tothe Finger Lakes, it’s easy toimagine the grapes grown here willincreasingly speak of their commonorigin. If we keep zooming in rightdown to a single block of grapes,one might expect to find the mostprofound expression of terroir.If this is true, why don’t weproduce all of our wines as singlevineyard releases so as to best

illustrate terroir? First, it’simportant to remember thedefinition of “terroir” isn’t “highquality, well balanced wines”, itsimply means expression of place.Sometimes drawing from severalvineyards can create a morecomplex, balanced wine and retainterroir in every sense of the word.An example would be Lakewood’s2017 Dry Riesling that we willsoon be bottling. It is a blend of 3different blocks of Rieslingseparated by less than a mile. Oneblock showed a beautiful floral,citrus blossom aroma, anothershowed peach and apple noteswhile the third block showed anappealing grapefruit quality. Theseare all classic expressions of FingerLakes Riesling. As a blend, the wineis more interesting, balanced andcomplex than any one of its partsand figuratively screams FINGERLAKES RIESLING.On the flip side we’ve foundcertain wines are perfect candidatesfor single vineyard bottlings, likeour Naked Run PinotNoir and GigliottiVineyard Pinot Gris.These examples exhibitthe distinctivecharacteristics of asingle block of grapes.Decisions are madeevery vintage based onaromas, flavors andbalance with the goalof making the bestwine possible. And, asall the grapes that haveever gone intoLakewood wine are from theFinger Lakes, they will always havea sense of place, and that’shopefully on your table.

By Chris Stamp

Just like summer, Lakewood’s longrunning “Do it Yourself Steak Dinners”are back! Lakewood’s “Do it YourselfSteak Dinners” provide everything youneed for the perfect summer cookout:Delmonico steak, salad, baked potato,dessert, and yes, a bottle of wine/couple!The only catch is, you do your owngrilling! But no worries, we’ll provide asmokin’ hot bed of coals. And don’tforget the entertainment.On ,

will play a mix oftraditional songs and fiddle tunes “frombefore you were born”.

, we welcome backas he performs Frank Sinatra songs.Start time is Cost is$68/couple for Rose Guild members,$84/couple for “not-yet Rose Guildmembers”. $10 for children with hotdogor hamburger.Make your reservations, as these eventsalways sell out.For reservations call:877-535-9252 or e-mail:wines@lakewoodvineyards.com

If you’re on your way up the SenecaLake Wine Trail with your picnic basketin tow, we invite you to stop atLakewood and settle-in at one of ourpicnic tables. Situated on our lawnsamidst the vines and carefully tendedgardens, you can enjoy the Finger Lakeswhile catching your mid-day repast witha glass of Lakewood wine. If you didn’tpack a picnic, create a local cheese boardfrom our cooler.

Dine by the Vines

Doing it themselves in 2017

Contact us for availability of Lakewood Vineyards wines outside of New York.We can be reached by phone (Mon. - Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. noon-5pm), fax or e-mail (anytime).

2016 Chardonnay $14 sold out2016 3Gen. Riesling $202016 Dry Riesling $142016 Riesling $142017 Full Monty Riesling $152017 Gewurztraminer $152017 Pinot Gris $152016 Long Stem White $9*2016 Long Stem White (1.5L) $15*Will only ship by 6-btl cs.-12 btl. UPS rate applies to 6 - 1.5L2017 Niagara $92017 Abby Rose $92016 Vignoles $112016 Valvin Muscat $112017 Long Stem Red $102016 Cabernet Franc $162016 Borealis (375 ml) $142015 Glaciovinum(375 ml) $14 sold out2017 Bubbly Candeo $132016 Bubbly Catawba $112011 Blanc de Noir $302016 Port $16

Wine Total: Subtract 15% for orders of 12 or more btls:UPS Charge (sales tax applies to UPS chgs): Sub Total: 8% Sales Tax: Total: $25.00/case (12 btls.), $17.00/half case (6 btls.)

See for current vintages, descriptions and prices of our winesand to order directly from our website.

4024 State Route 14Watkins Glen, NY 14891(877)535-9252 Fax #: (607)535-6656e-mail: wines@lakewoodvineyards.comAsk about becoming a Rose Guild member

Name:________________________Shipping Address:_________________

City, State, Zip:__________________Phone:________________________

Billing Address (if different than shipping address):__________________________________________________________________( ) Mastercard ( ) Visa ( ) Discover( ) American ExpressCard #:_________________________Exp.Date:____Signature: ________________________

We try not to fill our newsletterwith a lot of bragging about wineawards unless they’re real biggies,understanding that it mostlysounds like “blah, blah, blah”. Thatsaid, we do have a couple ofaccolades we think deservementioning.Lakewood’swas recently awarded BestSparkling Wine at this year’sFlorida International WineCompetition. As we all know,bubbly is for celebrations (big,small and fabricated), so of coursewe celebrated our good fortune

with a glass ofBubbly Candeo.In anotherrecognition to rise above the pall,our earnedLakewood the title LembergerWinery of the Year at the BerlinInternational Wine Competition.We decided a fitting celebrationwas a hearty glass of this winnerand a 2” thick grilled Porterhousesteak, although we settled forhamburgers. Yeah, we’re alrightgoing budget on the beef, as longas the wine is top shelf.

It’s 2am and you’ve been tossing andturning, unable to sleep. The root ofyour angst is a dwindling wine cellar.We’ve all been there. Your favoritebottles were emptied with the lastround of entertaining and now, in thewee hours of the morning, the ghostof parties past has come to steal yoursleep. But you have a powerful tool tofight back. It’s called

. With a fewmouse clicks, help is on the way.Check out our totally revamped website with easy navigation to on-lineordering, current vintages, pictures,news and more. Then return to bedsatisfied that wine is on the way.

4024 State Route 14Watkins Glen, NY 14891Our Lakewood Loyals program was designed toprovide exclusive perks, discounts, complimentarytastings and more to our loyal patrons as a way ofshowing how much we appreciate their support. Ifyou are a current Lakewood Loyal, you will soon bereceiving an updated Rose Guild membership card inthe mail. Put your old Loyals card in your scrap bookand your new, sweet looking Rose Guild card in yourpurse or wallet to access your full range of benefits.If you’ve let your membership lapse, you’ll bereceiving an invitation to easily reinstate yourmembership.Benefits include:•Exclusive access to our members-only Rose Guildevents, including our barrel tasting every spring.•Advance notification and reduced pricing forLakewood Vineyards events (including steak dinners)•Complimentary tastings for you and up to 5 guests.•Early notice of periodic wine specials and newreleases (by email).•Our published newsletter delivered to your mailboxtwice per year.•Discounts on wine purchases:

10% on 1-11 bottles20% on 12-35 bottles25% on 36 + bottles

To become a Rose Guild member, all you have to dois buy the wine you love. We keep track of yourpurchases in our system; when you spend $150 (ormore) on wine within 12 months, you become a RoseGuild member. Your membership continues with apurchase of $150 (or more) of Lakewood Vineyardswine each year.We know you have choices and we are honored thatLakewood wines are at least part of your selection.It is our top priority to exceed your expectations withthe quality, authenticity and value of Lakewood wine.

The first Rose Guild members to receive the new card.