NewslettersPeriodically, Standing Stone provides newsletters
with helpful information about upcoming classes, articles on
winemaking and more!
Feb. 2005 Newsletter |
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Standing Stone News to Share
There is a lot happening here at Standing Stone. Below are our
most recent press releases and announcements.
12/06/09
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4 Ice Wines - too much of a good thing?
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Just in time for holiday giving (maybe to yourself?!) - we have released 3 new ice style wines, to complement our very popular Vidal Ice. Come on in and try all 4, and save 20% when you purchase any 4 ice style wines! This is the time to treat yourself, AND everyone you know who loves these delicious dessert wines.
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10/27/09
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2009 Harvest News
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Harvest is under way! This cool, wet summer turned into a cool, wet fall, and the grapes are taking their time to get ripe and to build up the flavors that make the wines so good. But we are finally picking grapes, all at once, it seems, and so we feel like a winery again.
We picked Pinot Noir, with rich flavors, lovely color and plenty of ripe tannins. It is almost finished fermenting and we will press and rack it to barrels soon. Merlot was next, (so nice to have this varietal again) and it shows the typical blueberry and chocolate flavors, with some firm tannins already – this fruit will make a nice wine.
Gewurztraminer was next – we picked the grapes to protect the fruit from more bird damage – the change in the predator patterns has become quite alarming.
This week and weekend we will bring in Chardonnay, Riesling, the rest of the Gewurztraminer and probably Cabernet Sauvignon. The chiller will be busy as we settle the juice before starting fermentation, and the punch down routine with the reds will keep us in good shape for months to come.
We have had many questions about whether this is a “good year”, and many folks seem worried that the wines from this very challenging vintage will be less than expected. Our answer is simple – every year in the Finger Lakes is a good year for wine. OUR work may be harder (there were very few days off this summer!), but the wines WILL be good. In a year like this, we had to drop some grapes off the vines to make sure that the fruit that we left would ripen sufficiently. This is expensive to do, but not as expensive or frustrating as not having ripe grapes and good wine, so we do it.
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10/24/09
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Vidal Ice 2008 wins GOLD!
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So, we were packing up the wines for the Wine & Food Classic, and filling in the entry forms. We got the call saying they could not find the 20007 Vidal Ice that we entered (I KNOW I put it in the box - oh well!) We had just run out, BUT we had also just bottled the 2008 Vidal Ice. Now, we normally don't like to enter wines in a competition 2 weeks after bottling, but we had already written the check, so we made the switch and sent in the 2008. Well, we're not sure what would have happened if it had been in the bottle longer, but even at this young stage, it was awarded a GOLD MEDAL! So, come on in and taste this new wine - it is selling fast!
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10/23/09
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Best Value status for Standing Stone Vineyards' Riesling!
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There I was, flipping through the Wine Spectator again, making sure I know who's who and what's what in the wine world. As I turned to the page listing the 500 values under $20 - there we were. Or at least, there was our 2008 Riesling. Come in and taste this value for yourself - we hope to see you soon.
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10/20/09
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Julie and Julia . . . and Standing Stone?
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So, I was reading through the Wine Spectator feature on Julia Child, enjoying the coverage, and the recipes. To my great surprise, as I turned the page and viewed the dessert picture, the caption indicated it was to be served with none other than Standing Stone Vineyards' Vidal Ice! In fact, the folks at the Wine Spectator seemed to go out of their way to point out that this was THE dessert wine choice!
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Summer, 2008
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2008 Summer Updates
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What’s new at Standing Stone Vineyards?
Everything is growing, and FAST!!
Tom, Andy, Angel, Reuben and Todd are all very busy in the vineyards. We got an early start with bud break in April, which means that we use almost all 5 tractors every day. We have increased our application of Neptune’s Harvest (ground up fish and seaweed to feed the leaves), and the vines are responding very well. We have never seen such green leaves, and the clusters are very even and well filled out.
Marti will be counting clusters this week to make a more scientific crop estimate, but our visual take right now is that there is a lot of beautiful fruit out there.
The deck enclosing project has been stalled for a couple of months, and we do apologize for the scaffolding’s impact on the view. We hope to get it finished up this week. For those who love the outdoor air and view, we have more picnic tables on the way. Plan to make Standing Stone Vineyards the spot for your picnic lunch. We have some cheese, sausage and bread available, with our usual compliment of mustards and dipping sauces.
Vertical Tasings have become part of our identity – as we love to watch how the wines age. We held 3 of these events in June, and will continue this program every other Sunday for the indefinite future. Make your reservations now to insure you have a seat for your favorite varietal.
Our Wine Club and Barrel Owners programs continue to offer the best value on Standing Stone Vineyards wines. Each program includes wine, bigger discounts on your wine purchases (the more you spend, the more you save) AND free wine tastings and barrel cellar tastings. These programs are both designed for our best customers, and are our way of saying “thanks for your support”.
So, come on in and taste what’s new, take a vineyard tour, have a picnic lunch, and enjoy the glorious view of historic vineyards and Seneca Lake. Marti, Tom, and all the crew!
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Spring 2008
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2008 Spring Updates
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What’s new at Standing Stone Vineyards?
Everything – that’s the fun part of grape growing and winemaking. Each year we start over, new buds, new grapes, new wines, new customers – we love the constant renewal inherent in all aspects of wine.
The fall harvest was fun, as always, and has given us some truly lovely wines in the cellar. As is often the case, last year’s Riesling was not enough, and we have already bottled some of the 2007. It is available in the tasting room, and receiving a very nice following even this early. We have also bottled Dry Vidal, and that is available as well. We look forward to serving you those on your next visit here.
The winter weather was not troubling at all for the vines, and we anticipate a “normal” crop this year. We have finished the pruning, and we are in the midst of tying. The glorious warm April weather has us pushing to finish tying so we beat bud break – so we are actually hoping for some cool nights to slow things down and give us about a week of time.
We have admitted that our tasting room is too small, and are enclosing both decks to provide more comfort in marginal weather. We think this guarantees that we will have a very nice summer and fall, so prepare to enjoy them. For those who love the outdoor air and view, we have more picnic tables on the way. Plan to make Standing Stone Vineyards the spot for your picnic lunch. We will have some cheese, sausage and bread available, with our usual compliment of mustards and dipping sauces.
Our Wine Club and Barrel Owners programs continue to offer the best value on Standing Stone Vineyards wines. Each program includes wine, bigger discounts on your wine purchases (the more you spend, the more you save) AND free wine tastings and barrel cellar tastings. These programs are both designed for our best customers, and are our way of saying “thanks for your support”.
So, come on in and taste what’s new, take a vineyard tour, have a picnic lunch, and enjoy the glorious view of historic vineyards and Seneca Lake. Marti, Tom, and all the crew!
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11/02/05
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New Wine Spectator Scores
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Wine Spectator recognizes Standing Stone Vineyards’ wines
November 2, 2005
Wine Spectator Magazine, in the upcoming November 30, 2005 issue, recognizes 3 Standing Stone Vineyards’ wines with high quality scores.
The Standing Stone Vineyards Vidal Ice 2004 received a score of 90, the 2004 Riesling a score of 88 and the 2003 Reserve Chardonnay also received a score of 88. According to the introduction in the scoring section of the Wine Spectator Magazine, a score of 90 – 94 indicates that a wine is “of superior character and style” and wines in the 85-89 range are “Very good: a wine with special qualities.”
The 90 for the Vidal Ice is the 3rd such score for that wine – the 2001 and 2002 vintages of Standing Stone Vineyards’ Vidal Ice also received 90 scores. No other New York winery has received 3 90 scores for the same wine.
The owners of Standing Stone Vineyards, Tom and Marti Macinski, are quite pleased with the recognition. “We started our family farm winery because we believed that the Finger Lakes could grow world-class wines.” said Tom Macinski. “These vineyards are showing their full potential - after 30 years of time, the vines have acclimated to the soil and terroir to grow some very special wines” observed Marti Macinski.
STANDING STONE VINEYARDS is located on the east side of Seneca Lake. The winery’s Riesling, Chardonnay and Vidal vineyards were planted by Gold Seal Vineyards in the early 1970’s, after extensive research. Tom and Marti Keeler Macinski, originally from Binghamton, NY, started the winery intending to produce world class Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Vidal wines. In addition to offering award-winning wines in the bottle, and future award winners in the barrels and tanks, the winery offers visitors a breathtaking view to accompany friendly wine tastings.
For more information, call the winery, or visit our web site – www.standingstonewines.com.
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July 13, 2005
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Vidal Ice wines Double Gold!
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Standing Stone Vineyards’ 2004 Vidal Ice was award a Double Gold Medal at the New York State Fair Wine Competition. The 2003 Pinnacle also was awarded a Silver Medal.
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Tom Macinski, winemaker and owner, was pleased with the recognition “The Vidal Ice has moved into the front line of our wine offerings that consistently stand out each year. We are pleased that we can produce a winner with this wine each year.” (Previous vintages of the Vidal Ice received 90 ratings in the Wine Spectator, and Gold medals in various competitions.)
Co-owner and general manager, Marti Macinski, was excited about the Double Gold. “We have always believed that this site has very high potential for growing outstanding wines. It is fun to see the results of years of research turn out so well.” (The research referred to is the extensive research in the late 1960s, which research led Gold Seal vineyards to purchase the site and plant Riesling and Chardonnay in 1972 and 1974, under the leadership of Charles Fournier and Guy DeVeaux.)
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January 2005
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Standing Stone Wines Available in Pennsylvania and Delaware
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Standing Stone Vineyards is pleased to announce that its fine wines are now available in
the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. The wines are represented by International
Wine Brokers, a specialized distributor focusing on limited production and handcrafted
wines.
Because the distribution is new, there are many stores and restaurants that do not
currently stock the wines. The wines are readily available in both state, however, and
consumers, retailers and restauranteurs may contact Don Papa, at International Wine
Brokers, for assistance in obtaining the wines. Don may be reached by telephone at
(215)-843-0994, or via e-mail at Intwinebro@aol.com.
Standing Stone Vineyards is a family owned winery, producing world class wines
including Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Vidal Ice. The winery is located on the east side
of Seneca Lake, and offers wine tasting overlooking historic vineyards. The tasting room
is open every day 11:30-5, Saturday 11:00-6.
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September 16, 2004
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National recognition for Standing Stone Vineyards’ Riesling!!
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Standing Stone Vineyards’ 2003 Riesling was favorably mentioned in the article “Wine Matters”, by Lettie Teague in the October 2004 issue of Food and Wine magazine. The article, which reported on a wine tasting lesson for Rolling Stone film critic, Peter Travers, listed the Standing Stone Vineyards 2003 Riesling as a wine to buy, and described the wine, one of Ms. Teague’s “two favorites from America”, as mineral rich, with “clarity, and a kind of pop in the mouth”.
Marti and Tom Macinski, the winery’s owners, were excited about the recognition. “Food and Wine magazine is recognized as an authority for both Food and Wine on a national and international level “ said Marti Macinski. “We are pleased that our Riesling is included in their list of favorites.” exclaimed Tom Macinski.
Standing Stone Vineyards’ wines are available throughout New York State at many fine wine stores and in many restaurants. The wines are also available directly from the winery.
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