Hermann Wiemer Dry Riesling Finger Lakes 2021

Hermann Wiemer has been a pioneer of New York winemaking since he emigrated from Germany, and today his winery remains a leader in the Finger Lakes. Hermann’s comes from over 300 years of winemaking experience, and grew up learning to graft vines by hand before attending prestigious German viticultural institutions. Once he landed in NY, Hermann identified the western shore of Seneca Lake as having favorable soils and a cool climate similar to that of the Mosel, and planted one of the area’s first successful vinifera vineyards there in 1976.

The 2020 Riesling Dry acts as a sort of village wine, providing a glimpse into the whole hurly-burly of the Seneca Lake AVA by blending multiple sites, HJW, Josef, and Magdalena. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand and an indigenous yeast fermentation lasts approximately four months, with the wine spending the rest of the time until bottling on the fine lees. Purity of fruit and balance are paramount here--rich, but dry; dry, but not screechingly so. On the nose you are treated to ripe stone and orchard fruit, which continue on the palate, and are all wrapped up by a citrusy, stony finish.