Fast-growing Finger Lakes winery brings a taste of Germany to the region
When you're a regular visitor to the Finger Lakes, there always seems to be something new to discover, whether it's a new winery, distillery, brewery, cidery or eatery, or new experiences and offerings at longtime favorites.
But even within this dynamic environment, one of the places that stands out for its rapid pace of change is a winery that's been around for just five years. Weis Vineyards, on the east side of Keuka Lake, started out in 2017 with a tasting room in a tiny converted one-room schoolhouse that dates back to 1887. Since then, construction has been almost constant, and the property now encompasses a renovated barn, modern tasting room and new production facilities.
Last year, Weis was named Winery of the Year at the New York Wine Classic, an annual competition of New York State wines. Entries are judged by blind tastings and scored; Winery of the Year is presented to the winery with the best overall showing in relation to entries.
"We were surprised for sure that we'd win it so quickly," Ashlee Weis said. "We couldn't have asked for a better outcome."
And more growth and change is on the horizon.
The story of Weis Vineyards in the Finger Lakes of NY
Hans Peter Weis was born in Zell, Germany, in the country's famous Mosel wine region. His family has been winemaking there for generations, and Weis grew up around the vineyards and winery; customers would visit a room in the family home for tastings. After earning his degree in winemaking, business and viticulture in Germany, he worked a vintage in the Sonoma region of California.
He found his way to the Finger Lakes by chance in 2006, and ended up working in winemaking for Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery for the next decade.
In 2017, Weis and his wife, Ashlee Weis, a native of Hammondsport, purchased the former Lime Berry Winery from friends. "We're driven," Ashlee Weis said. "We saw the opportunity."
They used the property's one-room schoolhouse as a tasting room and decided to self-distribute their wines instead of working with a distributor. "We didn't want to be just another name in the book," Ashlee Weis said.
This meant a lot of legwork; Peter Weis would load bottles into his truck and meet with liquor stores. He poured their wines at many festivals to spread the word.
The couple lived in a farmhouse on the winery's property in those early years; since then, they have moved and it's one of several Airbnb properties the couple owns in the area.
Construction has been almost continuous over the past several years.
In 2018, they renovated the school house and started using the adjacent barn as a tasting space. Then, it was "rustic chic at best," Weis said.
In 2019, they built a production facility.
In 2020 they broke ground on a modern tasting room, which opened in the spring of 2021.
Last year, they renovated the barn, making it usable year round, and added more production space.
This fall, construction will continue apace, with an addition to the tasting room adding an events space and a terrace for elevated tasting experiences. Accessibility will be a priority, Weis said.
The wines at Weis
Most of the grapes Weis uses for its wines are sourced from growers in the region. The winery planted its first estate vineyard of riesling, chardonnay, cabernet franc and saperavi in 2020. (Saperavi is a Georgian variety used to make deeply colored red wines, and has been getting some traction in the Finger Lakes.)
As is common in the Finger Lakes, the winery offers several rieslings ranging from dry to sweet. What's unique at Weis is that some are made in German styles. The Winzer Select rieslings are made in the Kabinett and Auslese styles, noted by the "K" and "A" in their names. In 2020, Weis made a sweet riesling called Noble Select in the style of trockenbeerenauslese; it received a rating of 95+ points from Robert Parker Wine Advocate, which called the wine "simply spectacular."
Weis also makes several other wines, from dry to sweet, using both vinifera and hybrid grapes. Several are made with Aravelle, a hybrid developed at Cornell, including a fun sparkling wine called Perle, great for sipping on summer days.
"Peter is super high energy and extremely passionate about winemaking," Ashlee Weis said. "His palate is clean, fresh and light. He makes what he enjoys drinking."
Visit Weis Vineyards
Weis Vineyards is at 10014 Day Road, north of Hammondsport. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The winery does not accept reservations for tastings. On nice days, you may enjoy wines by the flight or glass at picnic tables outside; snacks are available for purchase. The maximum group size is eight people.
Weis Vineyards wines can be shipped to states that allow shipping from New York.
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∎ Nearly 18 months after a devastating fire, Hollerhorn Distilling reopens
∎ 5 new spots to eat and drink around Keuka Lake
∎ Living Roots Wine & Co. opens beautiful tasting room on Keuka Lake. Take a look inside.
Tracy Schuhmacher, food and drink reporter, holds a Level 3 certification in wines from The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Send your wine questions and news to her at tracys@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Weis Vineyards is a popular winery on Keuka Lake in Finger Lakes
