Vetter Vineyards

Mention "New York wine" to most anyone outside of the state and they will automatically think of the Finger Lakes, Long Island, or maybe (just maybe) the Hudson River Valley regions. But all the way over in Western New York – to Westfield, NY on the shores of Lake Erie – you’ll find another wine region all its own.

This has long been grape country, but most of the grapes grown in this region end up in glass jars as jam or in big plastic bottles as concord grape juice. However, current owners Mark and Barbara Lancaster – who bought their wine estate from the Vetter family in 2003 – are out to make Vetter Vineyards the region's premier boutique winery.

Mark has over 20 years experience in the wine industry and he hopes to produce smaller batches of quality wine that can be made from the grapes they grow on their own land, including Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Of the wines I've tasted from Vetter Vineyards, this Riesling shows real promise. It's a simple,-but-well made Riesling that is so pale it’s almost colorless. It's a clean, well-balanced white with a fairly aromatic nose that offers grapefruit, lime and other citrus aromas mingling with just a hint of mineral character. Somewhat Alsatian in style, the wine has medium body and flavors that closely match the nose with a stony, minerally finish.

Reviewed May 1, 2007 by Lenn Thompson.