Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
From graft to vine to cluster to bottle, the climate impacts of our industry’s actions are on the minds of the team at HJW. Winegrowing is farming, and as farmers of a perennial product, we view caring for our ecosystem as both a necessity and a responsibility.
Situated on the east side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard’s 150 acre estate has 34 acres of vines, the first of which were planted over 45 years ago. Riesling, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer grow in loamy soil over shale, protected and enhanced by the moderating effects of the lake’s presence.
Open fields of native plants and cover crops, riparian ways, and wooded areas surround our vineyards and provide homes and food for our honey bees, chickens, geese, livestock, and native pollinators and wildlife. Our vineyards are cover cropped and low-till (just hilling up and under vine cultivation), with no herbicide or pesticide use.
Grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted, fermented with indigenous yeast, and the finished wines are made by carefully blending small fermentation lots without any fining agents or additives.
The resulting wines express and honor the site’s terroir. Marrying the past and the future through Biodynamic practices and state-of-the-art technology, we focus on respecting our vines and the land they are on.
In addition to participating in the Porto Protocol community, our vineyard team has achieved both Demeter and New York Sustainable Winegrowing certifications for our estate.
