A few weeks ago my wife and I ventured east on Ridge Rd (Rt. 104) in search of the newest Niagara Wine Trail winery. It was just a few days earlier that Leonard Oaks Winery opened its doors after a lengthy wait for the proper licensing and overcoming red tape that comes with selling wine. The Oakes family has been farming in this area, just across the county line in Orleans County since 1918. Their apples can be found at most grocery stores in western NY, so they definitely have name recognition going for them in this new venture.
After repeatedly explaining to my wife why we were driving through unfamiliar rural towns on the way to a "Niagara Wine Trail" winery in Orleans County, the twenty minute jaunt east ended as we pulled up to the tasting room. Since the winery had just opened, the tasting room wasn't filled up with wine paraphernalia, gifts, and the usual swag that one is used to. The decor that was there was elegant and tasteful with a good size bar for tastings. Since we were there on a weekday, there was only one other person there and we were met with personal service that we are akin to.
The wine list was extensive with dry and sweet, including native blends, hybrid wines, and some vinifera. The woman behind the bar told me that the son of the family is in school for wine making, and plans to be the winemaker for the family business. I believe Dominic Carisetti has been a consultant for this first vintage of wines and the consistency shows throughout the lineup. My favorites whites were the Cayuga white and the Vignoles which interestingly enough is sold in a half bottle.
I was surprised to see so many hybrid grapes on the menu when I browsed the reds. Corot Noir, a Cornell grape, is listed as a fruity semi dry red that "can easily douse the flames of Buffalo's best chicken wings". The trendiest hybrid grape on the list was the Frontenac, a red grape that can withstand temperatures down to -30F developed by U of Minnesota with the intent of creating a grape for that harsh climate. My wife and I truly enjoyed the Chambourcin most. The grape is mostly found in the mid Atlantic states where it is cold hardy, disease resistant and capable of producing dark reds with good depth and minimal native grape characteristics. This one seemed like a great example and we bought a bottle for the cellar.
While the winery is located on Rt. 104 and can be reached easily on the "trail" maps, its location is arguably a long drive from the cluster of wineries in and around Cambria. While that may not be advantageous at first look, their proximity to Rochester is strategic in that they can tap into that large market where they also have the same name recognition. I assume they will attract visitors to the trail that might not have ventured west without knowing they have a winery so close to home. For those wine geeks that really love the details, their vineyards are actually north of the winery, closer to lake Ontario, and I can't wait to see how the vines produce in the future especially with the vinifera plantings of pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
