This is the time of year when we perform the first racking of our fall wines and the wines we are currently selling are beginning to “Wind Down”. Being a small batch winemaker means that I will run out of wines before the next vintage is ready to bottle and I try to make everyone aware when there is only a few cases left.

Bottles and labels are expensive and not having enough room for storage adds to the sometimes uneven flow of wine. As an amateur winemaker, I would call having only two cases of wine a “wine emergency”, but now that shortage of a vintage is just part of being a macro-winery. The upshot is: it’s time to bottle our new wines and the decision on which wine to bottle is not taken lightly.

This time of year, part of the what to bottle next decision, other than the obvious taste test, is considering my entries to the Finger Lakes Wine Competition. The wines I am considering entry this year are Felicity (our Sangiovese/Barbera Blend), “the new blend” which was to be Kashmir but that name may change on the next tasting, and my 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon.

I like entering blends because they are unique to the winemaker and in judging, the art of blending is taken into consideration. That being said the Felicity and “the new blend” are a no brainer for entry.

When I look back over the years at competition results, I‘ve noticed I never placed higher than a silver medal with my Cabs. I got a Silver in the Indy wine competition for my 2012 Cab, and a Sliver in the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition for my 2020 Cab. The one I have in barrels now may very well be my best Cab and I hope the judges feel the same way.

I’ve ordered the labels and bottles for the upcoming wines, and I have Felicity ready to go for the competition. I need a final tasting to decide the name of “the new blend” and as for the Cab, I am going for the Gold!