Harvesting Our 2025 Dry Riesling Grapes
If you caught our earlier post about the start of harvest at Silver Thread Winery, you know Scott’s working his third season there, helping bring in fruit from many different Finger Lakes vineyards.
But one of the batches was special.
Among the many loads of Riesling grapes that came in this fall, he helped harvest grapes from Doyle Vineyard. And it just so happens that we purchased some of those grapes for our 2025 Dry Riesling.
That means while Scott was out there picking grapes under the cool October sky, he wasn’t just helping with Silver Thread’s harvest—he was harvesting our grapes.
After they were harvested, the grapes were pressed, processed, and the juice was set aside for us. Soon, it will make its way to Ria’s Winery, where Scott will guide it through fermentation and aging under our alternating proprietorship agreement.
It’s one thing to plan to make wine on paper, but it’s another to choose a vineyard source, line up an agreement, and wait for the grapes to be ready for harvest. And then to stand among the rows, clippers in hand, and realize that the fruit you’re bringing in will carry your winery’s name on the label next year? Priceless.
This batch marks the moment our project officially moved from idea to reality; from talking about “someday” to harvesting the grapes that will become our first official commercial vintage of Dry Riesling.
Next up, we’ll share what happens after harvest day: when Scott heads back to Silver Thread to pick up the juice, deliver it to Ria’s, and transfer it into the tank where fermentation begins.
After that, we’ll shift from white to pink, with a look at our Cabernet Franc Rosé, starting with grapes on the vine (purchased from Airy Acres Vineyard) to juice in the tank.
Both wines tell their own story, but they start the same way: with good fruit, great teachers, and a lot of early mornings in the vineyard.
Thanks for coming along on our journey!
If you like this post, you can read about the top lessons learned in the vineyard here.
If you’re following along, more stories (and wines) to come. If you want to stay updated on the latest posts, make sure to subscribe to our blog. And don’t forget to check out our Facebook group, Finger Lakes Food and Wine Adventure.
Cheers from the lake,
—Niki and Scott
