Our First Vintage Is Finally Bottled!
This is a moment we’ve been waiting for!
After months of planning, fermenting, tasting, adjusting, troubleshooting, and learning along the way, our first wines are finally bottled.
The 2025 Dry Riesling was bottled first, followed by the 2025 Dry Rosé of Cabernet Franc. Both are now settling in the bottle, and we plan to officially release them for sale in about two weeks.
The view that inspired the artwork
We took this photo on our deck overlooking Cayuga Lake, with the same view behind the bottles that inspired our younger daughter’s artwork on the labels. What a view!
Unfortunately, bottling the Rosé took a little more planning than we’d expected.
Originally, we’s planned do it ourselves (with a little help from our friends!), just as we’d done with the Riesling. Then we encountered a filter leak that delayed the process. At the same time, bottling schedules were getting tighter as wineries prepared for harvest.
At a certain point, we had to pivot, deciding to put the rosé through a bottling line instead.
The bottling line
A bit more money, but so much faster!
It cost us a little more than we would have liked, but it got the wine safely into bottle before harvest schedules became even more complicated.
This first vintage has already taught us that winemaking involves a lot of planning, followed by a fair amount of adapting. Equipment fails. Timing shifts. Schedules change. It’s all about flexibility!
And now it’s done.
Both wines are resting in bottles for the next couple of weeks. Then we’ll finally be able to release them and share what we have been working on all these months.
For the first time, Navinnus Forty Two Cellars wine is finished, bottled, labeled, and almost ready to pour.
That feels pretty damn good.
To learn more about why we decided to start a winery, check out this post.
Thanks for joining us on this journey! Before you leave, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog and also check out our Facebook group, Finger Lakes Food and Wine Adventures.
Cheers from the lake!
—Niki
