Scott Uncorked: Our 2025 Riesling - From Vineyard to Tank

After weeks of harvest at Silver Thread, I finally got to bring home our Riesling juice from Doyle Vineyard. These were the same grapes I helped pick a few weeks ago.

At Silver Thread, the juice was racked into a tote for transport. I loaded it into the truck, strapped it down, and drove it over to Ria’s, where it would officially become ours.

Once there, I transferred the juice into a stainless steel tank, the first time I’ve seen our wine in its own vessel. There’s something satisfying about it coming full circle from fruit I cut from the vine, now resting in a stainless steel tank, ready to become wine.

Within a few days, I noticed tiny streams of bubbles rising across the surface. Winemakers call this stage “starry night,” when natural fermentation begins and the tank looks like it’s reflecting a sky full of stars.

The best part is that I didn’t add any yeast. The fermentation kicked off on its own, thanks to the native yeast that came in with the grapes. There’s a certain magic in letting the vineyard express itself this way. No inoculation, no shortcuts, just the natural microflora doing what it does best.

Now the waiting and monitoring begin. Over the next few weeks, I’ll keep an eye on temperature, aroma, and flavor development as the fermentation runs its course.

Every step so far has been a learning experience, but this one felt different. This wasn’t just another day at harvest. This was the moment the grapes I helped pick officially became our wine.

If you like this post, you can learn about some of the grapes grown in the Finger Lakes here.

If you’re following along, thanks for being part of the ride—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,
—Scott