The press pad is humming with activity, our production team is putting in long days, and fermentations are well underway. Harvest has a way of taking over every corner of the property, and this year is no exception.
In addition to a busy month on the home farm, September carried Keuka Spring Vineyards well beyond the Finger Lakes Region. We poured for downstate crowds at the Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival in Rhinebeck, travelled to Valladolid, Spain, to make the case for Finger Lakes Riesling on the world stage, and closed out the lawn season with a night of country music dedicated to the growers who make everything we do possible. Here is how September unfolded at Keuka Spring Vineyards.
THE VINEYARD AT HARVEST
Harvest has a sound on the east side of Keuka Lake. On quiet, misty mornings, the press hums, bins knock against the press pad, and hoses wash down lugs, a cycle rinsed and repeated all day long. And when Head Winemaker Daniel Bissell’s harvest hat comes out, there’s no question what the day holds: fruit is on its way in.
Our first pick of 2026 landed at the very end of August, Grüner Veltliner from Simmons Vineyards destined to become Brut in our traditional method sparkling program. As is our tradition each vintage, we christened that first fruit with a pour of its predecessor, our 2024 Brut, to mark the start of harvest and send the new vintage off on the right foot.
Mother nature has given us a bit of everything this month. According to Cornell Agritech’s veraison to harvest reports, the Finger Lakes enjoyed warm days, cool nights, and below-average rainfall through mid-September, which helped keep disease pressure low as harvest got underway. The last few weeks of September flipped the script, with more rain and cooler temperatures, which is closer to what we expect from a cool-climate region like ours. So far, fruit has been ripening on schedule.
Our early picks are already in: Chardonnay, Zweigelt, Cayuga White, and that first load of Grüner Veltliner. Dan and the cellar team are excited about the quality so far and are keeping a close eye on our later-ripening fruit. As we head into October, our beloved Rieslings, and reds like Cabernet Franc and Blaufränkisch are still on the vine, taking their time. If you visit in the coming weeks, you may catch the crew mid-harvest. It’s the busiest and best stretch of our year.
THE WORLD STAGE
In September, Keuka Spring Vineyards traveled to Valladolid, Spain for the third Vinoinfluencers World Wine Awards, joining more than 150 wine communicators from 34 countries alongside wineries, sommeliers, producers, and media from around the world. Our goal was simple: share the story of the Finger Lakes and showcase the quality and character of the wines being produced here.
One of the most memorable moments came while Lauren Binnert, our Retail Sales & Operations Manager, was pouring our Blanc de Cabernet Franc. After tasting it, a Master of Wine from Finland kissed Lauren on both cheeks and declared it among the very best wines he had tasted all week.
Made from Cabernet Franc grown at Mendall Rose on the Bluff of Keuka Lake, the wine offers an unexpected expression of a familiar Finger Lakes variety. By gently pressing the fruit without skin contact, Cabernet Franc becomes a white wine that is precise, distinctive, and unmistakably cool-climate. While currently unavailable for purchase, we look forward to bringing this wine back soon!
We returned home with new connections and another opportunity to share Finger Lakes wine with people from around the world.
CLOSING OUT THE MUSIC & WINE SERIES
September 18th brought one of the highlights of our Music & Wine Series as Amarillo By Morning, the premier George Strait tribute band, took the stage at Keuka Spring Vineyards. Guests joined us for an evening of country music overlooking Keuka Lake, while harvest was already well underway across the Finger Lakes.
For this special concert, we also invited our grape growers to join us as our guests. It was a small way to thank the people whose work in the vineyard makes so many of our wines possible, especially at a time of year when their days are among the longest.
From pruning and frost season to summer canopy work and the final decisions leading into harvest, an incredible amount happens before fruit ever reaches our cellar. We were grateful for the opportunity to share the evening with so many of the growers behind the wines we produce.
To everyone who joined us for Amarillo By Morning, and especially to our growers, thank you for helping us close out an incredible season of music at Keuka Spring Vineyards.
ON OUR TABLE: 2024 GOOSE WATCH PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir is famously challenging to grow, and it rewards the right site. Our Goose Watch Pinot Noir comes from gently sloping, west-facing hillsides on Cayuga Lake where well-drained silt loam over gravel and shale keeps the vines balanced. The lake itself tempers frost and stretches out the growing season long enough for this finicky grape to ripen slowly and fully.
The fruit was harvested by hand on September 27th, 2024 and fermented in small open-top fermenters with punch-downs done by hand to draw out color and structure without losing the fruit’s delicacy. It then rested 17 months in neutral oak before bottling this spring. Minimal intervention, and nothing standing between you and the site.
In the glass, red cherry, raspberry, and cranberry lead, followed by tea leaf, forest floor, and a touch of spice. The palate is delicate and silky, with bright acidity and a clean, savory finish. Give it a light chill, fifteen or twenty minutes in the refrigerator before serving, to keep that red fruit lifted.
Released earlier this summer, it has been a big hit already. This is the red you want as the evenings cool this fall. Pour it with herb-roasted chicken, duck breast with a cherry reduction, or a glazed pork tenderloin.
UPCOMING AT THE VINEYARD
Harvest runs through October, and then the pace changes: tanks settle, the press goes quiet, and there is finally time to sit down together at the table.
Vista Supper Club | Saturday, November 7
This November, our Vista Supper Club travels south to Brazil to celebrate the close of harvest. After months in the vineyard and the cellar, there’s no better way to mark the season’s end than with a feast inspired by the heritage of our Head Winemaker, Daniel Bissell, a proud Brazilian. The evening honors the flavors and traditions that shaped him long before he made his home on the shores of Keuka Lake, and it’s become one of the most meaningful nights on our calendar.
Join us in the Barrel Barn for a five-course feast that celebrates Brazilian cooking at its most generous: coastal seafood stews, slow-simmered feijoada, fire-kissed picanha, and the warm, gathered-around-the-table spirit that defines a Brazilian meal. Each course will be thoughtfully paired with our wines, and Daniel will share the stories and memories behind the menu throughout the evening.
Seating is limited so this experience is exclusive for our Vista Wine Club Members. Come hungry, come curious, and raise a glass with us to Daniel and to Brazil. Saúde!