White Birch Vineyards

01/11/2022

Chardonnay is a varietal that can be considered a winemaker's playground - the choices as to how it can be produced is extensive - the combinations of styles infinite.
Chardonnay is also one of the most widely planted white varietals around the world. Cool climates, warm climates, stainless steel barrels, heavily toasted oak barrels, crisp and acidic to vanilla and round - the variations abound.
As we at White Birch start approaching a switch from one vintage to another, it is necessary to taste and assess and get excited for a new wine to experience. Both the current and the next vintage are made similarly - both in French oak, both with lees aging, both with similar flavors and mouthfeel. The next vintage is luscious from extensive lees stirring and aging, the fruit across the spectrum from citrus to tropical.
The pairing opportunities with this varietal are endless. Poultry (Chicken a la King to Pork Marsala), Fish (Salmon with Beurre Blanc to Halibut Grenabloise), Red Meat (Filet Mignon with Peppercorns to Flank Steak with Chimichurri), and Vegetables (Exotic Mushroom Risotto to Spicy Vegetarian Chili). We paired the next vintage with a Caprese Pasta Dish with roasted pesto marinated chicken thigh over a fresh tomato and basil sauce with fresh mozzarella.
As a pairing, the Chardonnay complimented the dish tremendously. The roundness and the softness of the wine highlighted the nuance of the dish, the acidity and warmth of the food versus the luscious body of the wine.
We love our current vintage of Chardonnay and will welcome the next with open arms.

01/06/2022

Pinot Gris is grown around the world, from the Alsatian hills of France to Hawkes Bay of New Zealand to the shores of the Finger Lakes. A descendant of Pinot Noir, this varietal maintained a pink hue and yet is used primarily as a white wine producing grape. It is referred to as both Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio, either based on where the grape vine is grown or what style of wine the grape produces. For instance, when grown in Italy, the grape is referred to as Pinot Grigio, producing a light to medium body, citrus and mineral forward wine. When grown in Oregon or the Finger Lakes, the grape is referred to as Pinot Gris and produces a medium to full bodied wine that resembles Pinot Grigio with minerality and citrus notes but features more prominent stone and tropical fruits and occasionally hints of petrol.
Pinot Gris is one of the 9 varietals planted at White Birch Vineyards. In anticipation of a new vintage approaching, we opened a bottle of the 2017 to taste and assess. It is delicious – resembling the current vintage much, yet exhibiting its own unique qualities. The 2017 is slightly lighter in body with more prominent citrus notes, fresh starfruit and green apple, a strong acidity with minerality, tropical and stone fruit notes, and a long lingering finish.
We paired this wine with a white wine and citrus poached salmon belly and Asian influenced sides – steamed green beans and warm purple rice noodles, both lightly tossed in a blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce and lime juice. The wine’s bright flavors invigorated the mild nuances of the dish.
We love Pinot Gris and all of the expressions from around the world - we look forward to welcoming the new vintage in the future! Look for White Birch Vineyards at your local retailer!

12/28/2021

Best wishes to all in 2022!
Ring in the new year with a delicious, quality local wine with White Birch!

12/20/2021

Happy holidays from ours to yours!
Wishing everyone all the best in 2022!
Cheers!

12/14/2021

Decking the vines with a bounty of wines!
Looking for a way to treat yourself and your loved ones this holiday season? Check out the local wine selection at your favorite restaurant and liquor store and select a high quality wine from White Birch Vineyards.
A dinner party invitation with nothing in house to bring?
A fancy holiday feast for family with no wine yet chosen?
An informal cocktail party with friends adorned with ugly sweaters?
Grab a bottle of White Birch Vineyards for all of your holiday needs!

12/01/2021

Nine Notch is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. It has the nuance of Bordeaux with red and dark fruits, palatable tannins, spice and earthiness. Year in and year out, White Birch Vineyards of Skaneateles Lake exhibits distinctive fruit. As with Bordeaux, you will find White Birch wines to have character, depth, and a taste of terroir.
We paired it with a roasted pork tenderloin, a creamy sauce with a medley of vegetables over sweet potato gnocchi, and roasted root vegetables in pan jus. The body and complexity of the wine sang harmoniously with the subtlety and heft of the meal. As always, the Nine Notch is an excellent choice to pair with a myriad of cuisines!
As we look to support local businesses during the holidays, ask for Nine Notch at your local retailer!

11/19/2021

Let's talk about how tasting a glass of Silver Fox will make you feel - like a warm blanket on a chilly winter's night, like sitting in front of a fireplace with that warm sensation on your cheeks, like the warmth the sun brings as it envelopes around you when there is a nip in the air. How can this be?!
Silver Fox is 100% Blaufrankish, an Austrian grape that exhibits heart warming and comforting qualities. The richness of the red fruit, the intensity of the spice, the depth of the earthiness, the prominent tannins - this wine will warm the soul sip by sip. While many versions of Blaufrankish can offer these characteristics, Silver Fox is a finely crafted, quality representation of the grape. The velvety roundness is why this varietal can seem so comforting - a radiant glow emits from this bottle in more ways than one!
We at White Birch Vineyards love our Blaufrankish!

11/12/2021

It is time to celebrate a chilly fall day with a little heart warming kiss of Riesling sweetness - White Birch Vineyards Dry Riesling is THE bottle to choose.
We broke out the older vintage of our Dry Riesling to pair with this classic comfort dish. The slight hint of residual sugar along with the stone fruit, citrus and minerality paired beautifully with this roasted pork tenderloin and pan jus with broiled fall veggies and a creamy mushroom wild rice.
While the 2015 vintage of our Dry Riesling is incredible, our newly released 2016 vintage is stellar. The residual sugar will hit slightly less on the palate, the citrus a touch more forward, the stone fruit and mineral notes abound! Check out your local retailer and see for yourself:-)

11/05/2021

Let us bring a taste of Skaneateles to your neck of the woods (or city)! White Birch Vineyards is about to expand across the greater state of New York and we want to hear from you where we should start first! We are on the precipice of accessing every corner of the state...if you would like to have White Birch Vineyards' exemplary portfolio of wines available to you locally, give us a shout!

Please also check out our website for Wholesale contact information.

We can't wait to visit your hometown!

10/29/2021

It's candy time - what are we going to do with all of that candy stockpiling in our homes these next few weeks? How about pairing it with a White Birch wine!

We have a varietal for all of your candy favorites -
For your Saltwater Taffy, grab a bottle of the Pinot Gris.
For your Sourpatch Kids, choose a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc.
How about a bottle of Chardonnay with your Tootsie Rolls?
A bottle of the Pinot Noir Rose for gobbling up handfuls of Skittles?
Swedish Fish with our Dry Riesling?
Starbursts with the Riesling?
Kit Kats with the Cabernet Franc?
And....for the Nine Notch, let's grab a Snickers bar!

Halloween candy stash that just doesn't seem to end? Check out your local liquor store for a bottle of White Birch Vineyards!

10/20/2021

Gravitating towards comfort food as the seasons change from a warm sunny summer to a cool and breezy fall? Looking for a red blend to pair with your family favorites? Those stews, macaroni and cheese combinations, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza parties, or pot roasts with green bean casserole? Check out your local wine aisle and pick out White Birch Vineyards Nine Notch and Zugibe's Phonecian Blend! White Birch is in good company with our friends here in the Finger Lakes!
We paired our red blend experience with a Duck Stew, earthy root vegetables and a lightly buttered basmati rice.
Let's drink local!

10/15/2021