Silver Thread Vineyard

Silver Thread Vineyard
1401 Caywood Rd
Lodi, New York
USA 14860
Phone: (607) 582-6116
http://www.silverthreadwine.com/

Contact: Richard Figiel
Email: [email protected]

Silver Thread Vineyard was established in the early 1980s on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, at the heart of New York's Finger Lakes region. At this location the bottom of the lake drops almost 200 feet below sea level, a dramatic mass of water that creates a distinct microclimate on the leeward (eastern) hillside — cooling breezes in summer, radiating warmth through the winter, and extending the length of the growing season. On this hillside 250 years ago the Iroquois people tended huge peach orchards, a testament to this temperate 'island' within a cool region.

The vineyard was originally planted exclusively with the classic European grape varieties Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. From the beginning the concept has been a small estate vineyard (currently about 10 acres) and an artisan wine cellar focusing on a few dry varietal table wines. Over the years, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grünerveltliner have been added to the vineyard.

In the late 1980s the vineyard shifted to the practices of sustainable farming, seeking to work in harmony with the natural ecosystem. We use mulch, compost and cover crops instead of chemical fertilizers, to provide our vines with a healthy, living soil. This strengthens the link between the wine and its terroir, the special character of its site. We use no herbicides and limit the use of synthetic pesticides in favor of naturally occurring sprays including elemental sulfur, seaweed extract, fish emulsion, and a tea made on the farm from the horsetail plant. The vines are intensively managed, pruned and harvested by hand.

Similarly, Silver Thread wines are minimally processed in a low-tech, traditional cellar. Built in 1995, the winery is set into the hillside for natural temperature control and to take advantage of gravity flow in the winemaking process. Water is also gravity fed to the winery from a spring next to the vineyard. Like the vineyard, the winery is designed to work within natural systems. The wines ferment at ambient temperature without refrigeration, in some cases with wild yeast, and clarify through natural settling and racking. We use no chemical additives or processing aids. We do sometimes use natural materials for light fining and filtration, and we do add small amounts of sulfur dioxide to the wines for stability.

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