Vineyards

Welcome to the Vineyards

This is where it all begins. It may not be well known, but Northeast America is the home of the grape, with dozens of species. There are more varieties grown here than anywhere else in the world. And Chautauqua County boasts a higher percentage of vineyard acreage than anywhere in the United States outside of California. This is partly the result of historical tradition and partly due to an ideal microclimate that helps produce grapes of the most excellent quality. Johnson Estate itself includes 125 acres of vineyards spread across the 200 acre farm. In addition to popular American species like Concord, Niagara, and Delaware, the farm produces many of the finest French-American varieties in the world. So take a trip with us through the vineyards. Learn more about the history, varieties, upkeep, and microclimate that makes this place so special.

 

The Micro Climate

So what do we mean by an ideal "micro-climate?"
Like most plants, grapevines thrive when they have the correct balance between warmth and coldness, sunshine and rain. That is why 90% of the grapes grown in the world fall between 30 degrees and 50 degrees north and south latitude. Our vineyards are at approximately 42 degrees north latitude. For grapes to ripen satisfactorily they need a minimum of 1500 hours of sunshine during the growing season (we get 1500-1700) beginning on April 1st and ending on October 31st. This is particularly true of red grapes, which need more sunshine than whites. The long hot summers of the region are ideal for the vineyards. An added (and very important) benefit is the nearby presence of Lake Erie. The Lake acts to moderate the temperatures, which is particularly important in the winter. This large body of water can cause the lakeshore region to be as much as 5 to 15 degrees warmer than it is inland. Extreme cold can kill or damage grapevines. When the temperature falls below -20 C (-2 F), bud damage becomes more likely. The extra warmth also delays bud-break until mid-April, at which point the buds are out of danger of any severe frost that may damage or kill them. The Lake's influence is also felt in the summer. By absorbing vast amounts of heat and then releasing it whenever the surrounding air and land are cooler than the water, we are able to harvest as late as the end of October, if necessary, without the risk of frost. As you can see, much of the success of our vines is owed the beautiful blue lake that lays a few short miles from the farm.

Along with sun, the vines also need to absorb considerable amounts of water through the year. The ideal is approximately 700 mm, or 27.6 inches, of rain per year. The farm gets about 25-30 inches, which is ideal for flourishing grapevines. Here again, Lake Erie lends us its blessings. Though the rainfall is perfect, there is a risk to the quality of the grapes produced if they absorb too much water. Our vineyards develop in good soil that sits on a foundation of gravel and shale that was once the old shoreline of Lake Erie...about 15,000 years ago! It is perfect for the vines and it provides the perfect drainage system for any excess rainfall. On top of the shale there exists clay and sandstone which was here before the last Ice Age. The Great Lakes region was once covered by a single lake called Lake Iroquois. During the retreat of the glacier a long glacial ridge (the vanguard of the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains) was formed that now sits just to the south of the winery. With the retreat of the glacier, a fine layer of sand, which is ideal for growing grapes, was left across this region.

As you can now see, Johnson Estate could not hope for a better climate for producing the very highest quality of grapes. And we are sure you will find that quality in our wines.

 

Care & Upkeep

The care and maintenance of the vineyards is a yearlong process. Starting in late October, after the harvest is over, we remove any unproductive or damaged vines. In November, after the leaves have begun to fall, we will plow soil up to some of the more delicate vines to protect them from any severe winter temperatures. The sap falls and the vines remain dormant until the springtime. Embryonic buds form at the points where leaves had grown the previous year. From December through March we will do light vineyard maintenance as weather permits, but the main job is to prune the vine. Near the end of March we begin to spread the fertilizer. This is also when the vine sap starts to rise and the first signs of growth will be seen.

Throughout April and the first part of May we finish up the pruning and tying. We prune the vines since only new vines bear fruit. Tying involves pulling the vines over the wire and attaching them to lower wire for plant stability and for maximum sun/air exposure. We also plant the young vines from our nursery to replace the old or damaged vines we took out earlier. From bud-break in mid-April through the end of July the grapes are watched very carefully for any problems. During this time we spray the vines with sulfur and other beneficial sprays. All pesticides we use are biodegradable in 7-10 days. In early to mid-August the grapes go through veraison: This is the point at which the grapes simultaneously begin to change color and the sugar content begins to increase. From this point it is only 5-6 weeks until harvest begins.

 

 

The Harvest

Harvest is also known as Vintage.
Any time you buy a bottle of wine and see a year on the label that is the year that the grape for that wine was harvested. Our harvest time is generally September and October, though in some years (like 1998 and 1999) we will begin to pick the grapes in late August. Since the winery is adjacent to the vineyards we have the luxury of making that decision based on the optimal point of readiness. From that point it takes anywhere from 4 months to a year for any of the wines to be ready for release.

The exact moment of harvest largely depends on the sugar level (or "brix") and flavor of the grapes. Needless to say, brick levels are continually monitored during this period of time to determine ripeness. Not all grapes become ready for harvest at the same time. Generally, the earlier harvest is for drier wines and the later for sweeter wines. The method of harvesting also varies by grape. About 1/3 of our grapes, those with the tenderest vines, are handpicked. These include the Chancellor, Seyval, and Vidal for ice wine grapes. The ice wine Vidals are the last to be picked and are harvested in December. All of the other grapes are harvested by machine in early morning in order to keep them cool. The "grape-picker" harvests 5 tons (or 1 acre) per hour. In all, it takes less than one hour for the grapes to go from vine to winery!

The grape-picker is a machine that attracts considerable attention from our visitors! It works by straddling the rows while fiberglass rods located beneath its "belly" extend into the vines and vibrates grapes off the vine. A conveyor belt beneath the rods then conveys the grapes to a 1 ton wooden box, which is carried on a tractor-towed wagon in the next row. When 2 boxes have become filled, the grapes are hauled off to the winery and the winemaking process immediately begins. If you'd like to know what happens next, please take or online tour! Or better yet, stop by the winery, take a real tour, and taste the results for yourself! 

 

The Varietals

Johnson Estate grows five Labrusca and seven French-American Hybrid varieties on the farm today. Labruscas are varietals with their origin in North America, while The French-American Hybrids are cross hybrids of Labruscas and European Viniferas.

Aurora

 

Aurora is a vigorous and productive early white variety.  Aurora produces a neutral flavored wine that can be made into a varietal in the best of years when it has more dody but is better off as a base wine for blending.  The vines are disease resistant and winter dardy.  One of its big disadvantages is that it is very early at budding and thus is susceptible to late spring frosts.

 

Used in wines:

None

 

Cabernet Sauvignon

We purchase the grapes from select lake Erie and Long Island Growers.

 

It is a vigorous but small producer which develops late in the season.  It flourishes on most types of soil, consistently showing its style and quality.  The grape cluster is cylindrical-conical, made up of small round berries, very black in color.

 

Used in wines:

Freelings Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Chambourcin

Makes an excellent dry wine also used as a fantastic Icewine.  Our first wine was released in 2000.

 

The Chambourcin winegrape was developed in France in the late 1800’s by French Scientist Joannes Seyve, who gave it the hybrid number J.S. 26-205.  There was only a couple hundred acres planted in the United States in the 1970’s.  However, this grape has garnered considerable attention starting in the late 1980’s and may now be the most widely planted red cultivar.  Chambourcin usually yields good crops of small navy blue berries with long, loosely clustered bunches that pripen rather late during the harvest season.

 

Used in wines:

Chambourcin, Ice Wine of Chambourcin

 

Chancellor

Classic dry red wine grape used a great deal in Europe .

 

Another wine grape developed in France during the late 1800s by scientist Albert Siebel is the Chancellor. As of the late 1980s, France still had nearly 100,000 acres of it still being grown there. As its popularity in France would indicate, Chancellor is a vigorous and fruitful vine that produces excellent dark, rich wines. Its susceptibility to disease, however, especially in hot, moist, and calm locations, limits the Chancellor's successful cultivation in the east to the most ideal areas. Thus the cooling and drying Lake Erie breezes that blow almost continuously over the Johnson Estate result in having perhaps the finest microclimate for growing it in the eastern United States . The grape clusters are long and loose, with medium-sized berries that ripen in midseason. Our dry Chancellor Noir wine has a rich plum-cedar aroma with a dense ruby-violet color that is heavy bodied and lightly oaked. We also use the Chancellor in a couple of our blends, the main one being our Beaujolais-style Chautauqua Rouge.

 

Used in wines:

Chancellor, Chautauqua Rouge, House Red, Proprietor’s Red, Port

 

Chardonnay

We purchase the Chardonnay grapes from select Lake Erie and Fingerlakes growers.

 

Chardonnay is currently the most fashionable white wine variety in the world. It is a fairly vigorous variety. It forms a small, relatively compact, winged-cylindrical cluster of small berries, not as densely closed as that of Pinot Noir.

 

Used in wines:

Freelings Creek Chardonnay

 

Concord
Generally a juice and jam grape, but used here in house wines.

 

This grape was first planted in Chautauqua County in Brocton , NY (10 miles away) by a Baptist deacon named Elijah Fay. He planted his vineyard of wild grapes in 1818. In 1859 Joseph Fay, Elijah's son, opened the first winery. In 1897 there was a surplus of Concord grapes which attracted two dentists from Watkins Glen, NY. By 1913 Doctors Thomas and Charles Welch had made the Concord grape a household name with their "unfermented grape juice" as they called it back then. Soon after that, Westfield became known as the "Grape Juice Capitol of the World." Chautauqua County has the largest concentration of Concord grapes in the world.

 

Used in wines:

House Red, Concord , Red Ipocras

 

Delaware

New York State grape used in our Liebestropfchen and other white wines.

 

The Delaware grape is our most plentiful at just over 40 acres. We use the Delaware as a semi-dry varietal , its also used in our our white-zinfindel-style Chautauqua Blush, and in our very famous late harvest wine, the Liebestropfchen. Of the 22 plus wines we make, the Delaware is in at least a part of up to 8 wines.

 

Used in wines:

Delaware , Chautauqua Blanc, Liebestropfchen, Chautauqua Blush, Proprietor’s Red, White Ipocras, Cream Sherry

 

Ives

Used for sweet reds.  There are not many Ives left in the United States .

 

There are several accounts as to the origin of the Ives grape, but there is no question about its dense color and rich grapey flavor. It was introduced by Henry Ives III of Cincinnati , Ohio in 1840 and planted along the banks of the Ohio River during the 1850s. The grand New York State "port" wines (very popular after the repeal of prohibition through the 1960s), were dependent on Ives. Recently, however, the growing of Ives has become very difficult, as it is very susceptible to damage from ever increasing air pollution. Our Ives is a rare and enjoyable treat!

 

Used in wines:

Ives, Pink Niagara , Chautauqua Blush, House Red

 

Marechal Foch

The Marechal Foch winegrape is a widely grown French-American hybrid variety.  The vines are vigorous and relatively disease resistant.  White Riesling was on of the grandparents in the crossbreeding of Marechal Foch, along with Burgundy 's noble grapes of Gamay and Pinot Noir.

 

Marechal Foch is used to make a variety of styles of wine, ranging from a light red wine similar to Beaujolais, to more extracted wines with intense dark "inky" purple colour and unique varietal character, to sweet, fortified, port-style wines. Wines made from Marechal Foch tend to have strong acidity, aromas of black fruits and, in some cases, toasted wheat, mocha, fresh coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla bean, and musk. In the darker variants of the wine a strong gamey nose is also often described.

 

Used in wines:

Marechal Foch, Nouveau

 

Merlot

We purchase the Merlot grapes from select Long Island growers.

 

Merlot is a vigorous, productive vine, which buds early, thus rendering it liable to spring frost damage, and ripens earlier than both the Cabernets. The grape cluster is cylindrical and the berries are round, but large and less intensely colored.

 

Used in wines:

Freelings Creek Merlot

 

Niagara

White grape used in house wines.  It is also a nice table grape.

 

The Niagara is a grape we have only been growing for about 9 years now, and is used exclusively in our House Wines. This yellow-green grape was developed by researchers in Niagara County , NY during the 1860s. Strangely enough, it is a Native American hybrid - a cross between the Concord and Cassady grapes.

 

Use in wines:

Niagara , Pink Niagara , White Ipocras

 

Riesling

Recently planted with more to come.

 

The Riesling vine is hardy and resistant to disease and is a relatively shy cropper. It ripens late, but it continues to develop even in fairly cool autumns.

 

Used in wines:

Freelings Creek Riesling

 

Seyval

Most widely used hybrid for white wines.

 

One of our most popular white wine grapes is the Seyval Blanc. This French-American Hybrid was released in 1919 by Bertille Seyval and Victor Villard. This cultivator is considered by many to be one of the finest of the French-Americans. It ripens mid-season to large, compact, conical bunches of slightly elliptical greenish-yellow berries. A well-made Seyval blend can compete favorably with Chardonnay, or Pinot Blanc. Seyval Blanc has become the premier French-American white wine grape in the east as well as in England . Our Seyval Blanc is a crisp, attractively fruity and moderately dry table wine. We very carefully handpick only the best bunches, gently crush and press them, and then put the juice through a slow, cool fermentation.

 

Used in wines:

Sayval Blanc, Chautauqua Blanc, Chautauqua Rouge

 

Traminette

 A hybrid of Joannes Seyval 23.416x Gewurztraminer

 

Made by Herb C. Barrett ca. 1965. His intention was to produce a large clustered table grape with the flavor of Gewurztraminer. He sent seed from the cross to the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station grape breeding program at Cornell for development. It was found to have excellent wine quality, combined with good productivity, partial resistance to several fungal diseases, and cold hardiness superior to its acclaimed parent, Gewurztraminer, while retaining a similar character.

 

Used in wines:

Freelings Creek Traminette

 

Vidal

White grape used for blending, dry white wines, and our Ice wines.

 

Frenchman J.L. Vidal crossed the famous Trebbiano with another hybrid in Bordeaux in the late 1800s. Vidal Blanc has very long cylindrical clusters almost always shouldered that are tightly packed with small greenish-white berries with dark brown spots. Despite its French origin, the hybrid matures fruit with a rather distinctive German character. We make two German-style white wines with the Vidal Blanc, both very different from each other. The first is our multiple award-winning dry Vidal Blanc, which if you tasted blind could easily be mistaken for a dry Riesling from the Mosel Region in Germany . The other is our famous Vidal Blanc Icewine. We have three rows every year which we leave on the vine until December or early January. After it has been below 15 degrees F for 5 consecutive days we harvest the press the grapes the same day. This assures us that the water in the grape is frozen. Instead of getting our normal 190 gallons/ton we only get about 80 gallons/ton of juice.

 

Used in wines:

Vidal Blanc, Vidal Blanc Icewine, Chautauqua Blanc