Working Together to Boost Regional Wine’s Reputation & Respect

Four hours northwest of Philadelphia in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes (FLX), there’s a gritty, do-it-yourself wine movement. Scrappy startups originate from close family farm networks. Folks from bigger cities who’ve caught the wine bug find themselves revitalizing tasting rooms. Winemakers also double as distributors for neighbors and wine club members.

But these aren’t just New Yorkers. Over the last decade, I’ve met a handful of Philadelphians who have made fruitful wine moves to and from the FLX. I’ve also noticed a significant uptick in FLX wines appearing on Philadelphia menus. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship going on where the FLX isn’t just a tourist stop anymore; it’s Philadelphia’s big sister wine region.

I recently returned from my fifth trip to the FLX to learn more about the people strengthening the wine scene there (and here) and why now is the perfect time to drink regional wine.

Local Wine’s Paradigm Shift

Jamie Harrison Rubin, wine director at Southwark and Ambra, says he was introduced to Loire Valley, Alsatian, and Austrian varieties through Finger Lakes winery visits and working the harvest at Red Newt Cellars. He cites Ravines Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc as setting his expectations for what the red grape variety can and should do. Other wines from Billsboro, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Apollo’s Praise, and Barnstormer Winery made lasting first impressions—a journey reflected on his wine menus and pairings.

“I need classically presenting wines with a point of view that guests can latch onto and that are not hugely challenging,” says Rubin, happy to offer blind pours of off-the-beaten-path FLX wines made by producers who prioritize sustainability through hybrid grapes and are thoughtful in technique and approach. “Find me a Napa or Sonoma wine that plays at the level of Finger Lakes wine at that same price point by the glass—it doesn’t exist anymore.” Rubin credits not just land and terroir but “a collective brain trust and expertise” of like-minded people in the FLX that are driving a thirst to drink local. He wants to see this drive home in Southeastern Pennsylvania, too.

High Street executive chef Christina McKeough has seen this shift first-hand. Originally from Buffalo, NY, and having lived in and operated two restaurants in the Finger Lakes for 15 years before moving to Philly, she’s been a long-time fan of both FLX and Pennsylvania wines. These days, she’s a close collaborator with owner Ellen Yin and wine director Frank Kinyon on High Street’s domestic wine list. Most of their East Coast wines are from the FLX, which she says work well with her food menu.

“We do a lot of pastas and pizzas, so wines that are a little bit more high acid, crisper, not too full-bodied, light and lively are always things we’re keeping in mind,” says McKeough. Like Rubin, she supports winemakers and farmers in the FLX who adopt sustainable farming practices or are “breathing new life into the area,” like Nathan Kendall and Pascaline Lepeltier’s ancestral chëpìka sparkling wine project and Nancy Irelan’s popularization of Riesling pet-nats in the region with Red Tail Ridge’s Perpetual Change Réserve Perpétuelle Brut Nature.

“We’re a platform to showcase what this region can actually do. It’s not the wine that you think it is,” says McKeough. Same goes for Pennsylvania. “We have fantastic products being produced right here in our backyard, so more excitement about the region and winemaking would be great.” McKeough shouts out Mural City Cellars, Camuna Cellars, and Pray Tell Wines as leading examples.

“Find me a Napa or Sonoma wine that plays at the level of Finger Lakes wine at that same price point by the glass—it doesn’t exist anymore.
Jamie Harrison Rubin

Community Over Competition

“The Finger Lakes is definitely an opportunity zone for us, one that focuses on great sparkling wine, white wine, and rosé,” says Mural City Cellars’ Nicholas Ducos.

Mural City partners with Swedish Hill Vineyard & Winery in the FLX to make two award-winning “elegant, bright, fruit-forward, high-acid” pet-nats: Pet-Nat Blanc from Vidal Blanc grapes and Pet-Nat Rosé made from Pinot Noir. He emphasizes farmers’ role in growing quality grapes that result in fun, expressive styles, including hybrids, which have traditionally had a bad reputation in the industry. “When guests taste these wines and we tell them they’re from the Finger Lakes, they’re more happily surprised than anything,” adds Ducos. “As long as we can get the wine on the [guest’s] palate, the wine speaks for itself.”

The Fishtown winery sources grapes from within a 300-mile radius (four of their 13 wines are made from FLX grapes), sells other Pennsylvania-made products (like Galen Glen and Karamoore Estate wines), and only distributes within Philadelphia. Mural City’s all-local business model is an intentional effort to cross-promote and showcase East Coast wines. Ducos wants to see stronger industry relationships where buyers opt for unique, local wines rather than defaulting to bigger, well-known wine regions.

Scranton-raised Mural City Cellars wine club lead Michael Polk agrees. He sees similarities in the wine-making scene between Philadelphia and the FLX, where he worked for five years, as “coopetition,” where each winery has its own distinct identity and wines, but their success contributes to the region’s overall success.

“Pennsylvania is in that spot now where the Finger Lakes was 20 years ago—it’ll find its own niche over the next 10 years.
Mia Myers

“You bring the hospitality first, and the wine second—the Finger Lakes has great wine that also reinforces great hospitality,” adds Polk. “Community is what’s really driving the wine industry now.”

“We don’t see other wineries as competition,” says Mia Myers, head of Sheldrake Point Winery’s wine club and communications. “Everyone works really well in collaboration with each other—we’re all here for the same mission: making awesome wine, sharing it with people, and educating folks on how we’re different and why it matters.”

She moved from North Philly to work at Sheldrake Point on the west side of Cayuga Lake, inspired by her time at Tria Ritten-house, where she was introduced to Old World and New World wines. She’s seen Philly visitors and wine club members grow, especially during the pandemic, as tourists, including myself, halted flights to California or Europe in favor of road-trip-friendly wine excursions.

“The demand for Finger Lakes wine from Philly is seen as a local product because we’re within that 300-mile, four-hour drive,” says Myers, who hopes that the short distance helps to meet people where they are, bringing more FLX wine events in Philadelphia, like hosting wine club members’ happy hour.

Our Time Is Now

Like Myers, Philly ex-pat turned FLX lifer Jason Ferris has seen more enthusiastic and wine-educated Philadelphia-area guests visit Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, where he’s resident sommelier. Luxury lodging, farm-to-table cuisine, and affordable wines are an easy sell to metropolitan crowds like Philadelphians with a food-rich culture. “We want to show off niche wines within driving distance and grow our presence in Pennsylvania,” says Ferris. That means working with colleagues Holly Fusco and Brandon Thomas (married, also Philly ex-pats) on direct-to-consumer shipping, wine club subscriptions, restaurant partners (Starr, Vernick, Oyster House all carry Dr. Frank), and talent recruitment in Philadelphia, an important market to align their elevated brand with.

Ashley (T. Edward Wines) and David Costanzo (Vine Street Imports) agree. Both are (married) Philly sales reps who note that more distributors have FLX wines at their disposal, and there’s a push for direct-to-consumer sales, aided by wine clubs, collaborations, and tastings that drive education and demand in the Philadelphia market.

“If we keep embracing local producers from the Finger Lakes, it’s only gonna get better,” says Ashley, who released Di Bruno Bros.’ #6 wine collaboration with Red Newt Cellars. She and her husband believe FLX wines command greater respect. “Every year, we see the growth not just in different wineries popping up, but the wines themselves are getting better,” says David.

“Pennsylvania is in that spot now where the Finger Lakes was 20 years ago—it’ll find its own niche over the next 10 years,” adds Myers.

I, for one, can’t wait.