Fall 2020 Newsletter
2016 Diamond
As part of our November shipment to wine club members, we are excited to release the 2016 vintage of our Diamond. Wine club members have exclusive purchasing rights until we release to the general public in December.
As part of the release of this wine, we wanted to take some time to highlight the history of the Diamond grape (also known as Moore’s Diamond) and its potential in winemaking for the Finger Lakes region.
The History of the Diamond Grape
The grape varietal “Diamond” was developed by Jacob Moore in Brighton, New York in the 1870s and 80s. He learned horticulture from his father, Isaac, and dedicated a half century to crossing varieties in order to make a superior grape, a process called hybridization. Thomas Pinny, in his book A History of Wine in America writes, “The logic of plant breeding also required that the climate and soils of vineyard sites be studied in new detail and with exactitude, for specific characters implied specific circumstances in which they might best develop.” A grape perfectly suited to our soils and climate is exactly what Moore was aiming for, and it is precisely why we’ve planted Diamond in our vineyard.
At Song Hill, we are building on what Jacob Moore started. In the Champagne region of France, guidelines for making the highest quality champagne were laid out. We follow those guidelines, first in the vineyard (all of our grapes are hand-tended and hand-picked), and then in the processing (we observe very gentle press fractions to extract only the highest quality juice). We then add a little bit of yeast and sugar when bottling so that each bottle carbonates naturally and independently. Finally, we age the wine on the yeast lees in the bottle so that the proteins from the yeast and the grapes have time to bind with one another and create the perfect flavor profile to match the bubbles.
2013 Blanc de Blanc
More good news – the 2013 Blanc de Blanc is back in stock. Like the Diamond, it is also produced in the méthode champenoise and makes a great holiday sparkler.
Holiday Gift Bundles
This holiday we are offering up special gift packs for the wine lovers on your list. All gift bundles come with homemade vanilla grape jam and a package of homemade Viennese Christmas cookies. We are offering a pack with 2 preselected wines for $59.98 or a pack of 5 preselected wines for $129.95. You can also create your own 2 or 5 pack gift bundle. The price will adjust depending on the wines you choose. Find out more on our website at www.songhillwinery.com.
Our Online Store
While our tasting room is closed for the season, our online store is always open! You can choose to ship directly to your door or, as always, swing by the winery to pick up your online purchases. We’re currently upgrading our online experience to make it easier for you to shop and send gifts.