Champagne Wishes: Fox Run Vineyards Dry Riesling Finger Lakes 2013 Recommended by Whom You Know! The Hit Parade from New York State by Scott Osborn Continues...
We celebrate our second review from Fox Run Vineyards!
Our first one:
Improve your afternoon and open the Riesling with us!
My Mother loved a good Riesling in the summertime. It’s the type of wine that bears up under the heat of summer, or early fall, with its own subtleties. The Fox Run Dry Riesling 2013 will satisfy and prolong the sweetness of summer with its crisp finish. Riesling served with any dish can be a delightful change from other wines you may typically try in the dog days. But this Finger Lakes wine adds a hint of sweet to its tannic under note.
With a summer choucroute, this one with vegetarian sage sausage, carrots, and potato the Fox Run Riesling 2013 was the perfect touch. So perfect, indeed that it was added to the casserole as a vital ingredient with some juniper berries, instead of the usual gin that the recipe calls for. I can imagine a succulent piece of fish as well, as this particular Riesling snaps to attention once it’s chilled.
I really wanted to try this Riesling from Fox Run Vineyards, but had no idea what to pair it with. Usually, I think I need something spicy and zesty with a Riesling, but that’s not the case! To bunk that myth, I had it with a grilled steak over pasta with a topping of a tomato-avocado sauce.
It was amazing! This is a dry Riesling, so it’s not sweet like you typically think of when you hear “Riesling”. Therefore, it goes well with just about anything, especially on a warm summer evening. Of course, I opened the bottle and enjoyed some of this delicious Riesling while cooking as well. The citrusy zest cleansed my palate and whet my appetite. It was cool, slightly acidic (but in a good way) and was delicious both by itself and with food.
The Fox Run Vineyards Riesling, 2013, is a dry wine from the Finger Lakes region of New York. It is perfumed with lime, citrus and kiwi. It has a mineral undertone which is extremely pleasing and refreshing. What I especially like about this wine was that it is dry and not sweet, as are many Rieslings. A great choice for a light summer supper or a beach party! This delightful wine was a perfect match for my dinner of wild grilled salmon salad with blueberries and mango. The wine went equally well with a pot luck dinner at the beach featuring fresh oysters and clams as well as a white bean salad infused with rosemary infused olive oil, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. A real treat!
The Vineyard
Vineyard Sources: Fox Run Vineyards Blocks 4, 8 & 11
Block 4 – Established 1989, fertile, well-drained soil with sandy loam over lakeshore stones, elevation 660 ft.
Block 8 – Established 1997, clays and silts with shallow bedrock and glacial till, elevation 590 ft.
Block 11 – Established 1998, fertile, well-drained soil with sandy loam over lakeshore stones, elevation 660 ft.
Varietal Composition: 100% Estate-grown Riesling
Growing Conditions: 2013 presented considerable challenges to Finger Lakes growers. Heavy rain throughout June and July slowed ripening and made vineyard access difficult. To everyone’s delight, though, the rains stopped around mid August and we enjoyed seven weeks of the driest, warmest weather in memory.
The Winemaking
Harvest Date: October 5 and 17, 2013
Brix At Harvest: Average 19.9° B
Grapes were picked in the early morning to ensure that they arrived at the winery at a low temperature. The fruit was gently crushed and pressed. Fermentation was conducted at moderate temperatures using three different yeast strains. The wines were chilled just before reaching dryness to leave a small amount of residual sugar in the wine.
The Wine 
Residual Sugar: 0.7%
pH: 3.09
Acidity: 7.7 g/L
Alcohol: 11.2%
Bottling Date: March 21, 2014
Production: 2000 cases
On The Palate
We are extremely proud of this zesty aromatic dry Riesling. It is a classic example of the style of wine that has made the Finger Lakes world famous. Aromas of lime zest and wet rocks let the taster know that this is a serious Finger Lakes Riesling. In the mouth, this wine displays abundant citrus and tree fruit flavors and mouth-watering acidity.
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Under the passionate ownership of Scott Osborn and Ruth Osborn, Fox Run Vineyards is one of the first and truly great artisanal wine producers in the cool-climate Finger Lakes region of New York State.
planted in 1984 and the Civil War-era dairy barn was converted to a winemaking facility in 1990 – three years before Scott Osborn took over the helm.
Working closely with winemaker Peter Bell and vineyard manager John Kaiser, the Osborns are dedicated to a program of minimal intervention winemaking. With sustainable practices in both vineyard and cellar, Fox Run adheres to a low impact agricultural philosophy – protecting the di- verse ecosystem present on its land and the pristine waters of Seneca Lake.
In 2012, Fox Run Vineyards became exclusively family-owned. Scott and Ruth Osborn, together with Kathleen and Albert Zafonte, Ruth Osborn’s sister and brother- in-law are setting the course for an exciting new chapter. “We are redefining our legacy”, says Scott Osborn. “The team is tight here.
Our acclaimed winemaker, Peter Bell, has overseen 18 estate vintages and John Kaiser, our vineyard manager, began developing the vineyards in 1984 – even before I set eyes on this magnificent property. We are all excited about the future here and our focus will center on the signature wines of the estate.”
There are several wood-aged fortified wines – including a Tawny and Ruby-Style Port. Hedonia, a White Port, is made entirely from Traminette grapes. The
Geology Series represents Rieslings sourced from specific vineyard blocks on the estate, that lie within the boundaries of ancient lakes and shorelines.
In 1996, a new wine facility was completed with state-of-the-art capabilities
Scott & Ruth Osborn
For Scott Osborn, international politics were the first interest of this Rochester, NY native. The son of two professors, Osborn attended the Friends World College with campuses all over the world, and studied in Kenya, India, Thailand, Japan, and England. After college, in the mid 1970s,
he went into the real estate development business in Lake County California, where he discovered his passion for wine. In 1980 he took his first job in the industry, labeling bottles at Konocti Winery. His aptitude led to cellar master positions at Zaca Mesa and Byron Winery.
Returning east in 1986, Osborn soon realized that the Finger Lakes region was where he wanted to make his mark producing wine, eventually with his own winery.
Osborn is a frequent participant in wine judgings,
panel discussions, and symposia relating to fine wine production in the Finger Lakes.
