While we were traveling, one of my favorite Finger Lakes winemakers (and individuals) was interviewed for Terroirist Daily Wine blog! August works as the head winemaker for Keuka Springs Winery in the Finger Lakes, and is super passionate about winemaking and the the area he works and lives in.

Very accomplished in his young career, August was a big part of the team that won the coveted NY Governors Cup for their 2012 vintage of Riesling. While the awards are nice and as well as the recognition, August is a very cool, engaging guy that loves to talk about what he loves to do. I briefly worked with his wife, Sara, and was lucky enough to meet them after recently relocating to our area. I found them both to be intelligent, engaging, and what the future of the Finger Lakes wine industry is becoming all about. Young, energetic blood!

As for the interview he did with Terroirist Wine Blog, here is a little sample…

“What is your general winemaking philosophy?”

“I’m too young to post an overarching winemaking philosophy. My winemaking is still a work in progress, and I wouldn’t want to claim some grand idea only to change it two years hence. I believe every vintage of wine that I’ve made so far shows significant stylistic developments. But there are a few truths that I think I’ve identified that I don’t see changing: 1) Wine is mysterious. You have to embrace the vagarities of the winemaking process. Sometimes things work or don’t work for no apparent reason. You can’t decide what you want to do a priori, you have to learn and experiment as you go. And if you pay attention, you figure out what works. 2) At the end of the day, wine quality is about texture. I was taught that with white wine, you’re going for love at first sniff: the nose, the aromatic burst, that’s the thing. Beautiful aromatics will make the people swoon. With red wine, it’s love at first sight that you’re after. That deep, dark red (or maybe purple) color will entrance people every time. These things are true so far as they go, I suppose. But what separate a great wine from the merely passable is, I believe, texture. How a wine feels in your mouth – coarse or silky, racy or flabby, balanced or awkward – is the real test of a wine’s mettle. Figuring out how to achieve that perfect mouthfeel in my wines will, I suspect, take the rest of my life.”

With the help of these young, fresh winemakers, our area will only grow in production and outstanding quality wines. It’s an exciting time to try more local wines here in our region of the Finger Lakes!

Follow the link here to read the rest of the interview with August! Www.Terroirist.com