You Never Know What Tomorrow Will Bring

Shortly after opening Vonadeau I had a very nice salesmen stop by with some samples of Pinot Noir from a winery called Warm Lake Estates. He talked highly of the man that started the winery and thought they had a great wine and he was trying to help them reach out further to new customers.

Michael von Heckler was an Electrical Engineer of twenty eight years with Lockheed Martin, during which time he began his venture in winemaking.

In 1996 Michael discovered that just across the Canadian border in Ontario there is a large wine industry located adjacent to an age old limestone plat/outcropping, know as the Niagara Escarpment.

He had noticed that the escarpment continued on the United States side of Niagara River and asked himself, “Why not here?”

Michael's interest and research continued; The Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario provide a unique maritime climate and soil. In 1998 the first acreage was purchased and prepared for planting, in 1999 the first 2300 Dijon clone Pinot Noir plants were ordered. In 2000 the first plants were put to test on two acres of the land; the plants did well. As the years went by the part-time venture turned into a full time business which now produces "World Class Pinot Noir".

Warm Lake Estate

produces exclusively estate grown Pinot Noir using environmentally friendly techniques in the vineyard (manual weeding, no herbicides, organic fertilizers, etc.) and old world techniques in the winery (triage fruit, manual punch down, and French oak barrels).

The Warm Lake Estate 55 acre vineyard

on the Niagara Escarpment AVA is now the largest planting of Pinot Noir east of the Rocky Mountains. Using the most recent agricultural statistics available, Warm Lake Estate has almost 22% of the entire Pinot Noir production capability in the New York State. Volume is scheduled to reach 10,000 cases or 120,000 bottles when the vineyards have fully matured. They will achieve full production in 2011.

2007 Mountain Road Pinot Noir

Fine aromatic wine with bright red fruits, hints of coconuts, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and a silky, supple texture. A great wine and a great value for their World Class Pinot Noir. This wine would pair nicely with roast beef, salmon, roast turkey, and even Vic's Beef Saute with Cream and Mushroom Sauce.

The Wine Spectator 2007 Ultimate Buying Guide rated Warm Lake Estate higher than any other Pinot Noir in New York and thus confirmed what we always knew to be true - Warm Lake Estate makes the best Pinot Noir in New York State.

Niagara Wine Trail now has 12 wineries and 12 more in development it is the fastest growing wine, agricultural, tourism region in the state.

So if you enjoy Pinot Noir or are just starting to experiment with them; then this is one that you will not want to miss.