Empire Estate
The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York has a long, storied history of grape-growing and winemaking, but its sparkling wine production in the late-1800s is what initially put the area on the world’s wine map. With vineyards planted on mineral-rich soils, on slopes that hug the glacially-carved lakes, and a cool climate similar to many of the finest Old World wine regions, the Finger Lakes is an ideal terroir for making world-class wines. This project by sommelier Thomas Pastuszak, formerly of The Nomad Hotel, and winemaker Kelby James Russell of Red Newt Cellars, was created to showcase an incredible winemaking region that New Yorkers have right in their own backyard: The Finger Lakes.
