A brief history
Thank you, dear Glaciers, for carving such deep lakes.
Grapes will grow almost anywhere. But to make the finest wines, you need to choose the grape varieties that are suited to the climate of the region and to your vineyard location.
In the cool climate of the Finger Lakes, the best place to grow grapes is close to the lake. And the deeper the lake, the better.
Seneca Lake is the deepest of the eleven Finger Lakes in Central New York. Even though winter temperatures can fall below zero, Seneca Lake rarely freezes over.
Because Seneca Lake is so large and deep, it moderates the weather conditions around its shores. Temperatures near shores of the lake during the winter are warmer than temperatures at higher elevation a short distance away.
The warmer temperatures near the shores of Seneca Lake create a more hospitable climate for grape vines planted there. This means grapes planted closer to the shore of the lake are likely to get riper during the short growing season.
These lakes, and the glaciers that created them, make it possible to grow grape varieties that otherwise would not survive the cold winters. The lakes also make it possible to produce world-class wines from varieties that are known to flourish in cooler climates.
Cool-climate varieties include Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc. At Boundary Breaks, we grow each of these varieties and produce wines that express the full range styles that are possible from such classic grapes.
