A brief history
“Our mission is excellence,” says Lenny Cecere, proprietor of Ventosa Vineyards— and he means it. With the modus operandi of a devout perfectionist, Lenny is putting this winery on the map, one happy wine-drinker at a time. “Ventosa” translates to windy in Italian, and the name sets the stage for the winery’s Italian-inspired ambiance. The Mediterranean roots of the vineyard date back to Lenny’s grandfather who came to Geneva, New York, from Italy. Beer, wine and spirits were hard to come by when Prohibition and the Great Depression brought about hard times. As a tavern owner, Lenny’s grandfather learned to make his own wine as a means of survival. Driven by enthusiasm, Lenny pursued his own calling with the help of his wife, Meg. After years of careful planning, they opened the 65-acre Ventosa Vineyards in 2005. Lenny moved from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a general contractor to pursue a goal that he, his father and grandfather shared.
Every year, Lenny and Meg return to Italy and have modeled the winery in Tuscan fashion to reflect their trips. The amber-yellow and terracotta interior of the tasting room offers an equally Mediterranean feel to the alfresco dining option on the terrace. Sitting on the northeast shore, views of Seneca Lake and the cool westerly winds keep diners company as they feast on Tuscan-inspired fare from Cafe Toscana: paninis, pizza, homemade soups, antipasti and biscotti with cappuccinos.
We hired consultants, which were paramount in establishing Ventosa, both in the initial set-up and consulting with Ventosa’s first winemaker, Eric Shatt. This team, armed with RJ Passalacqua as the general manager, aims for 100% in all that they do. Excellence in the fields equates to excellence in the bottle, making any necessary sacrifice to obtain this. Giving up volume for the sake of precision, Ventosa has set a bar that it intends to keep—a sure fire way to keep each visitor pleased. Grapes that lack perfection are pruned off and discarded. This results in a lower production volume, but higher quality fruit. Our average yield is 2.5-3 tons per acre=60-66 tons, that equates to 4,200-4,700 cases per year.
