Wild Arc Farm 'Cayuga White' Finger Lakes 2023

Todd and Crystal Cavallo left Brooklyn in the summer of 2016 to try their hand at building sustainable food systems in the Hudson Valley. The couple had limited experience in agriculture, mostly confined to growing tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and hops on city fire escapes, fending off the depredations of spiteful neighborhood squirrels. The fertile Hudson Valley has been a center of New York State's food production for hundreds of years, with a winemaking history to match. Having grown up in northern NYS, Todd and Crystal wanted to show that the granitic soils and Atlantic/Catskills-influenced microclimates of the Hudson Valley can produce world class wines. Beginning with ten acres, this small, biodynamic, permaculture-focused farm is making outstanding wines and ciders from locally sourced apples and grapes as their own vineyards finally begin to come of age. This cuvée is made from the Cayuga White grape, a complex hybrid bred at Cornell University and released in 1972. It has become popular across New York State due to its cold hardy, disease resistant characteristics. The grapes for this bottling come from the certified organic Hunt Country Vineyards in the Finger Lakes. After harvest, grapes were macerated for 24 hours, then pressed into old French oak barrels and aged for 9 months before bottling without added sulfites. Bright crystalline notes open the show before a waxy, textured lime pith character takes over leading to a long, briny mineral-driven finish. Sustainably grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.