The winery is located on the east shore of Seneca Lake. Red Newt makes wines from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard descriptions below were kindly provided by winemaker Brandon Seager.
Vineyards
Tango Oaks
Only Riesling and Grüner Veltliner are planted (the Riesling in 2007). The first single vineyard bottling by Red Newt was the 2010 Tango Oaks Riesling. The vineyard is located just across the highway from Red Newt on Tango Oaks Rd. - predominantly on a fairly well-drained gravelly loam. It's the site of an ancient Indian village, as the story goes.
Sawmill Creek
The Sawmill Creek Vineyard is owned by a branch of the Hazlitt family, distinct from Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards just up the road. This is a large (by Finger Lakes standards) vineyard growing just about every vinifera variety available to our climate. The lion's share of our fruit historically comes from this grower, which I believe is in its 6th generation. The vines are well established, some of the Riesling vines are nearly 20 years old. As usual, the soil is variable, but is predominantly well-drained gravelly loam. The Riesling is predominantly planted at higher elevations.
Curry Creek
The Curry Creek vineyard is a few miles north of Red Newt off Beckhorn Road, and is the private property of John and Allison Santos. John is the Vineyard Manager at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards. It's strictly Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, and we buy the entirety of John's fruit. The soil is a siltier loam than the aforementioned. The vines are extremely well-tended. The Gewurztraminer was planted in 2002, and the Pinot Gris in 2003.
Lahoma
The Lahoma vineyard is also a large planting on the West side of Seneca lake, owned by Harlan Fulkerson. Several Riesling blocks were custom planted for Red Newt in 2008 and 2009, which make up the majority of the Lahoma Riesling blend. The soil is a gently sloped silt loam, the more important influence here being the lake effect. The aforementioned vineyards reside on the opposite side of the lake, which receives afternoon sun. This vineyard gets morning sun, which suggests less disease pressure, but subtler ripening.
