Federweisser is the first pressing of the wine making season. Feder and wiess are German words for feather and white, (finally my high school German becomes useful)! The appearance of the suspended yeast in this 5% + alcoholic drink gives it a whitish color and is technically known as a must. Anthony Road Winery located in Penn Yan on Seneca Lake is owned and operated by the Martini family. They have been holding a Federweisser celebration to usher in the new wine making season with friends, music and food for 15 years. The winery was about 20 minutes from my Sunny Point residency, a bit of a ride but I knew I needed to go for the fun and to revisit a winery that played a part in my family's life over 27 years ago! Ann Martini is Kate Berry's sister. When Dave and I were first married we rented an apartment from Kate and her husband Ric in Canandaquia NY. Even after we moved out of their apartment, we remained friends and visited back and forth. One visit involved going with the Berry's to the winery to help pick grapes. By then we had a 2-1/2 year old son named Ian. Harvesting wine grapes was a new experience for us, particularly with a toddler in a body cast! Poor Ian broke his femur in a playground accident early that summer. We probably weren't all that productive pickers as we wheeled Ian through the rows of grapes but I remember having fun and enjoying the sun and smell of the grapes. I got a chance to share a couple of meals with Ann and her family while in residency at Sunny Point. The family's warmth and generosity were much appreciated while I was away from my own family and the solo artist at Sunny Point. I love how the winery is a family run operation and how at anytime you might see several of Ann and Jack's grandchildren running around the property having a great time with their cousins! I remember running with a pack of cousins when I was a kid and having the best time. We didn't have a winery to run through but if we did I know we would have had as much fun as the Martini cousins!
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LEAP 366
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