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All About Torpedo Red for Veteran's Day
ABOUT TORPEDO RED
This label was designed by the Johnson’s son, Spencer, a US Navy active duty EOD officer, in honor of his grandfather, the winery’s founder, Frederick Spencer Johnson.
The dragon carrying a torpedo was the insignia of the WWII Navy Squadron Torpedo Three which flew off the Yorktown from 1943-1945.
The silhouette of the airplane is that of a TBM Avenger, designed by Grumman Aircraft and built by General Motors. to carry a 2,000 pound aerial torpedo. On November 11, 1944*, then Lt. (junior grade) Frederick S. Johnson, age 23, single-handedly torpedoed and sank a Japanese destroyer for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Admiral John S. McCain (the recent Senator’s grandfather).
The wine is a blend of Chancellor and Pinot Noir both grown here on the farm. It is a smooth but almost-dry, full-bodied wine that is ready to drink now but should also continue improving with age for at least another five years.
This is a limited, special edition label we are now offering every November in honor of all veterans and active duty military.
* Coincidentally, November 11th is Armistice Day, now called Veterans’ Day.
Nov 7, 2022 at 6:16 AM
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Johnson Estate - Our Pet Policy
Johnson Estate Winery Pet Policy:
The recent opening of our new outdoor tasting venue, FLIGHT, adjacent to the vineyards has invited more questions about our pet policy – so here you go!
- Yes, we are a dog-friendly place. We all grew up with dogs on this farm and love them. So,
- If your Fido needs water, we have it available in the Tasting Room and at FLIGHT.
- If your Fido needs to stretch his legs with a short walk in the grape rows, that’s fine, we welcome you.
- Here’s the caveats: People come first, dogs second.
- So, at the Estate this means that:
- Dogs should be on leash at all times.
- Dogs must be picked up after (if you don’t have bags, we do).
- If Fido wants to come into the Tasting Room or lie under your table at FLIGHT, we will poll other customers already in that space. If other guests have concerns (allergies, fears, whatever), then we still have water for Fido, he/she may still take a walk, but may not come inside or accompany you to FLIGHT.
- We trust you that your Fido is well-trained, around strangers and around other dogs. If he/she has issues, please stick to water and walks for your pet.
May 30, 2022 at 8:33 AM
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FREE and Discounted Shipping Programs - Here's the Details
FREE & DISCOUNTED SHIPPING PROGRAMS:
These programs refer to ground shipment only. Please also know that orders placed on the weekend are shipped out on the following Monday. Questions? shipwine@johnsonwinery.com.
Here are the PROMOTION CODES:
OH, PA, & NY:
FREE shipping on multiples of SIX 750mL or 375mL bottles; does not apply to 1.5L bottles.
GOODNEIGHBOR6 ♦ GOODNEIGHBOR12 ♦ GOODNEIGHBOR18
GOODNEIGHBOR24 ♦ GOODNEIGHBOR36
EAST of the Mississippi:
FREE shipping on multiples of twelve 750 or 375mL bottles.
EOM12 ♦ EOM24 ♦ EOM36
WEST of the Mississippi:
50% OFF shipping on multiples of twelve 750 or 375mL bottles.
50SHIPWEST12 ♦ 50SHIPWEST24 ♦ 50SHIPWEST36
WE CAN SHIP WINES TO:
Alaska*, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii*, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, & Wyoming.
*Discounted shipping programs do not apply to Alaska & Hawaii.
If your state is not listed above, we are still able to ship non-alcoholic orders. Please take a look at our fine food products.
ORDER ONLINE OR CALL:
1-800-Drink-NY or 1-800-374-6569, 10AM - 5:30PM daily. Our tasting room team will be happy to speak with you. Please do share our shipping offers with your friends and family!
AND NOW, THE FINE PRINT:
Bottles must be 750mL or 375mL for free/discounted shipping programs.
Requires signature of someone over 21 years old.
We can ship to your home or work address.
Due to covid's impact on the shipping industry, transit times can vary from two days to seven days. For West Coast & Florida, we generally ship wines on Monday to attempt to avoid weekend delays.
Mar 25, 2022 at 3:32 PM
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"The Empty Bottle Collection"
The "Empty Bottles" that traveled the world and ended up in Westfield, NY
On Display at the Patterson Library, Westfield, NY
Made in England or Holland and filled with wine or alcohol, traveled on sailing vessels to the New World and South America in the 1700s, were dumped into the river by sailors, and then collected 200+ years later by a Westfield man.... who was working in British Guyana and had them shipped by plane to NYC/Buffalo/Westfield in the 1970s.
In the 1950s through the 1970s, Frederick S. Johnson worked in many South American countries as an agricultural consultant. He and his family lived in Venezuela for about ten years until his father died and they moved back to Western New York in 1961. He collected a wide assortment of wine and distilled beverage bottles while working in British Guiana and many may have come from Dutch Guiana (Surinam). Here’s an excerpt from an article published in the Buffalo News in 1979:
Fred was intrigued to learn that the nets of native fishermen were bringing up old bottles from the Demerara River and the ocean channels where the river meets the Atlantic. Mr. Johnson learned that these bottles had contained wine shipped to colonists of British and Dutch Guiana/Suriname back in the 17th century. These early settlers built their settlements closest to the rivers and found it handy to toss empty bottles into the water. Sand and silt, swept downstream by the water, buried the bottles and then uncovered them as channels changed....They come from a time when bottles were hand-blown, when the size and thickness of the glass varied.......The color of the glass bottles from Surinam varies from dark-green to brown-green. Many of the bottles still contain dirt and gravel… Mr. Johnson shipped scores of bottles home to Westfield, NY from South America.
Nov 30, 2021 at 3:08 PM
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Wine Duos - Act II
As many know, Winemaker Jeff Murphy has been with us for nearly two decades and continues to introduce award-winning wines to our portfolio. In November 2020, we wrote a blog about "pairs" or duos of wines made from the same grapes. These included Maréchal Foch and Ruby Dry Rosé as well as Pinot Noir and Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir. Same grapes, but very different wines. Sometimes the duos are similar but have differing subtle characteristics which result from a new vintage year or perhaps just a new - or old - idea for using wine grapes. Small differences - as in the sweetness levels of our Rieslings - can have bigger than expected impacts on flavor.
This year, Jeff requested that some of our Estate-grown Pinot Noir, which was ripening well, be harvested very late when the grapes were partially dry to make an "amarone" Italian-inspired red wine. We will see how that goes next year when it is released! In the meantime, we have other wine "pairs" which merit your attention so that YOU can choose your favorites and decide!
Brut and Sparkling Traminette
(same "methode champenoise, but different grapes. Brut, a dry sparkling, is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes)
Seyval Blanc and Hand-Picked Seyval Blanc
(machine-harvested, regular pressing versus hand-picked, frozen, and then pressed)
Toasted Oak Chardonnay and Bright Steel Chardonnay
(two different Chardonnay grape clones, one oaked, one not)
Black Locust, Dry, Semi-Dry, and Sweet Riesling
(different levels of sweetness, Black Locust also aged in acacia/black locust barrels)
Old Oak Ruby and Ruby Port
(the same grapes; the Old Oak is aged in Bourbon barrels for a year)
Old Oak Gold (SOLD OUT) and Cream Sherry
(the same grapes; the Old Oak Gold is aged in Bourbon barrels outside for a year)
Nov 28, 2021 at 8:03 AM
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The Sparkling Pair
Celebrate Christmas and Welcome the New Year with Two Sparkling Wines
Here are two wines which are perfect for toasting your friends and family!
Celebrate the season with Johnson Estate's Sparkling Traminette and newly-released Brut. These two sparkling wines, made from estate-grapes using the traditional French "methode champenoise", are a welcome addition to any holiday celebration.
Includes the gift box and complimentary gift card if you like!
ADD TO YOUR CART $44.48
Oct 22, 2021 at 12:14 PM
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A Taste of the Holidays
Here's the perfect gift for your friends and family - to thank the host/hostess or to serve at your own Thanksgiving gathering. Pair estate-made quince paste and sharp cheddar with our Provençal-style dry rosé made from estate-grown Pinot Noir grapes for a delicious bite!
Includes the gift box and complimentary gift card if you like!
ADD TO YOUR CART $27.47
Oct 22, 2021 at 12:05 PM
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Early Bird Holiday Gift Guide
Sep 24, 2021 at 8:56 AM
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Anniversary Discounts on Brut & Founders' Red
Johnson ESTATE: Celebrating 60 Years
Founders' Red & Brut (click on individual products to purchase) - 20% Anniversary Discount -
From September 2-26th: Use Promotion Code - 60YEARS
ONE-CLICK ANNIVERSARY BOXES:
Remember to use Promotion Code 60 YEARS for 20% discount!
Two Founders' Red + One Brut
Four Founders' Red + Two Brut
Sep 14, 2021 at 1:18 PM
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Celebrating 60 Years -
Johnson ESTATE: Celebrating the Founder’s 100th Birthday
NYS’ oldest estate winery has multiple anniversaries to celebrate this year!
Until Sept 26th: Founders' Red & Brut - 20% Anniversary Discount! Use Code - 60YEARS
Westfield, (NY) – If you had been in the winery on September 5th, you might have been greeted with a glass of Johnson Estate’s Brut sparkling wine so that you could join in a toast to the winery founder, Frederick S. Johnson Sr., who would have been 100 years old. And that’s not the only anniversary being celebrated by Johnson Estate, NY’s oldest estate winery. This year is also the 60th anniversary of the winery’s establishment, as Fred Sr. began the winery on his father’s fruit farm in 1961. Both the winery building and the old barn are now 100 years old and the farmhouse, where third-generation Fred Johnson Jr. lives with his wife, Jennifer, is 200 years old.
Fred Sr. would be proud to see the vineyards loaded with fruit, ready for harvest. And he'd be proud to see over forty award-winning wines filling the shelves of the century-old Tasting Room, formerly his father’s apple cold storage facility. And on those shelves he would see our award-winning Founders' Red, named for Fred Sr. and his father. Founders’ is made from Fred Sr.’s favorite Chancellor grapes (plus a little Pinot Noir), planted on the site of his father’s favorite cherry orchard. And estate-grown, hand-picked and lightly-pressed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are used to make the new dry Brut, the perfect celebratory wine with elegant effervescent bread notes. To celebrate these Labor Day Anniversaries, we're offering a 20% discount on both Founders' Red and our new Brut sparkling wine from September 5-26th. The discount is available in the winery or online (use the promotion code 60YEARS).
This year’s anniversaries make it a fitting year to open FLIGHT, the name of the winery’s new outdoor wine and food pairing location. It has beautiful vineyard vistas and permits guests to enjoy the sights and smells of harvest while savoring flights of wine, wines by the glass, and curated cheese and charcuterie boards which include locally-sourced seasonal fruits, nuts, crisps and more. FLIGHT will be open well into October, weather permitting and reservations are not required. And yes, the name FLIGHT was inspired by Fred Sr.’s service as a Navy pilot during World War II and Fred Jr.'s love of flying.
The 2021 harvest has begun and the winery’s Great Grape Walks have started - they are the perfect way to experience the estate’s vineyards, most first planted by Fred Sr. sixty years ago. These are self-guided walks during which guests sample and fill their baskets with premium estate-grown grapes, including Fred Sr,’s favorite, Chancellor. Afterwards, guests enjoy a flight of three wines and a "petite" cheese board at FLIGHT. Families with children and dogs with leashes are welcome. Visit our Event Calendar to learn more and to make reservations.
Johnson Estate Winery, with 110 acres of vineyards, is the oldest estate winery in NYS and a founding member of Lake Erie Wine Trail. For more information please visit www.JohnsonWinery.com, or www.facebook.com/johnsonwinery, or call 716-326-2191.
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Sep 14, 2021 at 8:33 AM
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