"The event is virtual, the food is real". January 25th - Peking Duck & Wine Pairings

One of Johnson Estate's first virtual tasting events during the pandemic took place in December 2020. Organized with the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University, the virtual tasting featured two businesses owned by Cornell alumni (wines and duck!). It was such a great evening, all done remotely via zoom along with Tasty Duck's owners, that there have been requests for a repeat.

So here we go! 
January 25th 7:00-8:30pm
Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Peking Duck & Wines from Johnson Estate

More details are found on Cornell's website HERE.

Dec 22, 2023 at 6:50 PM Permalink

The Perfect Christmas Gift - Legends of the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt

Dear Reader,
This just-released, highly-illustrated 132-page book is a perfect Christmas gift from Western NY.  Most especially for those who have happy memories of living in this region, where October's grape aromas are an essential part of fall, and whose grape industry also created the beautiful agricultural vistas of vineyards and the historic villages that line Route 20, creating a special sense of place.

Located in the center of the world's largest Concord grape belt, Johnson Estate's story is included in this book.

It was when I was in my early thirties, that I realized that I was drawn to historic buildings and landscape architecture, which together create a "sense of place". Every time my husband, Fred Johnson, and I moved, I wanted to find an old house and enjoy that city’s unique sense of place. And when we lived in Australia, I was able to complete a master’s degree in historic preservation.  Fred and I like to tell this "quick" story to guests: “We have been married for over 41 years and Fred's career, working for international food companies including Frito-Lay and Chiquita Banana, explains why our son was born in Australia and our daughter in Canada. It explains why they learned Spanish on a banana plantation in Panama.  And why our move to the Johnson family farm and winery in 2013 after our children had finished college, was move number fourteen.  We have now lived in WNY longer than anywhere else.”

After moving into the 200-year-old farmhouse next door to the winery, I discovered the WNY Heritage Magazine, and quickly began to appreciate the region’s unique sense of place. I learned that it was the generations of families who had worked in the grape industry - growing, processing, or delivering grapes - who had created its unparalleled and beautiful agricultural vistas of vineyards and the historic villages along the shores of Lake Erie.  I loved having issues of the magazine with John Thomas Slater’s articles about the region in the Tasting Room – even if that meant purchasing 200 copies for Wine Club members, visitors to the winery, and travel writers! As a result, I was happy to join Author John Thomas Slater and Editor/Publisher, Doug DeCroix, in supporting the publication of this special book of the region's stories and making it available to our growers, residents, and visitors.

The book is the result of over a decade of collaborative research by a network of dedicated historians and archivists working with author John Thomas Slater. This special publication, of 132 pages, shares the rich and evocative stories of the vineyards, farms, wineries and people that have made up this unique viticultural region since the early 1800s. 

So, open a bottle, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy these stories about "our special place".

Jennifer Johnson

Nov 25, 2023 at 8:52 AM Permalink

Estate's Sparkling Traminette - Selected for 2023 Alumni Wine Collection - Cornell Alumni Affairs

Warm Regards,
Fred Johnson (Cornell '75 & MBA '77) & Jennifer (MBA '79)

The Johnson Family - Four Generations at Cornell

It's easy to write that title, but it's challenging to summarize a 100+ year old story that begins with an orphan from England who entered Cornell in the fall of 1895 after immigrating from Canada. The Cornell Alumni Magazine does it well in this article:  "It Began with a Cornellian".

Nov 9, 2023 at 1:49 PM Permalink

FLIGHT

FLIGHT, Outdoor Tasting Venue

  
Open in September and

Sep 15, 2023 at 5:51 AM Permalink

FLIGHT, the Estate's Outdoor Tasting Venue

FLIGHT


Here's a little information about the Boards prepared for our guests at Johnson Estate - the ones pictured above are intentionally created with some different foods to pair well with certain wines. Our goal is to provide guests with the opportunity to sample three different wines (one doesn't get that even at an elegant dinner party!) and pair them with a variety of different foods.

CHEESE:
This year, FLIGHT is featuring cheeses regionally made by Goot Essa, an Amish-owned cooperative located in Howard, PA. Their production of artisanal, small-batch cheeses using milk from the animals - cows, sheep, and goats - on their farms. The Boards also feature goat cheeses from Old Chatham Creamery, Groton, NY as well Lively Run.

LOCAL FRUIT & PRODUCE:
What better way to enjoy local produce from Western NY & PA. The Boards include seasonal fruits and vegetables - we had strawberries in June and cherries until mid-July. They were accompanied by sugar snap peas and sliced cucumbers. Now the blueberries are in full force - and a local delicious force that must be tried! Local peaches will soon join the board. Each plays a role in providing a palate cleanser or pairing with the selected wines and other foods on the Board.

PERFECT PAIRINGS:
Each cheese and charcuterie board is prepared depending on not only your choice of wines, as well as your preferences for food (we can make sure that the boards are gluten-free, for example). The Board that we prepare to pair with sparkling wines includes a Smoked White Fish Dip; a "perfect pairing" with our Sparkling Traminette. Rose wines might include goat cheese with Quince Paste, another "perfect pairing" from our perspective.

 

Jul 17, 2023 at 5:56 PM Permalink

What Sheila Said About Dry Rose of Pinot Noir

Jennifer has a dear friend from high school, Sheila M., who still lives in Virginia. Now retired, she and her husband have been able to visit the winery and farm. And she has discovered some favorites amongst our portfolio. Here's what she said when she  first ordered a case of Dry Rosé two years ago: 

Apr 27, 2023 at 3:08 PM Permalink

Erielicious - Jennie Geisler brings you a taste of food and drink around Erie. Here's her story about Johnson Estate's Maple Liqueur paired with French Crepes!

Mar 23, 2023 at 6:26 PM Permalink

Quelle Surprise: Our Trip to France + Pierre's Vision of LEWC

TABLE Magazine, Quelle Surprise
Winter 2022, Story by Pierre Brun w/ Photos by Jeff Swensen

Here's Pierre Brun at FLIGHT, fall 2022.

Piere and Jeff's article about their multiple visits to Lake Erie Wine Country during which they met with owners and winemakers of several wineries and sampled wines using their broad international perspective was a "deep dive" and recognized the potential and the "virtual rebirth" of the region. Their "Judgement of Lake Erie" was a clever way to analyze the wines in the area.

Since Fred and I had visited Reims and Epernay in May 2022,
Pierre's compliment for our Brut was especially appreciated!
Here we are in Epernay, France, on the Avenue de Champagne:

"An award for the sparkling wines (or méthode champenoise) was also given, by our tasters, as they were excellent....Johnson Estate Freelings Creek Reserve Brut distinguished themselves very clearly, suggesting that we might envision this region as an eventual "new Reims", with distinctive wines drawn from its own viticulture."

Jan 31, 2023 at 12:32 PM Permalink

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 Permalink

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 Permalink