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Summer! Celebrate with SIX Sparkling Wines
Brut: Handcrafted in the traditional "méthode champenoise" from our own estate-grown Pinot Noir (75%) and Chardonnay (25%) grapes. Elegant effervescence releases soft notes of freshly baked bread that mingle with aromas of green apple, fresh berries, and white peach. Clean, lasting finish with hints of mineral and slate. This new release from Winemaker Jeff Murphy dances on the palate.
Brut Rosé: In this exciting new release, hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes are lightly pressed to produce a beautiful traditional method rosé sparkling wine. Fresh aromas of strawberry and raspberry lead to a balanced palate full of fresh watermelon and even more berries. Finishes dry, crisp, and clean.
Sparkling Traminette: Handcrafted in the traditional "méthode champenoise" from our own estate-grown Traminette grapes. Bright and fruity with intense aromas of passion fruit, guava and rose. The palate is crisp yet smooth with hints of citrus and lychee followed by a clean finish. Pairs beautifully with a variety of foods including poultry, fish, smoked fish, fruits, and desserts.
The Queen's Catawba: A sparkling and sweet wine with traditional tart Catawba flavors.
King Ives: We've added bubbles to our classic Ives to produce a beautifully aromatic wine with notes of ripe grape, cotton candy, and fresh flowers. The palate explodes with more grapes and hints of ripe berries. Carbonation enhances the experience and provides a unique pink foam to be pondered.
May Wine: First released in the spring of 2016, Johnson Estate’s May Wine is a semi-dry (residual sugar of 2.5%) and bubbly wine made from Vidal Blanc grapes and delicately flavored with an infusion of sweet woodruff. Winemaker Jeff Murphy was inspired by Germany's annual celebration of May Day – where the festivities include "MaiWein" or wine punch, including one that features white wine, strawberries, and the shade-loving dried herb, sweet woodruff.
May 29, 2024 at 8:51 AM
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"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
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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
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Estate's Sparkling Traminette - Selected for 2023 Alumni Wine Collection - Cornell Alumni Affairs
We are happy to share with you the news that Cornell Alumni Affairs was selected Johnson Estate's Sparkling Traminette to be included in their 2023 Alumni Wine Collection! Johnson Estate's prosecco-like Sparkling Traminette (made with Estate-grown Traminette , which was developed by Cornell University) is the first sparkling wine to be included in this annual collection of wines by the Cornell Alumni Affairs. Read more here about the 2023 Cornell Alumni selections and the artists.
Sold Out in Three Days!
The good news/bad news - our Sparkling Traminette "SOLD OUT" three days after Cornell's release of the Collection. We couldn't believe it, but due to a too conservative level of inventory, Cornell purchasers did indeed buy all of Sparkling Traminette! But yes, here's the same vintage of Sparkling Traminette available with its traditional label.
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
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FLIGHT
FLIGHT, Outdoor Tasting Venue
OPEN September and October
Fridays & Saturdays - 11am - 5pm
Sundays - 11am - 3pm
Join us for flights or glasses of wine
and seasonally-curated cheese and charcuterie boards!
Open in September and
Sep 15, 2023 at 5:51 AM
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FLIGHT, the Estate's Outdoor Tasting Venue
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
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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:
"Okay. I surrender to the Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir. All three bottles I ordered are gone. Hence, I just ordered another case this afternoon. It is really good. I usually do not drink rosé at all but this one just goes with everything ... or nothing at all!".
Thank you Miss Sheila for these kind words about one of our favorites!
Apr 27, 2023 at 3:08 PM
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Quelle Surprise: Our Trip to France + Pierre's Vision of LEWC
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
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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.
The applicable shipping discount will be applied in the checkout screen after entering shipping and billing information.
FOR OHIO, NEW YORK, & PENNSYLVANIA ORDERS
Free shipping on orders in multiples of six 375 or 750mL bottles (1.5L bottles not eligible).
EAST OF THE ROCKIES:
Free shipping of multiples of Twelve 750mL or 375mL bottles.
WEST OF THE ROCKIES:
50% OFF shipping of multiples of Twelve 750mL or 375mL bottles.
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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