Wine Duos to Compare

As many know, our winemaker, Jeff Murphy, has been with us for nearly two decades, and we are proud to say that each year, he continues to introduce new award-wining wines to our porfolio using our estate-grown grapes.  In some cases, these wines make for interesting taste comparisons since sometimes small differences - as in the sweetness levels of our Rieslings - can have bigger than expected impacts on flavor. 

Another example is our new Hand-Picked Seyval Blanc which was made with estate-grapes which were frozen and then thawed prior to pressing and fermentation, a wine-making technique used in particular in New Zealand, to preserve the peach and passion fruit flavors of Sauvignon Blanc.  While our two wines are made with the same grapes - there are subtle differences between the two, with the Hand-Picked being more dry - but we'll let you decide!

• 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 Chardonnay clones,one oaked)
• Black Locust, Dry, Semi-Dry, and Sweet Riesling
  (different levels of sweetness, Black Locust aged in acacia/black locust barrels)
• Maréchal Foch and Dry Ruby Rosé
  (both made from Foch grapes - but the Rosé made with grapes pressed before fermentation)
• Pinot Noir and Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir
  (both made from Pinot grapes - but the Rosé made with grapes pressed before fermentation)

Nov 28, 2020 at 12:26 PM Permalink

Dec.10th - Holiday Pairing: Virtual Tasting - Johnson Estate & Tasty Duck

A (virtual) Taste of Family Business –
2020 Holiday Pairing
Thurs., Dec. 10, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. ET

As 2020 draws to a close, the Cornell University's Smith Family Business Initiative (SFBI) invites you to spend a special evening discovering two storied families and their businesses, each with special ties to Cornell University. Spotlighting the Johnson and Jurgielewicz families, this delicious pairing will feature a Joe Jurgielewicz & Son's Pekin duck, with Hoisin Sauce and Bao Buns, paired with Semi-Dry Riesling and Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir from Johnson Estate.   Learn more about the Complete Peking Duck Kit.

Click HERE to register for this free Cornell hosted event.

Johnson Estate Winery
The history of Johnson Estate begins with an English orphan named Frederick Johnson. He immigrated to Canada as a teenager and found his way to Cornell at the turn of the century to study entomology. In 1908, Johnson purchased a circa-1822 home and farm along the banks of Freelings Creek in Westfield, N.Y.  The Johnson Estate endures today as New York’s oldest estate winery, with the third generation, Frederick, Jr. ’75, MBA ’77 and Jennifer Johnson MBA ‘78 as owners and operators. Today Johnson Estate Winery grows 13 varieties of grapes spanning 110 acres of vineyards on the 300-acre farm. They produce over 40 award-winning wines which they sell in the Estate’s own tasting room, online, and in stores across New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Jurgielewicz Family Duck
Four generations of Jurgielewicz family duck farming began in 1933 when Bronislaw and Katarzyna Jurgielewicz, emigrated to America from Poland via Ellis Island. The young, ambitious couple initially settled in Brooklyn but, driven by their entrepreneurial spirit, soon moved east to rural Long Island. The fledgling Jurgielewicz Duck Farm was hatched, and quickly became a top producer of Pekin ducks for the famous Long Island Duck Co-op, and remains one of the leading Pekin duck suppliers in North America. Now settled in Pennsylvania, Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, Ltd., aka Tastyduck.com, is in its’ fourth generation of farm ownership, led by Dr. Joe Jurgielewicz DVM ’81, joined by his sons Joey Jurgielewicz III MMH ’15, Dr. Jim Jurgielewicz, DVM  and Michael Jurgielewicz ‘13. The company employs over 200 and has partnered with 27 local farm families throughout Pennsylvania to raise JJS Pekin ducks, direct descendants of the ducks that Dr. Joe’s grandparents raised on their farm in Long Island.

Nov 16, 2020 at 1:45 PM Permalink

Sunflowers on Route 20 in Westfield

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 26, 2020     
Sunflowers to Brighten Summer Days
Working Together Yields a Field of Flowers

Westfield, (NY) - Back in May, during the depths of the COVID-19 lockdown, three farmers in Westfield, NY decided to brighten things up a little bit along US Route 20 on the west side of Westfield.

Fred Johnson, owner of Johnson Estate Winery and head of the local Chamber of Commerce, thought that a field of sunflowers would make a good westerly welcome to not the Winery, but also to the Town of Westfield.  Since Mr. Johnson owns some land just west of the winery, he proposed the idea to Chad Schofield, who owns Schofield Farms, and rents the land for corn and soybeans.  Chad agreed to plant sunflowers along Route 20 – but the catch was that his planting equipment didn’t include the right planting drill for large sunflower seeds.  Enter Carl Villardo, Fred’s nearby grape farmer, neighbor, and friend.  He had a John Deere 750 no-till grain drill, fondly named “Sally” which he lent to Chad to plant the sunflower seeds in the late spring.   Et voila!

What Fred forgot, however, is that sunflowers always face east towards the sun.   In a recent Science magazine, researchers noted:  “A young sunflower faces east at dawn and greets the sun and then slowly turns west as the sun moves across the sky. During the night, it slowly turns back east to begin the cycle again”.  Once the sunflower is mature, the plants face east throughout the day, providing warm flowers which attract more bees and pollinators.  So, indeed, the best vistas (and photographs) of the sunflowers will be taken on the east side of the fields on Route 20, as one is departing Westfield. 

So if you’re out for a country drive between now and Labor Day, you should visit the village of Westfield.  Then drive west for about a mile to try some of Fred’s wines and afterwards, continue west along Rt. 20 to see 600 yards of happy sunflowers looking right back at you!  It will put a smile on your face!

Aug 28, 2020 at 12:56 PM Permalink

FREE & Discounted Shipping Details

WINERY OPEN DAILY 10am-6pm 
Tastings plus bottle, food, & merchandise sales in the winery.                  
CURBSIDE PICK-UP 
is available - just call us at 716-326-2191.

ORDER WINE ANYTIME

May 4, 2020 at 6:18 AM Permalink

May Day and the Rites of Spring -

Your First Bottle Trial - Now until May 10th, just $7.50
"A little madness in the spring be wholesome even for the king”
Emily Dickinson

Maybe Emily Dickinson said this because the sweet woodruff used in Germany's May Day white wine punch was considered a tonic - or even aphrodisiac - and that this day is meant to celebrate spring, the season of fertility!

A German friend recently had this to say after she first tasted Johnson Estate's May Wine:
Hello Jennifer.  Yesterday would have been my mother's 100th birthday.   We celebrated it with one of her favorite desserts, homemade Strawberry Shortcake and your outstanding May Wine. I can assure you she would have loved it too.  It is excellent!!!! What an art to capture the taste and consistency [of a German May Wine punch] in a bottle!  That is truly a very special celebration drink. Congratulations!

Then my friend, Siggi T., shared her recipe for that Strawberry Shortcake (in our recipe section soon) and explained that the German tradition is to put fresh strawberries and small bouqets of sweet woodruff in the "Mai Bowle" punchbowl.

Here's a woodland stream in Germany - it looks not unlike what we might find here in Western NY - and in fact, our "terroir" is very similar to that found in Germany.  Hence, at Johnson Estate, we can grow the same grapes varieties grown in Germany:  Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir (Spatzburgunder in Germany).  And we can make award-winning wines from those grapes.  Testimony to this is our award-winning Semi-Dry Riesling, not to mention the awards won by other Rieslings, our Pinot Noir, and our May Wine.  

Apr 27, 2020 at 4:20 PM Permalink

What's Sweet Woodruff?

The Story Behind Johnson Estate's May Wine
Johnson Estate is located in a special microclimate along the shores of Lake Erie, similar to that found in Germany.  As a result, the grapes grown and wine made in Germany - Rieslings, Pinot Noir, and ice ones - are exactly the ones which also do well here in western New York.

Johnson Estate's Winemaker Jeff Murphy, travels to Europe every year or two and often comes back with some new insights or "discoveries" which are utilized in our products or events.  These have included: the terracotta bottles used for our Ruby Port and Cream Sherry; the glass corks manufactured in Germany and now used on our Freelings Creek wines, and the idea of serving "Fedderweiser", a partially fermented grape juice, for a fall Riesling celebration. 

May Day in Germany
In Germany, spring festivities feature "Maiwein", or white wine punches with strawberries and a handful of the shade-loving herb, sweet woodruff (shown here, behind the bottle, just emerging for spring).  Jeff was inspired by the annual celebration of May Day in Germany to create Johnson Estate’s own May Wine, using estate-grown Vidal Blanc wine and an infusion of dried sweet woodruff.  This sparkling May Wine was first released in 2016 and since the "experiment" was so well-liked, production was doubled the following year.  Our current plan is to release, each spring, a limited vintage of this special wine.    .

But What is Sweet Woodruff?
Galium Odoratum
In Germany, sweet woodruff is called “Waldmeister” or the “Master of the Woods”.  It is a spring blooming perennial plant which thrives in moist woodland shade.  In the Middle Ages, it was known as an herbal medicine since the dried leaves contain coumarin and infusions were used as a spring tonic and even as an aphrodisiac.  When dried, the herb has the long-lasting scent of freshly mown grass and vanilla.  The dried herb has been used for centuries as a strewing herb, for pot pourri or as a perfume ingredient, as a tonic in tea, and an ingredient in German May Wine or a punch made with white wine, this herb, and strawberries – to celebrate the coming of spring.

See May Wine product listing.

Apr 15, 2020 at 5:58 AM Permalink

Concord Grapes, Our Region's Specialty

Here's an article about our region's specialty - Concord Grapes - and their perhaps unappreciated nutritional value.  Aside from our American tradition of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the fruit is a little forgotten.  Rarely in New York State, and certainly not enough in Western NY, home of the largest Concord grape belt in the whole world, can one find a Concord pie.  There's juice sometimes, but nothing else.  A pity.  Johnson Estate sells Grower's Grape Cooperative's 100% Concord Concentrate from Western NY (and the climate here helps us to produce a tarter version of this specialty compared to Welch's blended Concord juice) as well as Concord Filling (great in these Concord Grape Tarts/Bars).  Naturally, Johnson Estate makes our own award-winning Concord Wine  from Estate-grown grapes.  We believe is the best in the world.

CONCORD GRAPES - 8 SURPRISING FACTS
Judith Upton, US News & Health Report

Talk about purple power – the pigment that gives Concord grapes their distinctive hue is responsible for the (super) fruit's super powers. Here are some, er, grape reasons to add more purple produce, including Concord grapes, to your shopping cart:

They may improve your health. Purple may be the color of royalty, but purple-hued foods signify improved health. One study found that Americans who eat purple and/or blue fruits and veggies (Concord grapes, blueberries, plums, eggplant) had smaller waistlines, lower blood pressure and reduced markers of inflammation compared to those who didn't eat purple/blue foods.

They provide benefits similar to red wine. Many of the beneficial polyphenols found in Concord grapes are the same as those present in red wine. Hundreds of studies conducted over decades show that these natural compounds promote cardiovascular health.

They're nutrient-rich. About 19 Concord grapes (one handful) contain around 30 calories and equal 1/2 cup or one serving of fruit. And, if you're sipping 100 percent grape juice, you're scoring the same beneficial polyphenols of the fruit because the beverage is made from the skin, seeds and flesh of Concord grapes. Cheers to that!

They contain compounds that fight free radicals. While human clinical trials are limited, mounting laboratory, animal-model and other types of research studies suggest that purple foods, such as Concord grapes, blueberries and plums, can neutralize free radicals that can cause DNA damage when left unchecked.

They relax your arteries. Relaxed arteries are considered healthy arteries. Two decades' worth of research shows that Concord grapes and 100 percent grape juice are good for the heart and help maintain clean and flexible arteries that improve blood flow. This is thanks to the potent polyphenols in the super fruit.

They help keep your mind sharp. Concord grapes, grape juice and red wine may also help maintain grey matter as you age. That means an improvement in cognitive function and a reduced risk for declines in memory, due to the beneficial cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, according to laboratory, animal model and small human clinical trials.

They're natural performance-enhancers. Studies on antioxidant supplements suggest a reduction in markers for inflammation among athletes. One small human clinical trail that included 12 adult runners reported that those who supplemented their diet with purple grape juice had improved endurance.

They may help boost immunity. One study of 85 middle-aged adults found that those who were given 100 percent grape juice daily for nine weeks (in the absence of eating any other blue/purple foods) had an increase in a certain type of immune system cell compared to those who drank a placebo beverage.

Mar 20, 2020 at 5:35 AM Permalink

March - Maple Madness

March - Maple Madness - Celebrate at Johnson Estate with Maple Liqueur & French Crêpes!

In Western New York and Pennsylvania, the maple tapping season usually begins in March and we begin to see tubing and pails attached to large sugar maple trees.  Soon the maple syrup will be simmering away and the local sugar shacks and pancake houses will be open for business. 

Johnson Estate's Maple Liqueur
Winemaker, Jeff Murphy, loves maple syrup and made an aperitif using estate-grown grape spirits, Vidal wine, and local syrup. The Maple Liqueur tastes like a combination of ice wine and sherry, with a hint of maple on fhs finish. Johnson Estate released this new liqueur in March 2015, just as the region’s tapping season began. To celebrate NYS Maple Weekends, Fred suggested that the winery serve Maple Liqueur and crêpes, which Fanny Tauzin-Dauga, a 2014 French winery intern, made for us during her stay here. So each year, Johnson Estate, a member of the NYS Maple Association participates in Maple Weekends.

A Tasting Room Tradition - Celebrating with French Crêpes
It has become Johnson Estate's annual tradition to serve Julia Child’s French Crêpes and Fancy Ground Nuts with a glass of the Maple Liqueur on the NYS Maple Association’s designated weekends.  This year, Chef Edward Work from the Athenaeum Hotel will be flipping crêpes both weekends ($5/person).  We’ll also be selling French Crêpe kits (white flour as well as gluten-free, buckwheat) so that you can make these treats at home.  We also sell locally-made maple syrup and other maple products.

Mar 2, 2020 at 9:11 AM Permalink

January 17-20 - All About Ice Wine

All About Ice Wine at Johnson Estate!
What it is, how it is made, and why it is packaged in small bottles.   Come see!

• Special Offer:  Buy one Sparkling Rosé Ice Wine (750ml) and get a $15 off a second bottle or a $15 Gift Certificate to use another day.
• Register to Win the Grand Ice Wine Basket: We're doing a drawing at the end of the weekend for an "ice wine gift basket".  Just sign up with your email!
• Photo Album: See how this "mid-winter" harvest is done!
• Did You Know?:   A series of questions to learn all about ice wine.
• Ice Wine Flights:  Ice Wine & Dessert Pairings (three ice wines, fancy nuts, & cookie)
                               Vertical Flights - Taste different vintages of ice wine & compare!
• Pairing Lists:  Want to know what to pair with ice wines?   Recommendations available.
• Recipes:  We'll also have our favorite recipes to pair with your dessert wines.
• Fancy Nuts:  Austrian Hazelnuts, and other choices to pair with our award-winning ice wines.
• Birch Gift Boxes:  Buy a bottle of ice wine - and the Birch Gift box is just $5.
• "Best Award Ever":  98 Pt. Award Winner!  2017 Chambourcin Ice Wine - limited supply 

Jan 13, 2020 at 2:30 PM Permalink

A December Dinner in the Tasting Room

    
Every year, the Patterson Library hosts an August auction - and this year loyal supporters of the Library purchased a dinner hosted by Johnson Estate Winery
(actually, there were two dinners, but that is another story). 
We are sharing photographs and Chef Edward Work's menu for the dinner held on December 13th in the tasting room when it was all decorated for Christmas.  Chef Ed is the head chef at the Athenaeum Hotel, but off-season, is able to share his talents with us and others.  The meal was delicious and perhaps offers readers some food and wine pairing ideas! 

* * *

Appetizers
Artisan Cheese and Charcuterie Board with Assorted Pickles, Olives & Jams
Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

First Course
House-Made Fettucinne with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce &
Wilted Greens, Roasted Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Seeds
Semi-Dry Riesling

Main Course
Red Wine & Herbed Beef Bourguignon, Parsnip Potato Purée,
garnished with Crispy Root Vegetables
Cabernet Sauvignon

Salad
Shaved Kale & Brussel Sprouts with Hard Boiled Egg, Hazelnuts, Craisins, Pecorino Cheese, 
Rye Croutons & Sherry-Bacon Jam Vinaigrette
Sparkling Traminette

Dessert
Orange & Almond Cake with Chantelle Cream,
Orange Supreme, Almond Bark & Dark Chocolate Shavings
Cream Sherry

Dec 15, 2019 at 10:36 AM Permalink