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For Immediate Release: Arbor Hill Winery Strikes Gold February 24, 2009 If the old saying “when you’re hot, you’re hot” holds credence, then Arbor Hill Winery has been on fire. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine region in Naples, NY, the winery has been racking up award after award at various wine events both locally and nationally. On January 30, 2009 Arbor Hill Winery and Grapery received the Tourism Business of the Year award at the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce Dinner. This prestigious award is given annually to a local business that exhibits outstanding achievement while also contributing to the community. In February Arbor Hill first struck gold at the Florida State International Wine Competition as the winery’s Rhine Street Red was awarded a Double Gold Medal, one of only 42 wines out of 1,382 wines entered to accomplish this feat. In addition their Rhine Street White was awarded a silver medal while their 2007 vintages of Classic Traminette and Vergennes each took home a bronze. In March the winery struck gold again, this time in Napa, California at the Appellation of America wine festival. Their 2007 Iona Rose was awarded a Double Gold Medal while their 07’s of Classic Traminette and Noiret each received a Gold. Also in March the winery medaled five times at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition held in Rochester, NY. “We are proud to receive these awards,” owner John Brahm stated. “It is an honor to have your life’s work recognized in this way.” Ron Reals is the director of New York state wine for the Opici Wine Group and Import Company. ### Arbor Hill’s Heart Healthy Wine-Based Cooking Sauces Offer a One-Two Punch of Omega-3 Fatty Acids January 15, 2009
This heart healthy product was made from the heart. John Brahm, the owner of Arbor Hill, wanted to create a low fat, low calorie but tasty, sauce that could also offer an alternative source for healthy Omega 3s (2 tbsp. of the sauce provides a full 20% of the recommended daily value). “My wife, Katie, is allergic to fish which is the most common source for Omega 3 fatty acids,” Brahm explains. “By using flax meal as an ingredient in the sauces, we have added both Omega 3s and rich flavor that can transform any meal into a healthy fine dining experience.” Brahm continues, “I was very excited to learn about a recent study that claims wine by itself can provide Omega 3 fatty acids, giving our new product a one-two punch.” The recent European study published in the January, 2009 issue of American Journal of Clinical Research states OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS may also be increased by moderate alcohol consumption, and particularly wine. Wine is always the first or second ingredient in Arbor Hill’s products, which is not always true in other wine-based cuisine, and with their many uses and a healthy burst of Omega 3s, theses finishing sauces can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. ### Perfect Gift for the Wine Lover on Your List December 15, 2008
Wine Master, John Brahm, III is offering a private wine tasting for groups of 4 to 20 people. “Our customers have been asking for a more intimate experience when they are purchasing our wines. We have created this new package to give them a unique and unforgettable wine experience,” Brahm states. During the Private Wine Tasting John Brahm will share his extensive knowledge of grapes, grape-growing, wine making and wine tasting. Guests will sample 5 different Arbor Hill wines with the Wine Master describing the history and grape used for each one. A tour of the wine cellar, New York produced cheeses and a complimentary wine glass are also included. Rates start at $10 per person. For more information or to purchase a gift certificate visit www.thegrapery.com, the Arbor Hill retail store located at 6461 Route 64 in South Bristol or call 800-554-7553. ### Locally Made Gifts for the Foodie on Your List December 8, 2008 South Bristol’s Arbor Hill Winery known for their award-winning wines and zesty wine-based food products is stocked with gift items for the foodie on everyone’s shopping list. “Our family loves this time of year, it is satisfying to know our products are enjoyed by so many people around the world,” comments retail manager Sherry Brahm. “We enjoy receiving orders from customers in Florida that are looking to give a gift from home. We also have fun seeing how far away our products travel, this year we have had orders from Colorado, Puerto Rico, Alaska and England. “ Brahm reports that the hottest sellers this season are Wine Sauces, Holiday Labeled Wines and the Crowd Pleaser Gift Box. The new Arbor Hill Finishing Sauces are also very popular. Arbor Hill Wine Sauces are a perfect topping for Ice Cream or Cheesecake, they come in three flavors including; Amaretto Cream Sherry, Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon and Strawberry Cream Chardonnay. The Crowd Pleaser gift box includes Arbor Hill Rhine Street Red Wine, Sparkling Peach Flavored Grape Refreshment, Gourmet Cheese Spread, Hickory Smoked Sausage, Arbor Hill Champagne Garlic Mustard, Smokehouse Almonds, Gourmet Crackers, Arbor Hill Horseradish/Chive Pretzel Dip, Dipping Pretzels, Butter mints and Wine-Flavored Popcorn. Arbor Hill’s finishing sauces are the very first varietal wine based sauces in the world and come in three flavors; Cracked Peppercorn Cabernet, Vidalia Onion Riesling and Lemon Caper Chardonnay. These new finishing sauces are packed with Omega 3 acids and gourmet taste. ### Arbor Hill Wines Honored at New York State Fair August 12, 2008
The New York State Fair holds the competition each year as a way to present New York State fine wines to the public. Arbor Hill award-winning wines will be among the featured wines displayed in the Horticultural Building during the fair that runs from August 21st – September 1st. All wine entries are sampled at the Commercial Wine Information Booth where knowledgeable volunteers inform visitors about NY wines, wine-growing regions, wine trails and special wine events. “We are pleased to receive these awards and be recognized at the State Fair,” John Brahm states. “It is fitting that the 2006 Classic Traminette is recognized during the year that we celebrate its 10th anniversary.” Arbor Hill prides itself for being the first winery in the world to introduce Traminette. The Classic Traminette has grown to be a signature wine for Arbor Hill by garnering more Double Gold, Gold and Silver awards, than any other winery producing the Traminette varietal. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Arbor Hill has created a commemorative label and is offering several recipes on its website www.thegrapery.com that feature Classic Traminette. Our dessert wine, Ambrosia (A late harvest Traminette), and the Dry Traminette speak to the versatility of our most popular varietal. ### Arbor Hill Celebrates 10 years of the Classic Traminette May 27, 2008
The Traminette grape is grown at Randall-Standish Vineyards located in South Bristol. This grape variety was created as an American hybrid that can thrive in cool climates. The grape variety came into fruition at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a world-renowned grape-breeding center located in Geneva, NY. Traminette is a cross-between Gewurztraminer, the noble white that flourishes in Alsace in northeast France and a French-American hybrid, Joannes Seyve 23-416. Traminette gets its name from Tramin, the village in Italy where Gewurztraminer first appeared around 1,000 A.D. Arbor Hill’s Traminette is the most award-winning wine of its variety in the world. In 2007, Traminette won a Double Gold at the Finger Lakes International Eastern Wine Competition in Rochester, NY and was named an “American Example of Greatness” at The Jefferson Cup in Kansas City, MO. Arbor Hill has set the standard for Traminette winemakers all over the world. “It tastes very much like a Gewurztraminer,” Brahm describes, “Gewurz in German means spice. This wine definitely has a spicy fruit characteristic.” A child of Gewurztraminer, this semi-sweet spicy white wine boasts a floral aroma and pairs wonderfully with spicy cuisines, cheeses and hors d’oeuvres. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the Classic Traminette is June’s Wine of the Month with a 15% discount on purchases made at the winery in Naples or on the website www.thegrapery.com. In addition, Arbor Hill has created a commemorative label and is offering several recipes on their website that feature Classic Traminette. One of the most popular recipes follows. Arbor Hill’s Traminette Herbed Fish (Serves 6) ½ cup butter or margarine ½ cup Arbor Hill Classic Traminette 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 garlic clove Generous pinch of rosemary 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley 1 Tablespoon chopped chives or green onions 6 serving sized pieces of halibut, salmon, bass or Finger Lakes trout Melt butter in a saucepan. Add wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil. Add garlic, rosemary, parsley and chives. Baste fish frequently with mixture while frying, baking, broiling or barbecuing. ### The Story of a Born-Again Grape April 6, 2007 A saga that ends in a South Bristol winery starts early in the American Revolution and involves a French diplomat and a small Vermont town. Once there lived a high-born French diplomat, Charles Gravier, count of Vergennes, whose name today graces a wine made in Bristol Springs. A Frenchman's name on a bottle of wine? Nothing surprising about that. But John Brahm, owner of Arbor Hill Grapery, didn't even know about Vergennes and what he did for America during the Revolution when his winery began bottling the dry, fruity white in 2004. The story of how the name Vergennes made it onto a 21st century upstate New York wine spans three centuries and the changing tastes of Americans and is still unfolding because of the laws regulating wine. Most Finger Lakes wines have some historic roots, so to speak, but the Vergennes grape is a bit different. "This is something that's really out of the ordinary," said Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in Canandaigua, upon hearing about it. Brahm first encountered the Vergennes grape working as a young wine master at Widmer’s Wine Cellars in Naples in 1964, but the winery eventually plowed under its Vergennes vines in favor of other varieties. Vergennes, which keeps well as a table grape, continued to be cultivated, however. In the meantime, Brahm founded Arbor Hill and took another look at it. "People rally love this wine. The wine is dry... and has a light fruit character, but it is not heavy, as a concord would be, for example," he said.
The vine itself has European, or viniferous, parentage. But the grape also is part Labrusca, meaning a vine that once grew wild in North America. "This is a red grape that makes a white wine," Brahm said. “Undoubtedly the vines were cross-pollinated. This is undoubtedly why it has the character it does.” But that's only half the story. When he reached Marguerite Senecal of Vergennes, Vt., chairwoman of the town's French Heritage Day celebration this year, he got the rest. Vergennes, Vt., was named on Oct. 23, 1788, in honor of the French diplomat who had persuaded King Louis XVI to recognize the newly declared United States of America. Charles Gravier, count of Vergennes, had signed an alliance with none other than Benjamin Franklin at the king's palace of Versailles 10 years earlier. Being a new nation involves getting others to take you seriously, and French recognition in 1777 was great news. Grateful for Vergennes' support, Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen suggested the name, according to the town's Web site. The Labrusca-Vinifera hybrid that sprang up in this American town with a European name spread and eventually grew in the vineyards above Canandaigua Lake, surviving market changes, even Prohibition. “By the early 1920s, the table-grape market dwindled," Brahm explained. "When Prohibition hit, that took out even more vineyards. After Prohibition, Will Widmer ... made varietal wines of all types available, and one of these was Vergennes.” Today, Brahm gets his precious stock at Wishing Well Vineyards on Route 21 in South Bristol, owned by his distant cousins, Dale and Glenn Shaw. The Shaws are descendants of the Randall family, who arrived in South Bristol in the 1800s. John Brahm will share some Vergennes wine at a Bloomfield area home tour later this month, and this summer, with the people of Vergennes, Vt. Senecal has invited Brahm to French Heritage Day to toast Vergennes with his special wine. But he'll have to get permission from the federal Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, created after the Homeland Security Act of 2002 split the functions of the former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Part of this new agency's job is to regulate labels on alcoholic beverages. "I am petitioning them to get Vergennes accepted in their list of varietal designations, which takes six months to two years," said Brahm. He is hunting for a bottle of Widmer Vergennes from the 1960s to photograph and submit as a proof — should you have one in the cellar. Once the feds approve the label, this Arbor Hill vintage can cross state lines into a Vergennes, Vt., wine shop. Until then, the folks in Vergennes could visit Brahm's winery and have a single case shipped back to their home for $143 plus tax — though that can be tricky, too, since every state has its own rules about interstate wine shipments. It would be nice if there were a national policy for this sort of thing, but as Trezise said, "Welcome to the world of wine where everything that's a good idea is illegal." Brahm's not discouraged, though. He does laugh at the irony as he tries to launch a wine with ties to the American Revolution. "Yeah," he said, "and the colonists thought they were stuck in red tape." By MORGAN WESSON, Messenger Post Correspondent ### Arbor Hill First to Introduce a New Varietal December 11, 2006
### Arbor Hill 2005 Classic TraminetteMay 1, 2007
The Reason for Reviewing: Arbor Hill 2005 Finger Lakes Classic Traminette was one of just 23 Double Gold medal winners (from among 1700 medal winners), including six white wines, at the 2007 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Noteworthy: The Classic Traminette is Arbor Hill's "signature" wine. They were the first winery in the world to introduce this offspring of the famous Gewurztaminer. Traminette, named after the Italian village of Tramin where Gewurztaminer was discovered more than 1,000 years ago, was recognized at the Jefferson Classic, ...as an "American Example of Greatness". Winery Notes: Sweet-spicy white wine with a floral aroma, a child of Gewurztaminer (German for spice), we were the first in the world to introduce this award-winning wine. Traminette has a spicy fruit characteristic with nice apricot and honey overtones. This is one white wine that can actually be aged, which is why you will find it in the dark bottle. This wonderful new creation is a cross between Gewurztraminer and a French-American varietal, Johannes Seyve 23-416. Truly a wine to be savored for years. As Traminette ages it takes on flavors reminiscent of the great French Sauternes. AlaWine Notes: A straw-yellow color in the glass, Arbor Hill 2005 Finger Lakes Classic Traminette offers an aromatic floral potpourri bouquet, with overtones of cloves, and a hint of lime. Apple flavors open on the palate and give way to sweet, creamy peach and passion fruit, with a spicy, medium length finish. Bottom Line: Arbor Hill 2005 Finger Lakes Classic Traminette is a sweet and spicy, medium-bodied wine that flows smoothly and agreeably across the palate. It is round and well balanced with concentrated fruit flavors. Pair with strong cheeses, spicy Asian dishes. Suggested retail price is $12.95. Overall composite score: 92 points. Review by Ken W. - AlaWine.com Blog### Grower John Brahm III Brings a New Vinfera-Like Grape to the Market July 15, 1996 Bristol Springs -- On the slopes high above Canandaigua Lake, John Brahm III's grapes must contend with ruinous fungi, 16-below cold and the odd blast of wind that can send a mobile home flying. The environment is too harsh, he feels, for growing delicate grapevines like Gewurztraminer, one of the European vinifera varieties that produce the worlds most sophisticated wines. So Brahm has long relied on French-American hybrids that out class the native labrasca grapes but are hardy enough to thrive in upstate New York. Now, after 31 years of experimentation that began in an Illinois fruit breeder's vineyard and took root on the steep hillside next to Brahm's lakeside home; a new vinifera-like grape designed to outwit the cool climate and the ravages of insects and mold has gotten his heart racing.
The new creation is a cross between Gewürztraminer, the noble white that flourishes in Alsace in the northeast France, and a French-American hybrid, Joannes Seyve 23-416. After seven years of fielding on two acres, Brahm began retail sales of the aptly named Traminette a month ago. Tramin is the village in Italy were Gewürztraminer first appeared around 1,000 A.D. A new grape variety comes to fruition in the eastern United States maybe once every three or four years, usually by way of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a world-renowned grape-breeding center. The latest wine variety was created for cool-climate regions from Canada down to Arkansas. Its overriding ingredient in an increasing finicky market is its wine quality. "It tastes very much like a Gewürztraminer," Brahm said , sipping a sample at his wine goods store. "Gewürzt in German means spice. This wine definitely has a spicy fruit characteristic." "Particularly as the wine ages, it has a nice apricot and honey overtone. The aging potential could make it into one of the finest French Sauternes when it loses some of its spiciness." Brahm, who manages 45 acres of vineyards with his brothers Tom and Paul, has since 1991 been blending Traminette into a white table wine and a sparkling wine or selling its juice to home wine-makers. He started bottling it in 1994, and that year's vintage recently picked up a bronze medal in the International Eastern Wine Competition. The wine will be formally unveiled in Rochester this week at the International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology. To evaluate a new grape, the Experiment Station in nearby Geneva looks for volunteer vineyards in a variety of climates. Traminette is also growing at Amberg Wine Cellars in nearby Clifton Springs, and in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Missouri. Unlike many classy wines, Traminette produces a high yield of 4-plus tons an acre. It exhibits better resistance to disease than Riesling, the only vinifera Brahm grows and which he sprays protectively every week or two. "If you wait, very often you can't reverse the mildew," he said. The climate he's stuck with plenty of rain and high humidity, long winters, temperatures that can plunge to 20 below in winter, even tornado-like microburst in June that lifted a mobile home he owns clear across a street. "I wouldn't even plant Gewürztraminer here." Brahm said. "It's not an economically viable variety in this region." Not that other wine-makers in the Finger Lakes don't try and succeed. In fact, vinifera is now grown by more than 60 of New York's 100 wineries, slowly replacing the native and hybrid varieties that , for a century, branded the state as a producer of cheap, simple, sweet wines. The difference for Brahm is his location. At an elevation of 1,100 feet, his vineyards don't benefit from the warming effects of Canandaigua Lake as well as lower-elevation vineyards along the deeper lakes. When European settlers first cam to North America, the vines they brought with them were too tender to survive. Only by the 1930's did the refined taste characteristics of European grapes come to the fore in New York in hybrids introduced by Frenchman Charles Fournier. Since then, grape breeders have placed greater emphasis on wine quality. Brahm, who started Arbor Hill Grapery nine years ago after 23 years as a viticulturist for Widmer Wine Cellars in Naples, grows mostly hybrids such as Marechal Foch and native grapes like Niagara and Catawba.
Nonetheless, Brahm prides himself on being an experimenter, knowing his future lies in vinifera-resembling wines that are likely to raise the reputation of hybrids. "I kind of thrive on that kind of thing -- something new, something that's going to wither change the economics of an operation or consumer acceptance of a particular product," he said. Associated Press Writer Ben Dobbin ###
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South Bristol’s Arbor Hill Winery
known for their award-winning wines and zesty wine-based food products
has developed 3 new tantalizing finishing sauces that are packed with
Omega 3 acids and gourmet taste. Arbor Hill’s finishing sauces are the
very first varietal wine based sauces.
South Bristol’s Arbor Hill
Winery known for their award-winning wines and zesty wine-based food
products introduces the Private Wine Tasting as the perfect gift for the
Wine Lover on everyone’s shopping list. 
Three
of Arbor Hill’s wines won medals at the New York State Fair Competition
that took place in June. Rhine Street Red received a gold medal,
Ambrosia a silver medal and 2006 Classic Traminette a bronze medal.
Arbor Hill is proud to be one of the top award winners at this
competition.
With
the increasing popularity of Traminette wines and the arrival of summer,
Winemaker John Brahm is proud to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of Arbor Hill’s Classic Traminette. Arbor Hill pride’s
itself for being the first winery in the world to introduce this wine
that has become a perfect summertime drink. Classic Traminette has grown
to be a signature wine for Arbor Hill by winning the most Double Gold,
Gold and Silver awards since its introduction. 
Arbor
Hill Grapery scores another international first by being the first to
introduce a 100% varietal wine called “Noiret” (pronounced nwahray). The
Noiret grape was released to the wine industry in the spring of 2006 by
Cornell University’s Geneva Experiment Station in Geneva, New York.
Viticulturist and Winemaker of Arbor Hill, John Brahm states; “This new
grape variety is a bold step forward in the production of outstanding
red wines from New York’s Finger Lakes region.” Arbor Hill’s Noiret is a
distinctive richly colored red wine with hints of green and black
pepper, along with raspberry and mint aromas. Its fine tannin structure
is complimented by aging in French Nevers oak. Noiret is available only
at the Arbor Hill Winery and will be in limited quantity until their
Noiret vineyards are in full production. 
"A
lot of people think vinifera is the only way to go," said Brahm, 54,
chugging through the family's Randall-Standish Vineyards in his 1931
Ford. "But you have to practical and realize that vinifera cannot be
grown every place. Besides, there are tastes for other wines as well."
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