Ravines Wine Cellar
& SUCCESS STORY OF THE EAST COAST
Ihad the absolute chance and pleasure to meet Morten & Lisa Hallgren, owners and producers of Ravines Wine Cellar, A small Boutique winery that is closely linked to the development of the region that is now so fashionable.
The area didn’t exist as a winemaking destination until the 1960s, when Dr. Konstantin Frank established his eponymous winery and began growing Riesling in Hammondsport. Beforehand; Finger Lakes were still an agricultural area, but mostly focused on untamed production of hybrids notably Catawba. Now, a few winemakers with strong beliefs and motivation have made it into one of the greatest Riesling regions of the world. A place with burgeoning tourism, food, and other activities surrounding the production itself.
There are 11 lakes in the Finger Lakes region, but wine production is focused in only three of them: Keuka Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Seneca Lake, the largest lake in the Finger Lakes system and the one that’s now widely considered by winemakers to have the region’s best terroir. It’s on the hillside on the Eastern slopes of Keuka lake that the couple bought their first 17 acres. Morten still remembers when he arrived in the region back in 1998, after getting his experience and winemaking knowledge in the Provençal warmth, there were only two other trained winemakers in the entire region.
Adorned with prizes and praise from the press, this boutique winery has had the same idea from the start, making the best dry, mineral Rieslings they could. Now, besides their awardwinning Riesling, they are putting their same quality focus on other varietals as well. For Morten, it’s more a question of doing the best with what he has each year: “We have more vintage variation than any other region I am familiar with”. There’s so much variation that there’s not really anything that could be qualified as normal. Every year is different, but if there’s one regular thing, it’s the very high ratings and appreciation that the wines get. If you’re not careful enough, it’s easy to get an overwhelming sharpness. This is why a precise work on the texture is needed. When you hear them talk, it’s clear that they are true believers in the terroir of the Finger Lakes and have concentrated their efforts on what does well in the vineyards that they carefully selected themselves and are so dear to their hearts.
While recognition for the region is increasing each year, it wasn’t always like that. Lisa Hallgren remembers in their earlier years, she would drive countless hours with a van filled with three kids and cases of wines, so she could reach potential distributors & restaurants. That’s what I call dedication and it’s the true beauty of a family owned company. Everything comes from their heart, their beliefs and their passion.
Beside their portfolio of Rieslings, Ravines Wine Cellar has quite a nice diversity. Single varietals such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot noir & Cabernet Franc are joined with Bordeaux blends, rosés and even a few hundred cases of sparkling wines each year. There are four vineyards locations, including Argetsinger vineyards, a steepsloped vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake, owned by Beren Argetsinger, a good friend of the family, and the recently acquired 16 falls vineyards.