Ithaca Blog

Friday, June 01, 2007

Wine Tour, part 5: Knapp

Knapp Winery was the furthest point north on our trip, and not part of our original itinerary, but we recommend it. It is no behemoth, but it is the largest of the wineries on our path, and it has a long, strong roster of product.

Knapp produces 33 varieties, all available to sample. The sampling station is big and well-run. They have the most liberal policy of the tasting stations we visited. The fee is $1, and we were told, "You can sample up to 8 wines, but we're not counting." Every other place was 4 to 6, and they were counting.

Knapp offers premium reds and whites from vinifera vines, along with sparkling wines, specialty blends, brandy and cordials. The prices are competitive with the other wineries we visited, and there is a discount of 5% off three bottles, 10% off six, and 15% off twelve.

We sampled high end, low end, and in-between, thanks to that liberal policy (though we stayed below the count-line). The high end was represented by their sparkling Brut, which was crisp and energizing. The low end was a red that was described as a "French American Grape Based Blend." The American part meant concord, we could tell, with that inimitable hint of Flinstones jelly - a reminder of the bad old days of New York wines, before the introduction of vinifera.

Knapp also has a restaurant, full-fledged, with fancy fare (American continental?), appropriately priced, and both indoor and outdoor seating.

Our next, and final, stop - and installment here- Hosmer Winery.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog

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