Wiemer Vineyard's Fred Merwarth becomes first Winemaker of the Year from New York

DUNDEE, N.Y.—It’s been a little over 20 years since Fred Merwarth walked into the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard asking to see Hermann Wiemer. He wasn’t there looking for a job, just some advice on how to get a winery internship in Germany. But Wiemer saw something in the young man and offered him a job instead.

Merwarth became Wiemer’s apprentice, then assistant winemaker and eventually the winemaker in 2003, just two years after he went calling at Wiemer’s winery. In 2007, when Wiemer decided to retire, he sold the property to Merwarth and his wife Maressa, and Oskar Bynke, Merwarth’s friend and business associate.

Following the footsteps of a legend is never easy, especially one who casts such a giant shadow in the Finger Lakes wine industry as Hermann Wiemer. But many would argue that Merwarth has managed to elevate the lofty Wiemer reputation to an even higher level, especially now that Merwarth’s relentless pursuit of quality was recognized when Wine Enthusiast magazine named him as the winner of their 2021 Winemaker of the Year award.

Merwarth now stands in the same elite company of past winners such as Olivier Zumbrecht of Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace and Benoit Gouez of Champagne’s Moet & Chandon. This is the first time that a New York state winemaker has even been nominated, not to mention winning the award. It is a feather in the cap for the Finger Lakes wine region, a region that is finally getting some well-deserved notice. He inherited from Wiemer an unassailable work ethic and a meticulousness in every aspect of the vineyard and winery practices. Wiemer once told me, “Nobody liked to clean the stainless-steel tanks, but Fred actually seemed happy doing that.”

In 2003, he and Wiemer eliminated all use of commercial herbicides in the vineyard, utilizing only certified-organic compounds and employing under-trellis cultivation techniques such as the planting of cover crops to maintain a healthy vineyard.

Merwarth’s holistic approach goes beyond just the vines but to the surrounding ecosystems as well. Biodiversity is emphasized to encourage the presence of beneficial flora and fauna in the vineyard. In 2014, Merwarth converted 14 acres of the vineyard to biodynamic farming. These methods contribute to a healthy vineyard, where the soil, native yeasts, fauna, flora and the vines thrive in a highly organic environment. At harvest time, the grapes are harvested by hand to ensure that they arrive at the winery in optimal conditions.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are hand-sorted, eliminating the unripe and less than ideal grapes from the mix. Increasingly, indigenous (natively occurring) yeasts are being used in the fermentation process. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes much longer than commercial yeasts. But the extended lees contact adds texture and flavors to the wines.

These practices promote a great sense of place, or terroir, in the wines. But they also entail more time and money. It requires a steadfast commitment to excellence and the willingness to play the long game. Of course, they don’t amount to anything unless the wines excel. Without question, Wiemer wines have gone from strength to strength in the past decade.

Perhaps the most meaningful accolade for Merwarth should come from the man whose name is on every label of the winery’s wines, Hermann J. Wiemer himself. Upon hearing the news of Merwarth winning the award, Wiemer said to me, “Fred had a passion for wine that matched my own. He is totally dedicated to bringing forth the best possible expression of the Finger Lakes and he never wavers in this focus and dedication. He has really pushed to have a deeper understanding of the various microclimates and explore how that can be brought out in the wines. I couldn’t be more proud of where he has taken the winery.”