One of the true pioneers of winemaking in New York, Hermann J. Wiemer, is passing the torch.
Wiemer, who has made world-class Riesling for years in the Finger Lakes region, helping convince consumers that not all great American wine comes from California, has sold his estate to his winemaker.
The Mosel-born Wiemer, 65, turned over the property on Seneca Lake to Frederick Merwarth, 36 years his junior. In acquiring the Wiemer Vineyard, Merwarth obtained a 15,000-case boutique operation. Merwarth will manage the business on a day-to-day basis, while Wiemer will transition into an advisory role.
Wiemer’s legacy is that he helped establish a standard of quality for New York state Riesling by applying the experience of his Mosel wine-producing family.
“They made fun of me for planting Riesling,” Wiemer told Decanter.
But it is Wiemer who is getting the last laugh.
