By Doug Fabbioli Where are the lines drawn in the alcohol world? Beer, wine or liquor? How do you make what, who sells it and how is it regulated? I must admit, I have learned a few things about this subject over the past few decades. When working with alcohol products that are based on […]

By Doug Fabbioli It’s Bud Time! So the season has begun again! The green leaves that contain the chlorophyll are growing bigger every day, staging themselves to collect another seasons worth of the sun’s energy. That energy will be turned into the sweetness and flavors in the fruit that will make our wines something for […]

By Doug Fabbioli The Language of Tasting Wine Tasting wine has been a process that many have made fun of over the years. You have to admit that it is kind of an odd process, seeing that we taste different food and beverages all the time, but don’t always put words to the process. When […]

By Doug Fabbioli Mentoring Should Never Stop When I look back at my career as a winemaker, I realize it started without a real mentor. I had a boss at the vineyard that overlooked one of the Finger Lakes so many years ago, but he was trying to figure out what he was doing as […]

By Doug Fabbioli Holiday Time at the Wineries Underground tips to enjoying the wineries in the holiday season: • Early December quiets down on the weekends at most wineries. If you can make the time, it’s a great time to do a tasting tour. Less crowds and better parking. • Many wineries will have music, […]

A Vinter’s Job is Neverending! By Doug Fabbioli There always seems to be a sense of relief once the first hard frost comes that knocks our grape leaves to the ground. The high priority of tending to those vines over the past seven months drops like the leaves themselves. The fruit has long been in […]

By Doug Fabbioli And Here We Go Again! Fruits of the season are singing to the farmer with sweet smells of ripeness. The red berry aromas and dark colors from the raspberry patch, the citrus floral characters from the hops and the color change on the grapes; these are all signs that we need to […]

Full Speed Farming! By Doug Fabbioli One of the parts of farming that I learned is how important timing is in the success of your operation. It’s best to work the weeds when they are small because the work is fast. Once those weeds get big, the energy has been absorbed in the weeds rather […]

It’s a Family Affair! By Doug Fabbioli Vineyard and winery operations have traditionally been family owned businesses. If the family is strong, oftentimes the winery is strong as well. In the case of a start-up winery, the pressure can be hard on a family, especially a young one. I have been a Boy Scout leader […]