VINEYARDS
Our Place
Every wine characteristic that develops in the bottle originates in the vineyard. Like most others in the Finger Lakes, our vines draw character from the “lake effect” and the topographical uniqueness of the Finger Lakes region. The dependable site-derived wine qualities owe their origin first and foremost to the glacial till soil types, of which there are several compositions with varied textures deposited among our sloped vineyard floors. However, unlike our neighbors on the western side of Keuka Lake, we have a unique southeastern slope exposure that are some of the steepest vineyard slopes in the region. This topographical “ace up our sleeve” and our uncompromising block-specific tailored approach in the vineyard allows the winemaker to display terroir expression from this special place that rewards year after year.
Our Philosophy
Our goal is to allow our vines to thrive as an integrated part of their ecosystem, and we prioritize the health and expressiveness of the vintage over high yields or manicured rows. We do as much work as possible by hand, drawing on the talent and experience of our vineyard staff to get the best out of our vines. We do not use herbicides, which limit chemical exposure to our land, and subsequently enriches the acreage for pollinators. We farm our hybrid varietals with Vertical Shoot Positioning trellising as the best vinifera vineyards do, which maximizes both sunlight interception into the bunch zone and across the canopy, therein elevating the resultant wine quality.
Ultimately, sustainability is our mission. In 2023, we were in the first group of New York vineyards to be certified as a New York Sustainable Winegrower. We are passionately dedicated to protecting the Keuka Lake ecosystem, and that passion informs all our decisions in the vineyard.
EXPLORE OUR VINEYARDS
West Side
East Side
WEST SIDE
Directly adjacent to the winery and tasting room are three of KLV’s premier vineyard sites: Goldman, Evergreen Lek, and the beloved Falling Man.
The soils are a mix of two soil series that make for premier viticultural soils. The Howard series is comprised of gravely loamy glaciofluvial deposits laid over sandy and gravelly glaciofluvial deposits, which contain significant amounts of limestone amongst the stratification. The deep and well drained Madrid series is comprised of loamy glacial till derived from sandstone and limestone. First to receive light on a frosty morning, these vineyard soils and bunch zones also intercept more of the soft morning-until-mid-afternoon sunlight which is preferable for flavor conjugation, as opposed to harsher afternoon light. Root temperature is critical to the vine’s metabolism and therefore to the processes that create flavor potential. Falling Man is a perfect example, like the steep slopes of the Mosel along the Rhine, of how excellent wine quality is terroir driven.
This side is planted almost entirely with Riesling, save for a handful of rows of Pinot Noir.
Goldman
The Goldman vineyard, named after Mel’s dad Jack, is where KLV began in 1998. Mel and Dorothee personally planted all 1.5 acres of this gentle slope, where the grade ranges from 5-15%.
Aside from the four rows of Pinot Noir clones planted with Dijon 115, 113, and 777 at the easternmost and steepest end, Goldman is planted mostly with Riesling clone 239 on 3309 rootstock, the latter the most cold-hardy rootstock available. The grapes from this site produced the 2003 trial vintage that, upon receiving high praise in Paris, motivated Mel to move forward with the winery. The Pinot Noir that was harvested during the recent 2025 vintage will be one for record books.
Evergreen Lek
Evergreen Lek, planted in 1999, is among our most cherished Riesling plantings on the estate. Its namesake is twofold: evergreen, for the thick grove of spruce that borders our western estate vineyard, and ‘lek’, the Nepali word for a high ridge.
The steep slope of this vineyard and the influence of its neighboring windbreak endow it with an unmistakable identity no matter the vintage: racing slate minerality, white nectarine, and white floral undertones all braced by firm acidity. The 2021 Evergreen Lek took home a Gold Medal at Le Mondial Des Vins Blancs, Strasbourg in 2025.
Falling Man
At a sharp 30° slope, Falling Man earned its name from slips in the early days of KLV, before the rows were regraded. The Catawba that was originally planted here by the Taylor Wine Co. was removed in 1993.
Falling man was laid fallow for 8 years so natural flora could bring back soil structure, where root exudates produced the glue that grabs the topsoil, preventing it from slipping down the slope. Falling Man was planted with Riesling in 2001. Today, it is the depth of the soil, the inherently better drainage than its neighboring vineyards above, and most notably, the slope severity and exposure which all coalesce to produce the ripest fruit KLV produces. Falling Man impresses every year, almost always yielding fruit deserving of a single vineyard bottling.
EAST SIDE
In 2004, Mel purchased our Eastside vineyard from a retiring farmer. Although today most of the KLV fruit comes from the Eastside, the vineyards look very different now than they did.
Initially, the property (about seventy-six acres in total) was mostly either fallow or forested, with only about one third planted under native varieties. Mel got to work, diversifying the plantings and tailoring them towards winemaking, with plots of Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Vignoles, and eventually, Leon Millot.
Additionally, KLV manages 1.3 acres of Leon Millot and seven acres of Seyval Blanc owned by immediate neighbors of the Eastside vineyard. The slopes on the east side are gentler than those on the west, and the soils are silt-loam or silt-clay-loam. The parent material is loamy till with a significant component of reddish shale or reddish glaciolacustrine clays, mixed with limestone and some sandstone. These soils are heavier and help us in drought years while the slope and tile drainage help us in high rainfall years.
20 Rows
In 2004, 20 long rows of Riesling were planted on a gently sloped aspect which helps the silt-clay-loam to drain, as do the large alluvial stones that are intermixed among the soil strata. 20 Rows had been planted in the past, but the vineyard at this site was removed more than ten years prior to KLV plantings.
The nine short rows added in 2009 bring this vineyard to a total of 4.5 acres, making it KLV’s largest Riesling planting. 20 Rows is characterized by rich and ripe fruit lending to increased aromatic density and petrol notes in the resultant wines. The 2020 vintage received a Gold Medal at Le Mondial Des Vins Blancs, Strasbourg.
UPPER EASTSIDE
About 200 feet uphill from 20 rows, Upper Eastside was planted with Riesling in 2004. Although the early vines had high mortality rates, supplemental plantings in 2007 and 2008 have rounded out the rows.
At about 5 degrees steeper than 20 Rows, the slope is still gentle. Fruit from this site is often closer in character to our westside vineyards.
Turkey Run
Planted with Vignoles and spanning 1.5 acres, Turkey Run is named for the local fowl that decimated its first crop in 2007.
With one planting in 2004 and one in 2009, the eight 800-foot rows undulate with loamy till derived from acid sandstone, siltstone, and shale that is very free draining on the southern side, where the slope is more extreme and limits water and vigor, lending toward single vineyard excellence. Wildlife permitting, Turkey Run consistently produces delicious fruit.
SILVERNAIL
Technically three adjoining plots, Silvernail is our largest Vignoles planting at 3.5 acres.
These vines were put in between 2004 and 2010 on a gently sloped hillside with stunning views of the lake.
CABERNET FRANC
It was only the mid-2000s that Cabernet Franc really started to gain a foothold in the Finger Lakes, owing to its fruity lighter character and cold-hardiness relative to other red vinifera varieties. After a 1/3-acre sample planting in 2005 excelled, more than 6 acres have been planted gradually since 2009.
Although the larger planting is still developing, the established vines produce some of our most distinctive wines vintage after vintage, and we are excited to see what the estate will bring in the future.
Fournier Vineyard
The Fournier Vineyard has been under KLV management since 2004. However, its history extends far beyond that. The 5-acre plot was an experimental vineyard planted around 1950 by Finger Lakes pioneer Charles Fournier working for Gold Seal Vineyards.
Today, the surviving portion of the vineyard is 1.3 acres of Leon Millot, a hybrid varietal formulated by Eugene Kuhlmann in 1911. The two clones of Leon Millot add complexity to the varietal wines it produces, with one third being the Foster clone, sometimes called Leon Millot Rouge, and the remaining two thirds the Boordy clone, called Leon Millot Noir.
Steeped in history, this is one of our proudest sites. By improving drainage and transitioning the trellising to vertical shoot positioning, we aim to nurture this vineyard for many more years to come.
PINOT NOIR
At just under 1 acre, our Pinot Noir plantings are a work in progress. Originally planted in 2004 and then added to in 2009, the fruit from this site has been primarily used for blending.
However, the 2020 vintage produced a remarkable varietal wine, and 2023 yielded an exceptional sparkling wine to boot. As we master the idiosyncrasies of this grape, we are excited to see what coming vintages will bring.
Seyval Blanc
Carrie and Marko Radivoyevitch purchased the neighboring vineyard to our Eastside Vineyard in 2021, and they asked KLV to take over the management in 2022.
The Seyval Blanc vines are roughly 50 years old and have produced excellent still and sparkling wines in our first efforts.
Fils de Fournier Vineyard
Cuttings from the Fournier vineyard make up this small second plot of Leon Millot about one hundred yards northeast of the original.
Leon Millot continues to be one of our most sought-after varietals. This vineyard requires extraordinarily little input for consistent quality, which means this is one of our most sustainably farmed blocks.
Garden
Small but mighty at 1/3 acre, this former flower garden has a handful of hearty Vignoles plantings that reliably produce good clusters.
