In mid-December I have the wonderful opportunity to host a round table for the New York Wine and Grape Foundation . There I tasted this exceptional Fox Run Vineyards Traminette Simmons Vineyard 2018. Fantastic wine.
Peter Bell is the winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards. First off, one has to admit right up front that any "quick" bio of Peter Bell is automatically completely deficient. Than man's accomplishments would take longer to recite than the entire length of this article. Peter brings a science-based, rationalist approach to winemaking. Peter has made the wine here for more than 25 years. Peter works closely with Vineyard Manager, John Kaiser, who has worked the land at Fox Run since 1984. And of course he has the trusty and experienced Assistant Winemaker Lindsey VanKeuren, who has been with Fox Run since 2012.
Bell studied enology in Australia and made wine in New Zealand before landing in the Finger Lakes. He was the winemaker at Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars for five years before joining Fox Run in 1995. In addition to making wines at Fox Run he also helps at other area wineries, holds an adjunct faculty position at Cornell University, and speaks at numerous wine conferences throughout the year.
He is one of the most influential winemakers in the state. Bell regularly hosts regular tasting groups for winemakers in the Finger Lakes region.
Someone once asked me, “What’s the big deal about Peter Bell?
It’s this simple. He has been the most helpful winemaker in the Finger Lakes and has mentored dozens of wine makers in the region and around the state. He is finny, erudite, and a damn good winemaker. And he plays a mean banjo.
Accomplished Constellation Brands winemaker August Demiel once quipped like many others, he attended the School of Peter Bell.
Peter gives credit to owners Scott and Ruth Osborn. “When I was hired here, co-owner Scott Osborn was explicit about his vision that all Finger Lakes wineries should work together to create a regional brand,” Bell said.
Now, Traminette is a cross of the French American hybrid Joannes Seyve 23.416 and the German Vitis vinifera cultivar Gewürztraminer made by Herb C. Barrett ca. 1965 at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. The grape was released by Cornell. Traminette produces solid yields, ranging in studies from 12-22 lbs/vine average.The wine is produced in Ohio, Indiana, the Yadkin Valley AVA of North Carolina, the Finger Lakes and Hudson River Region of New York, and throughout the east coast. And more is being planted as we speak.
