Winemaker Notes
Acclaimed winemaker Paul Brock and wine educator Shannon Brock took the helm of Silver Thread Vineyard in 2011. True to its founding principles, Silver Thread is an owner-operated, boutique winery known for sustainably-grown estate wines. The Brocks practice a holistic, regenerative style of farming called biointensive viticulture. The winery generates 100% of its energy needs from a 28kw solar array located on-site.
Production is currently 3,000 cases per year. Wines are available for sale at the tasting room, through the wine club, via mail order, and in select stores and restaurants.
Silver Thread is located ¾ mile off Route 414 (the wine trail) in a quiet and naturally beautiful environment overlooking Seneca Lake. Wine lovers seeking a relaxing and educational experience will enjoy discovering our off-the-beaten-path location and sampling some of the best wines in the Finger Lakes.
At Silver Thread, they seek to elevate the reputation of the Finger Lakes region by crafting outstanding, terroir-driven wines. Their story is still being written. They are constantly learning, improving and applying new knowledge to their vineyard, winery and hospitality.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.
Gewürztraminer, an expressive and aromatically distinctive white grape variety, is considered a noble variety in the Alsace region of France, and produces wonderful wines in the mountainous Alto Adige region of NE Italy. Generally this grape grows well in cooler regions and its natural intensity makes it a great ally for flavorful cuisine such as Indian, Middle Eastern or Moroccan. Somm Secret—Because of a charming perfume and tendency towards slight sweetness, Gewürztraminer makes for an excellent gateway wine for those who love sweet wines but want to venture into the realm of drier whites.