1. How did your career journey begin?
After studying computer science in college, I decided that a life behind a desk typing code was not for me. I moved back home to Belvidere, NJ, to determine my next step. My older brother was the marketing director of a local winery and asked me to help with some odds and ends around the winery because they were short-staffed. The next thing I knew, I was cleaning tanks and filtering wine in the wine cellar. I asked the owner of the winery to train me how to be a winemaker, which was something I knew absolutely nothing about, and he reluctantly agreed. Twenty-one years later, five different head winemaking jobs, and here I am at Fox Run Vineyards, which is exactly where I always wanted to be.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of your profession?
Listening to customers speak about the wine while seeing the joy in their faces and hearing it in their voices. I love what I do, and I want to make wines I’m proud of, but ultimately, I’m here for the customer, so when I can achieve both, then that is the most rewarding aspect of my profession.
3. Can you describe the philosophy of your domain and how it influences the wines you produce?
My philosophy is to avoid dogma, recipes, and formulas. I approach winemaking with a particular style that I’ve spent 21 years working toward, but I like to let the wine guide me. I believe that not every wine style should be made every vintage, and that not try and fit a square peg into a round hole.
4. What do you believe is the most challenging aspect of winemaking?
The fact that more can go wrong than right. We’re manipulating the grapes from the moment we prune the vines to the moment we bottle the wine. There’s no such thing as no intervention, and we’re intervening at many points to create an unflawed, consistently high-quality wine.
5. Do you have a favorite grape variety to work with? What makes it special to you?
I came to the Finger Lakes to make Finger Lakes Riesling, and that will always be my passion. It’s an incredibly diverse grape that lends itself to many different styles. A close second would be rosés made from Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, and Pinot Noir.
6. Can you share a memorable vintage or wine you are particularly proud of?
It’s a toss-up between 2017, my first year making wine in the Finger Lakes, and 2022, my first year at Fox Run Vineyards.
7. What makes your region and vineyard unique compared to others?
We have the advantage of working in a macroclimate that is moderated by the sheer size and depth of the 11 Finger Lakes. In particular, the land surrounding Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Keuka Lake is where the majority of the region’s grapes are grown. This area is known for warm summer days and cool nights, helping the grapes reach physiological ripeness while maintaining their acidity, which drives the refreshing and food-friendly styles we’ve become known for.
8. If you could make wine anywhere in the world, outside your current region, where would it be and why?
I would like to work in a region that more closely mirrors the Finger Lakes’ growing conditions, so possibly the Mosel or Alsace.
