For more than six generations, the Weis family has proudly pursued their passion for producing the most elegant German-style wines in Europe and—more recently—in the US. The story begins more than 300 years ago in the picturesque Zell Mosel region of Germany, near its western border. The latest chapter speaks of endeavors in the Finger Lakes for a young winemaker and his wife who are making exceptional, award-winning wines. More than 3,800 miles from the original family vineyards, winemaker Hans Peter Weis and his wife, Ashlee, founded Weis Vineyards in 2016. Located on the east side of Keuka Lake, eight miles north of Hammondsport, Ashlee’s hometown. They met in the village when Ashlee came home after college in 2012. They have an estate vineyard one mile from the tasting room, and a second vineyard location on Seneca Lake at Perry Point.

Peter’s passion for winemaking grew organically. He spent his childhood in the family vineyard and wine cellar, which led to studying the winemaking traditions and techniques of his homeland. After completing his degree in winemaking, business, and agriculture, he traveled to the US, working one harvest in Sonoma, California, then visiting the Finger Lakes.

Peter found the terroir—the unique elements influencing a specific wine-producing region, including geography, climate, and weather—to be much like home, particularly “soil type and composition; it has a low pH with slate/shale, and the cooler seasons,” he notes. Known for creating some of the best North American reisling and sparkling wines, the area felt familiar and welcoming. Peter recognized the opportunity to achieve his life-long dream of producing perfection in a glass … in the US. Ashlee’s business acumen, passion for winemaking, and industry experience paired with Peter’s vision. Her appreciation for sense of place—the distinctive and unique characteristics of the area she loves—resonated with Peter.

“We draw inspiration from Peter’s family’s time-honored winemaking traditions and my deep-rooted connection to the region,” says Ashlee. “We strive to produce exquisitely handcrafted wines that showcase the exceptional terroir of the Finger Lakes.”

“Every year is different due to weather conditions, so it never gets boring,” notes Peter. “Grapes come in once a year for harvest, and there is no specific recipe you can follow. In winemaking, you only have one shot—you are making decisions that will affect a product that you will be releasing one or two years later. The results of your decisions may not be known for some time. You are constantly trying to improve and learn from your mistakes, but the next year could also be completely different.”

While Peter and Ashlee adhere to high standards across the business, many factors contribute to a successful harvest, one that may or may not result in award-winning wines. Accolades for their efforts first came in 2022 when Weis Vineyards was named New York State’s Winery of the Year. This year, they earned the top two New York Wine Classic awards—the New York State Governor’s Cup (for their 2018 Riesling Ice Wine) and Winery of the Year. And, they won ten awards for specific wines, including one platinum, seven gold, and two silver.

Determining which wines to enter into competition from among the twenty-nine they produce annually is a challenge, but a welcome one.

“We want to enter them all!” says Ashlee. “We’re proud of our product; they’re all winners in our eyes. We entered eleven wines into this competition, and there were a few that we had to leave out since they weren’t bottled yet.”

“We feel extremely honored by this award and couldn’t believe that we topped our achievement in 2022 with Winery of the Year and the Governor’s Cup,” Peter says.

Now in its thirty-eighth year, the New York Wine Classic is hosted annually by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. It serves as the benchmark for excellence in winemaking, and gives New York wineries an opportunity to showcase their products to the world. All types of wine can be entered for judging. This year, the NYWC accepted 715 entries from ninety-two wineries from around the state. Medals awarded included two platinum, 190 gold, 397 silver, and 116 bronze.

“It’s important to know how the award is calculated and awarded—it’s the average score of all wines submitted to the competition [a minimum of seven or eight is required] in a blind tasting done by the Beverage Tasting Institute. The award specifically speaks to the quality of wine we are producing,” explains Peter. “These awards come with great press and exposure to new audiences. Many Finger Lakes wineries receive accolades from this competition, as well as from other reviewers such as Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator. All this contributes to an increased awareness of the Finger Lakes as a premier wine destination.”

Weis Vineyards offers an enchanting location with stunning views of the lake. Visitors can enjoy a tasting inside any one of the three unique spaces—the modern Tasting Space, the Barn, the Schoolhouse—or sip outside on the patio.

Growing the business includes opening a new tasting space in November. “It’s a three-story, 7,000-square-foot facility that will have elevator access and a terrace where we will do more elevated tasting and small pairings,” says Ashlee. “We have plans to expand into distilling and grape-based spirits, such as brandy and cognac. As a winery, we are planning to continue our organic growth in a way that preserves the quality of the wine.”

Zum Wohl! (Cheers! Good health!)

Weis Vineyards is located at 10014 Day Road, Hammondsport, New York, and open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the last tasting begins at 4:45 p.m.). Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (607) 284-4011, find them on Facebook, or visit weisvineyards.com.