Red Tail Ridge Winery

At Red Tail Ridge Winery we believe that quality is more important than quantity. As a result we intend to keep our production down and keep a close eye on the details of wine making. Exploring un-charted territory is an important component of this vision, as we are always striving to improve. For instance, we have planted Teroldego—a red Italian grape variety grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto—in our vineyard and are optimistic about the future of these vines. Wines produced from Teroldego have been compared to Zinfandel due to their deep color, brambly blackberriness, solid acidity and moderate tannin structure. We are eager to see how these vines and wines develop, and we look forward to more experimentation in the future.

Red Tail Ridge winery is owned and operated by Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan, a husband and wife team, who are dedicated to producing fine wine in the Finger Lakes. Mike and I recently moved to Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes of up-state New York. Mike actually arrived a few years earlier than I did; he moved here when we first purchased the 34 acre property and began the long process of clearing and preparing the land for vineyard development.

Our tasting room is located on the ridge in the middle of our vineyard, overlooking Seneca Lake. We have a great view of the lake to the east and southeast, and of Chardonnay and Riesling blocks. Our staff is eager to answer any questions you have about the winery, the wine, or the vineyards.