Hermann was born to make wine. His mother's family had over 300 years of winemaking experience in the Mosel, and his father was responsible for restoring vines in that region after World War II. Hermann grew up learning to graft vines by hand with his father before attending prestigious German winemaking and viticultural institutions. When Hermann moved to New York he discovered that the western shore of Seneca Lake was quite similar to the cool climate and gravelly soils of the Mosel. Using his grafting skills, Wiemer planted one of the first successful vinifera vineyards on Seneca Lake in 1976. His dedication and attention to detail allowed the project to thrive, and Hermann J. Wiemer has become known as a premier domestic Riesling producer. Since 2007, the winery has been run by Hermann's longtime apprentice Fred Merwarth and the agronomist Oskar Bynke. Fred works to further Hermann's vision by precise and thorough vineyard management and winemaking, while Oskar focuses on winery operations. The wines of Hermann J. Wiemer are stunning, pure Rieslings that speak of Seneca Lake with more than a little reference to the Mosel. The grapes are grown in three distinct estate vineyards that take advantage of the various microclimates and aspects of the western shore of Seneca Lake. The original 1976 vineyard, HJW, is where the winery resides. The Josef and Magdalena vineyards are about 10 miles north and differ greatly in slope, soil, and vine age. From the Dry Riesling which blends the vineyards together to the single vineyard offerings, Hermann J. Wiemer deserves a place amongst the great wines of not only America but also the world.
Tasting Notes "Our signature Riesling is vibrant and aromatic, featuring the distinctive minerality that has become our trademark. Fragrant essence of spring blossoms sets the stage
The Wine "Our versatile, Kabinett-style Riesling is marked by a refined interplay of sweetness and freshness. Harvested in the heart of our season, this delicate, fruit-forward
Tasting Notes "Vivid, flowery aromas, accompanied by hints of fruit and spice showcase the distinctive characteristics of the varietal. Limited skin contact during fermentation fully accentuates
Wine Advocate 94 "The 2019 Dry Riesling Reserve comes in with seven grams of residual sugar, very perceptibly dry and 12.5% alcohol. This is often the
Wine Advocate 94 The 2019 Riesling HJW Vineyard comes in with six grams of residual sugar and 12% alcohol. It tastes obviously and perceptibly dry, but
Wine Advocate 91 "The 2019 Riesling Semi-Dry comes in with 24 grams per liter of residual sugar and 11% alcohol. Firm on the finish, this has
Vinepair 94 Top 100 #19 "The nose on this wine is full of floral, honey, and citrus notes that will awaken your senses. Punchy on the
Wine & Spirits 93 Best Buy "A dry riesling that doesn’t feel dry, this is pungent and tropical, with scents of peach and orange. Yet it’s surprisingly
Wine Enthusiast 93 WE TOP 100 Rank 55 "Sourced from three estate vineyards (15 HJW, 20 Magdalena and 65 Josef), this reserve offers ripe aromas of apple,
International Wine Review 91 " An astounding Riesling for the price, the Dry Riesling reveals expressive stone fruit on the nose. The flavors are dense and
Vinous Media 88 "Akin to a Kabinett in style (more than 20 grams per liter of residual sugar). Relatively simple with broad citrus and tropical aromas.
Wine Advocate 89 "The 2016 Riesling Semi-Dry comes in with 19 grams per liter of residual sugar and 11.5% alcohol. Those 19 grams are not a
Wine & Spirits 93 "This feels both complete and composed in its array of flavors and aromas—a whiff of white peach, a hint of saffron, a
Wine & Spirits 94 "This wine draws from all three of Wiemer’s vineyards: Josef (50 percent of the blend), HJW (30 percent) and Magdalena. Each is
James Suckling 92 "An extraordinary "regular" quality dry riesling brimming with lemon, lime-pie, passion-fruit and pineapple aromas. The medium to full body is lifted by refreshing
" Our versatile, Kabinett-style Riesling is marked by a refined interplay of sweetness and freshness. Harvested in the heart of our season, this delicate, fruit-forward
James Suckling 93 "This is a very rich dry Riesling for the Finger Lakes with ripe apricot and floral honey notes that leap out of the
James Suckling 94 "As usual, the dry Riesling from the HJW vineyard is more closed and less effusive than its sibling from the Magdalena site, but
Wine Advocate 94+ "The 2014 Riesling "HJW Vineyard" is one of the wines that actually pushes the price point in the Finger Lakes. That's because it
Wine Advocate 89 "The 2014 Riesling Semi-Dry is, said the winemaker, Wiemer's version of a Kabinett. It still seems largely dry-ish, if not exactly dry. This
Wine Advocate 90 "The 2014 Dry Riesling is a blend of three vineyards. Dry, but not austere and just a touch fruity, this is round and
Wine Advocate 94 "The 2014 Dry Riesling Reserve is, according to winemaker Fred Merwath, about 90% Auslese level in ripeness. It is a luscious Riesling that
The dry style Riesling is the signature of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard. With each vintage, we seek to match the appropriate level of fruit flavor
" Riesling is one of the few varietals that shows exceptionally well in all ranges of sweetness. The Semi-Dry Riesling pairs an appropriate balance of
Frost Cuvee is specially crafted each year to best reflect the outcome of the growing season. A differing blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir