Shucking Great Pairings: Celebrating National Oyster Week at Colloca Estate Winery

National Oyster Week finishes this weekend and is the perfect time to celebrate one of the ocean’s most elegant delicacies — and at Colloca Estate Winery, we’re raising a glass (and a shell) to the incredible harmony between East Coast oysters and local Colloca wines.

Since opening our new Raw Bar this season, we have had the opportunity to try several kinds of oysters that our purveyors deliver twice a week. Three East Coast varieties made the cut for our menu – three standout oysters, each with a unique flavor profile shaped by their waters of origin:

• Chesapeake Bay Oysters (Maryland) – Hailing from the largest estuary in the United States, these oysters are known for their plump, meaty texture and mild, lightly salty flavor. The nutrient-rich waters of the Chesapeake give them a sweet finish, making them an approachable choice for both first-time and seasoned oyster lovers.

• Long Island Bluepoint Oysters (New York) – Harvested from the cold, briny waters of Long Island Sound, Bluepoints have a crisp salinity balanced with subtle minerality. Their clean, refreshing taste and firm texture make them a classic that has been celebrated on raw bars for more than a century.

• Standish Duxbury Bay Oysters (Cape Cod, MA) – Grown in the nutrient-rich tidal waters of Massachusetts’ Duxbury Bay, these oysters are prized for their buttery texture and briny-sweet complexity. Their cold-water upbringing imparts a deep, layered flavor with a touch of seaweed earthiness.

Just as each oyster reflects its merroir — the marine equivalent of terroir — our wines express the unique character of our Lake Effect Vineyard®, perched along the shores of Little Sodus Bay on the southern shore of the Great Lake Ontario. The constant breezes off Lake Ontario temper our climate, allowing for a slow, even ripening season. Together with the warm summer days, cool nights, and the ancient glacial till soils we are blessed with compose our terroir. These demographics produce wines with vibrant acidity, distinct minerality, and aromatic depth that make them exceptional partners for fresh oysters.

Perfect Pairings to Try:

• Lake Effect Vineyard Dry Riesling – Crisp, citrusy, and minerally, this wine is a natural with Long Island Bluepoints, highlighting their briny freshness.

• Lake Effect Vineyard Semi-Dry Riesling – A touch of sweetness balances the salinity of Chesapeake Bay oysters, enhancing their gentle, sweet finish.

• Lake Effect Vineyard Chardonnay – With notes of apple, pear, and a whisper of oak, this pairs beautifully with the creamy, buttery character of Standish Duxbury Bay oysters.

• Mindy’s Giggle Juice – Playful, refreshing, and fruit-forward, this crowd favorite offers a lively contrast to the delicate salinity of all three oyster varieties.

• Kaibo Sparkling Brut – The crisp bubbles and bright acidity cut through the richness of the oysters, cleansing the palate between each briny bite.

While you’re here for oysters and wine, make the most of your visit — enjoy a full dining experience at our Trattoria Sicilian Bistro, where the flavors of coastal Italy meet the bounty of Central New York. We source local produce from our neighbors at Chestnut Creek Farm to deliver farm to table ingredients as much as possible. Or stop by our Tasting Room to explore our wines, enjoy a guided tasting, and take home your favorites to pair with your own preparations.

This National Oyster Week, join us at Colloca Estate Winery to toast to the treasures of both sea and soil — where East Coast waters meet Lake Ontario vines for unforgettable flavor.

Harvest Festival to Close Out the Season!

For many years now, Colloca Estate Winery has held Harvest Fest in September and invited friends, neighbors, and strangers to join in picking grapes in their vineyard of 14,000 vines.

True to the motto of the Festival: “FUN. FOOD. WINE. MUSIC. REPEAT.” The festival got off to a great start. Founder, CEO, and Chief Wine Taster Dr. Chris Colloca gave visitors a special tour among the vines with samplings of the wines grown in the Lake Effect Vineyard®. Then at 3:00, attendees got the opportunity to Stomp and Chomp – the annual stomp and pie-eating contest.

First with an old-fashioned grape stomp complete with grapes squishing up through feet and toes. And then with the annual pie-eating contest. Always a highlight of the festival.

And if that wasn't enough, the Lake Effect Vineyard® Stage played host to one of Central New York’s favorite party bands: BeatleCuse All-Stars & Tip Jar Junkies These guys always get people dancing and Sunday was no different.

This year’s harvest Fest may be over, but the fun never seems to stop at the winery.

Colloca Estate Winery Wines Win Big!

The next time you’re in the Colloca Estate Winery tasting room, take a glance at our awards cabinet … we’ve won a lot of them since the first time we entered a decade ago. This year is no different. Colloca Estate Winery wines have won big in the New York Wine Classic. A great sportsman once said, “It’s good to win awards, but it’s more important to win together!” and that’s what we do here at Colloca Estate Winery. “It’s the wines that carry the awards around their necks, but it’s the people who work here that won them,” says Dr, Chris Colloca, CEO, Founder, and Chief Wine Taster at the winery. “Making award-winning wine is part terroir, part science, part art, and a whole lot of hard work. Around here everyone puts in the effort it takes to make superior wine and I’m as proud of them as I am of our wine”.  “When we talk about the quality of our wines,” added Dr. Colloca, “We’re also talking about the quality of our people. And, that’s what makes all the difference”.

Colloca wines recently won several more awards in the New York International Wine Competition, a prestigious competition that had over 1400+ wines from 24+ countries around the world, with top wine buyers judging the products by their category and price.

Hello Colloca Estate Winery, Congratulations on your win at the New York International Wine Competition. In its 14th Year, the New York International Wine Competition (NYIWC) had over 1400+ wines from 24+ countries around the world, with top wine buyers judging the products by their category and price. This was an interesting competition, for we took the competition VIRTUAL this year.  Our team personally delivered the samples to the judges' home or business in the New York Area.  While the judges missed the camaraderie of being around other fellow wine buyers, they did enjoy tasting the wines at their own pace. The judges were thrilled by the high quality of wine submitted from so many regions and countries. We look forward to the 15th Annual NYIWC in May 2025!  Here is what you won: Colloca Cabernet Sauvignon 2021: Silver -93 Colloca Casa Bianco 2022: Silver -93 Colloca Casa Rosso 2021: Silver -92 Colloca Cayuga White Free Run 2022: Bronze -91 Colloca Colloca Estate Winery: indv -New York Rose Winery of the Year Colloca GSM Grenache Shiraz Mourverde 2022: Gold -95 Colloca Melia Eris Rose 2022: Gold -95

A Sparkling Wine Label Design Influenced by Heraldry

Written by THE LABELMAKER / Jordan Jelev

I have been working for Colloca Estate for more than 10 years and I have always admired their ability to develop. The latest addition to their portfolio are two sparkling wines made in Australia – Kaibo and Sparkling Shiraz. At first, I didn’t have a very clear idea of ​​what exactly I wanted to do, because Chris Colloca had one idea and I had another. What the two had in common was that they were quite vague. Eventually, things became clearer and I was able to create a very different design for sparkling wine.

Colloca has always had their own view of things, so I decided that their sparkling wines should be no exception. I used a non-traditional form of label, heavily influenced by heraldic shields and coats of arms.

At the same time, the printing and the materials I used helped me to create a vintage design that complemented the shape of the label very well enhancing its historic visual roots. I wanted to have solid areas stamped with hot foil that would make an impression from a distance, while I also wanted to have many special details such as the strong embossing and the engraved shadow of the letters in the metal banners.

I paid special attention to the paper – I chose a heavy stock with a flat delicate texture, which complemented the metal objects. Subsequently, I added a special sand varnish to the banner with the text description, which created the feeling that the label was made of two types of paper. Around the neck, I placed a black collar label that repeated the Colloca crest from the front label. And for the capsule I used a very interesting graphite gray color with matt metallic reflections.

The printing process was very complicated, unconventional and risky, but my colleagues from Dagaprint.com once again worked wonders for this very special project. The design of the bottle became very convincing and memorable. At the same time, I was very pleased to find an individual color code for each wine so that they could be more easily recognized on the shelf.

The two sparkling wines got a very serious and masculine look, which harmonized great with the design of the label enhancing its natural bonds with crests, coats of arms, heraldry and history.

Foodies & Wine Lovers Unite to Kick-Off Autumn Season with the Annual Lake Ontario Wine, Food & Jazz Fest

Foodies and wine lovers unite on Sunday, September 1, 2024, to enjoy local wines with specialty prepared tapas, other specialty craft beverages, and local vendors at the annual Lake Ontario Food, Wine, and Jazz Festival™. Tickets include parking, admission to the event, live music all day, a commemorative wine glass to use for your tastings and to take home with you, and ten craft beverage tasting tickets to sample wines, craft beers, ciders, and distilled products from our vendors.

At the annual SAMMYS AWARD ceremony in Syracuse recently, Colloca Estate Winery won the top prize in the BEST MUSIC VENUE competition. Shows like the one on September 1st with Internationally acclaimed jazz singer and recording artist Nancy Kelly is one of the reasons why.

You may know Ms. Kelly from her incredible performances at our annual Lake Ontario Wine Food and Jazz Fest during the summer each year. But because of our Artist in Residence Program, you’ll have the chance to get up close and personal because of the intimate nature of performances in the Lounge.

Ms. Kelly is a study of jazz's cool, its phrasing, its nuance, and its sophistication. And, while many call themselves jazz singers, Nancy Kelly is the real deal.

She was twice named “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the Downbeat Reader's Poll. She has recorded 6 critically acclaimed CDs and is hailed as one of the premier jazz vocalists of our times.

Shiraz or Syrah? The Mystery Uncorked!

Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the vineyard, International Shiraz Day on July 28th makes its appearance.

But wait, isn't International Syrah day in February, and aren't Australian Shiraz and French Syrah the same?

Well … sort of.

Technically, they are the same grape. And genetics will tell you that the Syrah grape is the marriage of two decidedly French grapes – dureza and mondeuse blanche – but frankly, who cares?

Way back in the 1830's a guy by the name of James Busby brought the grape to Australia and somewhere along the way (no one knows why) it started being called Shiraz and the name stuck. Since then it has become the Aussie’s most widely produced wine. And, here at Colloca Estate Winery, we’ve brought it to Central New York as part of our cadre of reds to supplement our award-winning Rieslings, Chardonnays, and Pinot Noirs.

In Australia, Shiraz is King and here at the winery, we source ours from the Heidenreich Vineyard on the famed Barossa Valley floor.

It's 100% single-sourced and is a concentrated inky purple-black wine that gives a hint of ripe cherry, black currents, sweet vanilla bean, and dark chocolate, all combining to give us a pure expression of Barossa Shiraz.

To highlight this incredible wine, we're celebrating the 3rd Annual Anniversary of International Shiraz Day on July 28th by offering a special deal through the end of the month. Normally, $24.95 a bottle, you can get $5 off.

So, whether you're trying Shiraz for the first time, comparing it with that French Syrah you have in your cellar, or just want to enjoy one great bottle of wine, stop by the tasting room and put a little taste of the land down under on your summer table.

And by the way, watch for the debut of a new Sparkling Shiraz on its way in August that will add a whole new experience to your choice of bubbly!

Winemaking can be a solitary endeavor, but camaraderie is everywhere.

The Cellar Rat Diaries

Joe and Cate share some of Strigo’s incredible Rose’

In so many ways, making wine is a solitary endeavor. Topping off the barrels, working in the vineyard, walking through the vines to check their progress, racking the wine to make it just a bit better, cleaning the tanks and the thousand other details that go into make great wine.

But in one very important way, there is a tangible comradery that exists among winery owners, winemakers, and yes, even cellar rats.

We recently experienced this on a visit to Strigo Vineyard in Baldwinsville, NY, just a short 25-minute hop from us up here on the Great Lake Ontario. There, Joe Murabito (a fellow Oswego Native to our own Chris Colloca) has created a destination that ranks among the best I’ve visited in the Finger Lakes and beyond.

This year, they’re enjoying their very first labeled bottle of wine, 2019 Vision, a unique and very tasty one at that!

My life partner and now fellow Cellar Rat, Cate headed down to brunch a few weeks ago as a way to shed some stress from having recently put down our two dogs.

Nothing like a few glasses (or bottles) of wine to soothe the soul.

The 4-year-old vineyard is more than something special. It’s a destination that is full of surprises, from the magnificent menu to the incredible tasting room.

Perhaps the first thing you notice on a visit is the commitment to sustainability. As the website points out, at Strigo, the sun does more than provide light and grow grapes.

According to Joe, “The property is 100% solar powered using technology from WestGen, a family-owned company based in Los Angeles, California. A solar panel array featuring more than 130 panels feeds energy into a 50kW lithium ion battery bank that supplies power to our entire property”.

Amazing, to say the least. And what a property it is.

The first vines were planted in 2019 and have developed perfectly. And hover majestically on the hills above the restaurant, tasting room and winery.

Here at Colloca Estate Winery “imported” some of Joe’s grapes last year … Marquette, Gris and Frontenac … to blend with some own to make some special Colloca wines that will be a part of our 2021vintage. It promises to be some really great wine.  But don’t wait for us! You can visit Strigo online at www.strigovineyards.com .

The Lake Ontario Wine Trail "Roll Out The Barrels" Celebration

It’s time for the LOWT favorite event of the year.

Colloca Estate Winery is a proud member of the Lake Ontario Wine Trail comprised of wineries and cideries all along the Great Lake Ontario. With its incredible terroir combining unique soil and perfect climate from the moderating temperatures of Ontario we can produce wine and cider unparalleled anywhere else.
The LOWT is thrilled to kick off our 2022 season with our first event, Roll Out the Barrels on April 23rd and 24th!
Over the course of a weekend, enjoy special access to pre-release and newly released wines, spirits and ciders. Travel the trail at your own pace for this self-guided tour. Tickets are $20 presale and $25 pp at the door. Tickets include three samples of pre-released or newly released wines at each stop. You will have special purchasing access for some of the sampled products before anyone else! Some locations will also offer access to production areas giving guests visibility into the wine, spirit or cider making process, too.
This event is held on both Saturday and Sunday (11AM-6PM), and your ticket if valid for both days. 9 stops total
Pre-sale tickets available now and you can save $5 per person until Monday, April 18th.
Pre-purchased ticket holders will check in at their designated start point chosen at checkout. Or, You can purchase your passport at your first stop ($25).

Along with us, here are all of the participants along the route.
Colloca Estate Winery • Boom Point • Casa Larga Vineyards • JD Wine Cellars • Young Sommer Winery • Apple Country Spirits • Embark Craft Ciderworks • Old Goat Cidery • Silver Waters Wine

Groups of 8 or more please contact us for help scheduling your visit. contactus@lakeontariowinetrail.com

Want to Know About Riesling?

Here’s a blog about Riesling from WineTourism.com and written by Laura Seidanova. So, Happy International Riesling day to you, Riesling lovers! March 13th was the birthday of the noblest grape variety that is regarded for its exceptional sensitivity to terroir, in which Riesling powerfully transmits the soul of the region while remaining true even in extreme conditions. Riesling is known as the "German King of White Wines" due to its flexibility, resonant acidity, and exceptional ability to age gracefully. Let's all try to plunge into the complexities of the "royal" variety and explore the Riesling regions around the world.

Click Here to read the whole story: RIESLING

The Cellar Rat Diary - You Need 3 Bottles to Make Coq au Riesling

By A. Rodentia,

Chief Cellar Rat

Colloca Estate Winery

I didn’t used to be a Riesling drinker, but when I hired on as the Cellar Rat at Colloca Estate Winery, I became a huge fan the very first week I was among the vines. And, how could I not? Way back in 2016, Dr. Colloca’s Riesling was awarded Double Gold Medal, in the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Every season it just gets better and better. It’s so good that we were named New York 2019 Riesling Winery of the Year in the New York International Wine Competition.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that when I’m not deep in the bowels of the winery and they let me out, I love to cook. And, one of favorite recipes (you guessed it) is Cog au Riesling aka Chicken in Riesling. This is a story about how I make it so that if you want the enjoy some Colloca Riesling in a special way this winter, you can share it with your friends and family. But if you know anything about the way I cook, you’ll realize that I have a lot of rules and this recipe is no different. And though it meanders around at first, forgive me. Winter on the North Coast of America has a way of making me write in a round-about way, but I promise, like your first encounter with a New York traffic circle, you’ll eventually get there.

Rule 1: YOU NEED THREE BOTTLES OF RIESLING FOR THIS RECIPE

• One for the Coq • One for the Cook • One for the Table

I recommend you get them at Colloca Estate Winery. After all, it often is on sale and, If you join the wine club, you can get it for 25% off. In fact, if you drink wine and visit the winery more than once in a while, you would have to have your head examined if you don’t take advantage of all the benefits of the Wine Club. But that’s a story for another day.

On Monday of this week it was one of those amazing days of winter in Upstate New York that makes you glad you’re alive. The cold snap finally broke and the sun was amazingly brilliant all day. Early on, I took a long walk with the dogs through snow at the winery. Bright sun shining off the sparkling white snow. Busy squirrels and jumping chipmunks grabbing whatever they could to stuff into their larders. Just amazing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Rule 2: GET A DECENT CHICKEN OR DON’T BOTHER

For the record, I am a huge fan of chicken. But not one of those horrible supermarket things they call chicken with all the flavor of sun-roasted dirt. While cheap – it takes “you get what you pay for” to a whole new level. I’m talking about the chicken you get at a local market, right off the farm. As one purveyor once told me at the Public Market in Rochester when I bought my first whole chicken from her … “That chicken was walking around yesterday”. It was delicious!

If the banana is the perfect fruit … comes in its own package, easy to remove, packed with nutrition, Eat whole, pureed, fried, … or with peanut butter! Then chicken is the perfect “meat”. Not only is it versatile, -- you can fry it, roast it, stew it, and grill it --  it also comes with directions. What I mean by this is that I don’t buy precut chicken pieces anymore. I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. I was intimidated at first. But then they invented this thing called the internet which shows it step by step, so I won’t explain it here. All I can tell you is that there are lines and joints and lines of fat that show you precisely where to cut so that once you’ve done it, you never need instruction again. And, I can slice up a chicken faster than a little boys tongue when his popsicle begins to melt.

Rule 3: DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY

Cut up the French way, you get 8 pieces out of a chicken. But I don’t use the wings in this recipe, I save them up in the freezer until I have a couple of dozen, then make my own wing night! And, I don’t throw away the back, either. I freeze that as well and when I get three or four, I make some of the best chicken soup you’ve ever eaten.

Here’s how I do it.

Preparation takes about an hour. Maybe it’s because I’m drinking some Riesling, or maybe I’m just a slow chopper. Takes about an hour cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 or 4 pounds to feed four) cut French style into 8 pieces

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped (2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

• 12 – 16 Pearl Onions

• 4 medium carrots, halved diagonally

• 6 Ounces of white mushrooms

• 6 – 8 Ounces Bacon slices (cut into 1” pieces)

• 1 – 2 cups Colloca Riesling

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream

• Fresh lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.

• Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper

• Sauté bacon and onions and when done, remove to plate leaving behind as much delicious fat as you can

• Add 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 3 1/2- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 10 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.

• Meanwhile, wash leeks – very important as leeks often have grit within and pat dry.

• Cook leeks, shallots, mushrooms in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until leeks are pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

• Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, carrots, bacon & onions and wine to cover and boil until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

• Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

• While chicken braises, it is important to finish any open bottle of Riesling.

• I halve the small potatoes, cover with cold water in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and add some salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes.

• Drain in a colander, then return to saucepan. Add parsley, some butter and shake to coat.

• Stir crème fraîche into chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then add potatoes.

• Serve with the 3rd bottle of Riesling, and prepare for accolades!

Colloca Estate Winery Named 2021 New York Late Riesling Winery of the Year

Colloca Estate Winery has announced that it has continued its winning streak by being named the 2021 New York Late Riesling Winery of the Year in the New York International Wine Competition (NYIWC).

Previously, the winery was named the New York Pinot Noir Winery of the Year in 2020 and the New York Riesling Winery of the Year in 2019.

In the 12th year of the annual event, over 1400 wines from 29 different countries competed and in addition to the Winery’s Individual Award, several wines came home with medals.

GOLD MEDAL: Colloca 2019 Lake Effect Vineyard Late Harvest Dolce Riesling: 95 pts.

SILVER MEDAL: Colloca (Eden Valley, Aus.) 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon: 92 pts.

SILVER MEDAL: Colloca 2019 Lake Effect Vineyard Chardonnay: 93 pts.

SILVER MEDAL: Colloca 2019 Lake Effect Vineyard Pinot Noir: 93 pts.

SILVER MEDAL: Colloca 2019 Lake Effect Riesling – 92 pts.

BRONZE MEDAL: Colloca 2019 Lake Effect Vineyard Mindy’s Giggle Juice: 90 pts.

Colloca Estate Winery’s Lake Effect Vineyard® has been an annual award winner since it first entered the NYIWC in 2015. That year, the 2013 Colloca Lake Effect Wineyard® Riesling won Double Gold, a highly prestigious award for a fledgling winery.

“We’ve proven over and over again that the terroir along the Great Lake Ontario makes our wines competitive with any wines produced in New York State,” said founder, CEO and Chief Wine Taster, Dr, Chris Colloca. “As our vines mature, we will continue to produce excellent vintages that we hope will to delight both casual wine drinkers and connoisseurs”.