Barry Family Cellars

Barry Family Cellars was founded in 2011 by Ken and Ian Barry in Burdett, New York, near Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region. Ian worked at wineries in the Hudson Valley, Oregon and Washington, and makes the Barry Family wines with techniques he personally enjoys, eschewing intervention in favor of more minimalist techniques. 

The Pet Gnat wines got their inspiration from Ian’s son Declan. He overheard his Dad discussing making a pet-nat with some winemaking friends, and thought they were getting a new pet gnat. They joked about how they’d have to have a leash for the new pet. Declan’s drawing, spruced up by Ian’s father Ken, a lifelong artist, is the art work featured on the label. 

Enjoy a quick introduction story on Barry Family Cellars and their wines

 

 

Riesling Pet Gnat — Back to the top

This wine was grown in the Hobbit Hollow Vineyard on Skaneateles Lake (pronounced skinny atlas) in the eastern reaches of the Finger Lakes.  The grapes were hand picked at 19.2 brix on October 10th and whole-cluster pressed the same day.  The juice was cold settled for 3 days and then allowed to warm to ambient temperatures and spontaneous fermentation began.  It was bottled at 1 brix and allowed to finish fermentation in the bottle, unfined, unfiltered and without sulfur added. 

Pinot Noir Pet Gnat — Back to the top

This wine was grown in the Sawmill Creek Vineyard in Hector, NY on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. These grapes were farmed using focused heat as a pesticide in lieu of chemical pesticides.  Harvested by hand on September 19th at 18.9 brix and very gently whole-cluster pressed the same day. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours and then allowed to come back to ambient temperatures and ferment spontaneously.  Bottled at 1.2 brix and finished in the bottle with no filtration, fining, or sulfur added.  

Leon Millot Pet Gnat — Back to the top

Grapes of Leon Millot – an old red variety of hybrid grape from Alsace – are grown sustainably at the high elevation Ball Vineyard. Handpicked and whole cluster pressed. Allowed to ferment with native yeast and finished in the bottle. Unfined, unfiltered, undisgorged. 

Pastiche White — Back to the top

Roughly equal parts Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay. Co-fermented in 8+-year-old French oak barrels. Fermented with indigenous yeast and bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Riesling — Back to the top

From a single vineyard (Gridley Bluff Point Vineyard) on Keuka Lake. Harvested late in the season with a touch of very nice botrytis. 30g/L residual sugar, 10% alcohol, great aging potential.

 

 

Chardonnay — Back to the top

Grapes: Chardonnay

Vineyard: Seneca Lake

The grapes were hand-harvested, then whole-cluster-pressed, and fermented with indigenous yeast in neutral oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Personality: opulent with a lift! Starfruit, lemon zest, butterscotch fun.

Cayuga Pet Gnat — Back to the top

Grapes: Cayuga (white-berried hybrid grape developed by Cornell University, thriving upstate New York)

Vineyard: Glendale Farm, one of the rare certified organic vineyards in the area

Making of: Hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed. Allowed to ferment with native yeast and finished in the bottle. Unfined, unfiltered, undisgorged. 

Personality: loads of fresh zippy fruit (Granny Smith apples, lemon zest, pears) and white flowers + a touch of yeast and wet stones.

 

Jewels & Binoculars Riesling — Back to the top

Ian made this wine in collaboration with Bellwether Wine Cellars, his fellow FLX winemakers from the nearby Trumansburg. The name comes from a mysterious lyric in a Bob Dylan song.

Grapes: Riesling

Vineyards: several vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake, grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides

Making of: blend of several different vintages fermented spontaneously in different vessels (75% stainless steel tanks) that sat on the gros lees for an extended period of time (various depending on the vintage). About 20% of the blend was on the lees for over two years. Small amount of sulfur added at crush, bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfur. 

Personality: light and easy-drinking, but with a unique depth of flavor. Compelling balance of savory and fruit notes and pleasant acidity.

 

Four Track Demo — Back to the top

A light-bodied co-ferment of four grapes, hence the name; the perfect “bistro red”, as Ian himself calls it.

Grapes: 2018 is 45% Blaufrankisch, 15% Chardonnay, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyards: two sites on Seneca Lake – Sawmill Creek vineyard on the east side and Tuller Vineyard on the west side. Both sustainable

Making of: The grapes for this wine were co-fermented in one-ton bins with around 30% of whole cluster fermentation. No adjustments were made to the fermentations and they proceeded at ambient temperatures using ambient wild yeast for both primary fermentation and malolactic. When the fermentations were winding down, they were pressed in a basket press and racked into older (7-10-year-old) French Oak barrels where they remained for a year and a half. The barrels were blended and a small sulfur addition (30ppm) was made before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Personality: fresh, lively mix! Wonderful fruitiness and lighter body (courtesy of the part-carbonic maceration and dash of white grapes) make this very drinkable indeed.

Brian’s Bright Idea — Back to the top

Winemaker’s note: “Back after an absence of many years! My personal favorite label. Doodle by my dad Ken featuring my brother Brian, who came up with the initial concept for this wine sometime around 2016.”

Grapes: Cayuga White and Leon Millot + Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Blaufrankisch pomace

Vineyard: different sustainable vineyards in the FLX area

Making of: A co-fermented blend of Cayuga and Leon Millot juice was soaked on the skins of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Blaufrankisch. Fermented with only indigenous yeasts and force-carbonated. Unfined, course filtered with a small SO2 addition (20 ppm) at bottling.

Personality: A fun and lively bubbly bev with equal parts fruity and savory notes. Ideal for summer cookouts and holiday gatherings.

Rosé of Blaufrankisch — Back to the top

Grape: Blaufrankisch

Vineyard: Airy Acres Vineyard, west side of Cayuga Lake, Finger Lakes. Sustainable farming. 

Making of: harvested and pressed the same day (in order to get only a light extraction). Spontaneously fermented and rested on lees in stainless steel tanks for about 4 months. Unfined, coarse filtered at bottling. Sulfur additions: a little at crush and 20ppm before bottling.

Personality: raspberry, cherry and watermelon with an underlying dry, savory note.