“Bold, Brazen, Brilliant” is the slogan of Three Brothers Winery, which in large part characterizes who they are. Their approach to wine and their winery is innovative and adventurous. They certainly don’t limit themselves to convention, or the confines of tradition, except for where it makes the most sense. You might view the winery as a little schizophrenic; offering products that suit many different personalities and tastes. You may fear that they are a “Jack of all trades, master of none” winery. From what I tasted they have truly mastered the craft and make serious wines, as well as “fun” wines. Their wines and beers all maintain a high regard for proportion, balance, flavor and quality. They have no fear when it comes to coloring outside the lines to create something unique in a beverage. You can’t expect to like everything they make, but that is not what they expect either. They recognize how different we all are; they cherish diversity with the intent to provide “something for everyone.” It is hard to believe you won’t find something to like at Three Brothers Winery.
Because Three Brothers Winery is really three distinctly different wineries, as well as a brewery, and soon to be coffee shop, I will cover this winery in a series of articles focusing on each individual themed winery. Before we begin the adventure of exploring each winery let me provide you with some background about this winery and its’ owners.
Dave and Luanne Mansfield, along with Erica Paolicelli are the owners of Three Brother’s Winery, which opened to the public in 2007. The wineries and brewery are located at 623 Lerch Road, Geneva, NY on the North East side of Seneca Lake. They also have a tasting room and retail store at East View Mall, Victor, NY. If you have the time, for the best overall atmosphere and experience, I recommend taking the trip out to their winery complex on Seneca Lake.
I recently met up with owner Dave Mansfield. Dave is average in stature, a dynamo of energy and clearly passionate about wine, his employees and the customer experience. Dave is local, having grown up with agriculture in Bloomfield, NY and currently residing in Honeoye Falls. For 25 years prior to starting this winery endeavor Dave was involved with major league sports and other entertainment venues that leveraged his background in art. I will leave that story for another day. Dave says he is the ideas guy at the winery, and from my brief time with him I could see that he has no shortage of ideas. The winemaking is left to his great winemaker Justin Paolicelli and vineyard manager Nate. Service is left to a great staff of friendly welcoming employees.
Three Brothers is focused on creating great beverages of all types. The reason they gave was, “we only like to consume great beverages.” When it comes to quality wines, beer and food it all starts in the fields where the ingredients are grown. The Three Brothers Winery property is on a site that has been growing quality vinifera and some hybrid grapes for a long time. It has some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc and select Pinot Noir grape vines in the region, with many of the vines over 32 years old. They have also planted varieties not previously found in the Finger Lakes, such as Barbera, Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner and source additional grapes from high quality vineyards.
The inspiration for Three Brother’s Winery is rooted in the unique and distinctive personalities of Dave and his two brothers. Dave knows that not all people have the same interests and/or tastes, just like he and his brothers. When it comes to wine, why not provide something for everyone, which is what they have done. Dave told me that each of their wineries is a reflection of each brother. Dave is a reflection of Stoney Lonesome Wine Cellars. Dave’s red headed, once long haired brother Mike, who you might characterize as a “Harley guy” is a reflection of Bag Dare Wine Company. His brother Mark, “who is more of a golf guy” is the inspiration for Passion Feet Wine Barn. These are the three wineries and indirectly the three brothers that make up Three Brothers Winery. You will soon learn more about each winery, but those are the stories to come…..
(Our Journey starts next week in the Sentinel Lifestyles section.)
