DUNDEE, N.Y., RNewswire – In November 2018, the Missick family will mark its seventh anniversary of ownership of Villa Bellangelo, and there is much to celebrate.
In an impressive run, Bellangelo earned a spot as a producer of one of Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Top 100 Wines in the World for 2018, and has had a series of wines in Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “Best Of,” category. Bellangelo’s Top 100 honor was its 2015 Berry Select Riesling (with a score of 94). Noted wine writer Jamie Goode, author of Wine Science, recently commented on this wine’s “amazing harmony and depth.” Other “Best Of” notations in 2018 belong to its 2015 Gibson Vineyard Riesling (91), 2015 Reserve Chardonnay (91), and a listing as one of America’s Best Sparkling Wines with a nod in the Best Buy category for its Sparkling Cuvée.
When the Missick family moved from California to the Finger Lakes, it focused immediately on crafting authentic, delicious expressions of wines grown on the west side of Seneca Lake. With a “sense of place,” the varietal focus revolved around Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. “The beauty of Riesling, is that it has an ability to express its terroir in a way few varietals can,” according to winemaker, Christopher Missick; adding “and in the Finger Lakes, we can tease out those expressions in a way no other region in the United States can. This is a cool climate that has a growing season of extended beautiful warmth, and I feel we are exploring what is viable on the frontier of American viticulture.”
Bellangelo currently offers a dozen different Rieslings in its tasting rooms. “Riesling is the winemaker’s dream varietal: there are a hundred permutations on what is possible when we stand in the vineyard in late August,” Chris Missick stated. Missick added that he is particularly proud to see the Finger Lakes continually represented as one of the world’s great wine regions by wine periodicals such as Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, The International Wine Review, and online reviewers such as James Suckling, Vinous and others.
Having established a great reputation for Rieslings, Bellangelo is particularly proud of its recognition for work in sparkling wines and Chardonnay. Bellangelo began producing sparkling wine in 2014, including its Brut and Sparkling Merlot Rosé. This fall will see the release of its sparkling Gewurztraminer.
Bellangelo is a family owned winery with an historical past dating to 1866 and located on the West side of Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes AVA. The Missick family operates an additional tasting room in Geneva, NY, and produces the brand Can Do, a line of ready to drink delicious canned wines that includes Moscato, Rosé, Riesling and Chardonnay. The brands are currently represented by Wright Beverage Distributing, MHW Distribution, and BevStrat. Bellangelo’s winemaker, Chris Missick, is proud to be the only full-time winemaker in the world that is also admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States.
