There aren’t many producers nearer and dearer to our hearts than Kim Engle and Debra Bermingham, the fiercely individualistic and jovial duo behind Bloomer Creek in the Finger Lakes. This isn’t a region known for organic, natural winemaking to say the least- when they started out, they were met with skepticism- told it couldn’t be done. What they have achieved is a singular gift to the cold-weather dwellers on the east coast- they are a gem of the region.

Bloomer Creek Vineyard started when Kim and Debra purchased the house and land, planting vines in 1999, but the inspiration came much earlier. In 1978, Kim, then a student at Cornell, worked at a vineyard near Cayuga Lake, and fell in love with vineyard life. Before completing his studies at Cornell, he studied viticulture and enology in California, and got to work buying land and planting vines upon his return. He met Debra through a mutual friend- she is an accomplished artist, showing work nationally and internationally since the 70s. It’s no surprise that Bloomer Creek possesses the identity they do, one of committed and detailed work paired with sensitivity and artistry – the result of two insightful souls pursuing a dream together.

They have a few different distinct parcels: Morehouse Road and Auten Vineyard, planted in 1999, with Barrow Vineyard added in 2012. They take care to bottle the wines from each vineyard separately, highlighting each site’s unique terroir.

This 2019 Skin Fermented Riesling Pet Nat has a wonderfully strong effervescence coupled with delightful sophistication. Last year, on the 7th of December, Pearl Harbor Day, using the slowly fermenting Riesling from an outdoor fermenter as our “liqueur de tirage”, we bottled our first wine from the 2020 vintage – an “orange wine”, Skin Fermented Gewürztraminer Pet Nat. Following this, using this same 2020 Riesling juice as “liqueur de tirage”, we made a new batch of 2019 Skin Fermented Riesling Pet Nat. The new label features Madam B’s sketch of beloved vineyard dog, Mademoiselle Oat. Wild yeast fermented; unfined and unfiltered; not disgorged; zero SO2. Like all Les Bloomers’ Pet Nats, these wines should be served very cold!  – From the producer