Celebrating the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest 2023 participating wineries

Timothy Moore first came to the Finger Lakes in 1998 with his wife, Diane, and their growing family. In 2007 he and Diane opened Inspire Moore winery, which was always a part of their vision from the time they met. Tim brought more than 15 years of wine-making and grape-growing experience in the Finger Lakes to Inspire Moore. Although he has passed away, his legacy continues on through his son, Nathaniel, who also studied wine-making and worked by his father’s side. Inspire Moore was founded in 2007 with the first vintages a 2006 Riesling and Syrah. It now produces more than 12 different wines, including Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Traminette, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and recently an award-winning “Best of NY State” Blaufrankisch.

The winery is situated on the historical center where Naples was founded, in the place the Seneca people once called Nundawao. The winery was previously a tavern, a stagecoach stop and then finally a carriage house. The Moores transformed the original structure using reclaimed timbers from the Northeast, creating a more energy-efficient, beautifully crafted, working winery. Sustainability is one of the cornerstones to all their business practices. They work with growers who implement vine-balance practices developed through Cornell Cooperative Extension for the grapes they purchase. They compost all their grape pomace that is left over from harvest, which is utilized in the farm garden or vineyard. They use colloidal cleaners in the cellar that are free of phosphates and chlorine. Their cleaners work at lower temperatures, reducing energy consumption and requiring only a water rinse, with no acid neutralizers. They work with multiple local businesses to provide economic viability to their region. They use recyclable corks and no capsules. Many of their bottles are screen-printed without paper labels. They recycle as much material from the winery and café as possible. They use their food scraps that are sorted and fed back to the chickens that provide their eggs. All else goes back to the compost pile to feed the farm garden.

Riesling is the dominant varietal in the cellar, which produces a juicy, quaffable style in LOVE to vineyard-designated styles in the Nathaniel J. Moore series. They have recently introduced Zweigelt and Gruener Veltliner to their portfolio. These are cool-climate varieties that held a particular interest to Tim from his time spent studying wine-making in Austria. It was through his experiences studying abroad and at UCD that Tim developed a unique vision for creating cool-climate wines, which his son learned from him and which continues today. Working with his California-trained winemaker father has molded Nathaniel into a winemaker who is driven to extract the best reds in the Finger Lakes.

 Inspire Moore Winery is located at 197 North Main Street in Naples, NY. Call(585) 374-5970 for more information.

Presented by WineRacks.com, The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival will take place on September 9th and September 10th at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, N.Y., which will be transformed into a foodie paradise featuring some of the best wines and culinary treats that the Hudson Valley and beyond have to offer.