|
|
5140
Bliss Road
Ballston Spa, NY 12010
Located in Galway
518-882-6310
Enjoy
a fresh taste of fruit, apple, grape and mead wines
made in the same tradition as those of Ancient and
Modern
Europe. Johnston’s Winery brings the old world
flavors of their wines to the Adirondack foothills.
We are located 20 minutes from downtown Saratoga and
3 miles
east of Galway Village. Please come in and visit us,
tour our winery and taste the fine wines of Galway,
New York.
Also, Honey, Candles and Gift Baskets!
Open
: 11-6 Saturday, 12-6 Sunday
or by Appointment
Call for Expanded Hours durring
Late Summer and Early Fall!
|
The
Saratoga Winery - Opening
October 1st, 2009! 
Some call
it a “Micro” Winery because we import
our grapes just like that of a micro brewery; which imports their
hops and barley. Carefully selecting the finest grapes, primarily
from New York State growers in the Finger Lakes Region allows
us to offer a greater selection of wines. The current selection
consists of 11 wines ranging from dry to sweet, offering both
reds and whites. We will expand our selection in the coming year
as well as add some special holiday blends.
We offer a nice selection of wines including Merlot, Riesling,
Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.Our signature wine is called
Melomel; the ancestor of all fermented drinks. Melomel wine is
centuries old in Europe, Africa and Asia. Not to be confused
with mead, Melomel is made of fruit and honey offering a smooth,
somewhat sweet flavor to the palate. Some compare the flavor
to a port, sherry or dessert wine; however it can be enjoyed
any time and any occasion. Our Melomel is left to ferment naturally
with no added sulfates or chemicals to alter the fermentation
process. There is no residual sugar and no unnatural additives;
therefore Melomel may be a nice alternative for diabetics and
others with similar health concerns.* Wine and honey both are
known to offer many health benefits.
We offer 5 variations of Melomel, all distinctively their own.
You are sure to find a nice variety of wines to your liking.
You will also find a great selection of gifts, apparel, cheese,
and wine accessories. Come in and experience The Saratoga Winery.
Local couple to open Saratoga Winery at old farm stand site
as appered in the Saratogian
Published: Thursday, June 11, 2009
By EMILY DONOHUE, The Saratogian
Husband and wife Rich and Tara Nimmo stand with their dog, Buddy,
at Split Rail Farm on Route 29 in Milton. They plan to open
a winery at the former farm stand in September. (ED BURKE/The
Saratogian)
MILTON — “Winemaking is our passion,” Tara
Nimmo said.
She and her husband, Rich, own a power washing and air duct
cleaning business, but the entrepreneurs are planning to pursue
their passion and open a winery on Route 29 in September.
The Saratoga Winery received site plan approval recently from
the Milton Planning Board as well as approval from the Zoning
Board. At a recent Town Board meeting, neighbors spoke out in
favor of the new business, which will be built on a site that
was once a farm stand.
“This property, unfortunately, has been an eyesore for
the town and community for many years, and it’s fallen
into disrepair,” town building inspector Wayne Howe said.
The Nimmos have lived in Milton around the
corner from the property for seven years. About two years ago,
they began searching for
a property to house their dream winery. “We’ve been
driving by this barn… seeing potential in this building
and wondering what was going to happen to it,” Tara Nimmo
said.
Eventually the approximately 59-acre parcel changed hands, and
she and her husband approached the new owner, Robert Bolt, about
leasing a portion of it.
They’ve leased about 2-1/2 acres from
Bolt and have begun transforming an existing barn and greenhouse
into a winery and
store.
The Nimmos won’t grow grapes on the property; instead
they’ll buy freshly-pressed grape juices from a vineyard
near the Finger Lakes, where a longer growing season allows a
greater variety of grapes to grow. Once the grape juices are
transported to the Milton winery, the Nimmos will use a recipe
passed on to them from Rich’s uncle, another winemaker,
about five years ago, to transform the juice into several varieties
of wine.
The wine will ferment in oak barrels for
up to 15 months. “We
are going to be making a variety of wines,” Tara Nimmo
said, “primarily they’re going to range from dry
to sweet.”
She said they also plan to offer an apple ice wine as well as
melomel, wine sweetened with honey.
In addition to wine, the Saratoga Winery
store will offer wine accessories like corkscrews, glasses
and picnic baskets as well
as local and organic cheese and crackers. “Basically anything
affiliated with wine and cheese,” she said.
Nimmo said she hopes the winery will also
supply local restaurants; she’s had interest from a few
restaurants on Sacandaga Lake and Lake Desolation.
The land owned by Bolt, which includes the
parcel the Nimmos are leasing, has been in the news before.
About 20 years ago
in an area at the far backside of the property, there was a construction
landfill that was involved in a massive fire. The area is owned
by Bolt but under the control of the Department of Environmental
Conservation. Nimmo said she and her husband have read a 96-page
report on soil testing the DEC performed on the entire property. “The
only thing that they found in the soil was high iron in two locations,” she
said. Because they will not be growing grapes, that is not a
concern for their business, she added.
Nimmo said the former landfill “has nothing to do with
the area that we’re using.”
Howe agreed, saying the DEC has ordered no
construction to occur on the area delineated as the former
landfill. “They aren’t
leasing that part of the property,” he said.
Both Nimmo and Howe said the well water will be tested for potability
before the store opens, although a recent sample taken when Bolt
bought the property was fine.
Terry Minsch, the owner of nearby Golf World,
spoke in favor of the Nimmo’s new venture at the Town
Board meeting.
“Ever since the fire over there, the property’s
been let go, and it’s nice to have somebody come in and
do something with it,” he said. “I think it’d
be a great addition to the area.”
