Located in New York’s Finger Lakes region, Red Tail Ridge Winery is owned and operated by the husband and wife Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan. Mike and Nancy moved to Seneca Lake from California to create a winery from the bottom up. As a former executive in charge of viticulture and oenology R&D at a large winery, Nancy strongly believes in sustainability. Not only is Red Tail Ridge farmed in a sustainable manner it is also the first LEED certified winery in New York. The bulk of Red Tail Ridge’s production is Riesling, but Nancy and Mike have also planted several clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir alongside small experimental plots of Blaufrankisch, Dornfelder and Teroldego. They plan to remain a limited production winery, crafting premium wines that faithfully reflect their origins. Mike and Nancy’s early efforts were duly noted by the press – they won several Gold and Silver medals, Wine Business Monthly named Red Tail Ridge one of its Hot Small Brands of 2008 and Eric Asimov the wine critic of The New York Times has lauded them for their efforts.