Sensory Winery
by
Terry Sullivan
Summary: Close to the Pennsylvania border in Ripley, New York, wine enthusiasts can experience a tasting room and art gallery. At Sensory Winery, visitors can walk around the gallery while tasting a unique blend of wines. The art and the wine blends change throughout the year.
The wine/food pairing connection is well established. Wine also matches well with art. Many winery tasting rooms feature local artists by hanging their art work in their tasting rooms. Sensory Winery in Ripley, New York takes the wine/art connection a step further. As you approach the winery on Rt 20, you will notice that the winery sign is a sculpture. Upon entering the long gray building, that once was a fruit market, you stand in an art gallery. At the time of our September 2012 visit, photography adorned the white walls and panels.
Sensory Winery was established by Kevin Daughrity to seek an appreciation for the arts. Kevin is the owner and winemaker at Quincy Cellars, just across the street from Sensory Winery. His second winery opened in 2010. The wines are like the artwork, constantly changing. The photography in the gallery was a blend of colors. The wines available at the time were all blends of wines. Kevin creates the wines at Quincy Cellars.
The ever changing portfolio of wines at Sensory Winery are blends of different wines that Kevin created. These small case productions are about 45 cases per label. Artists design the wine bottle labels. Just as the artwork in the gallery changes, so do the wines. When a particular wine is sold out, it is not remade. The wine is replaced by a different blend along with a different artistic label.
A long tasting counter runs the length of the building next to the windows that flood the room with natural light. Visitors are encouraged to walk around and view the artwork as they taste their wines. We tasted a few wines whose names matched the artistic theme.
Wines
Xero White was a blend of Gewürztraminer and Riesling. The light straw colored wine offered a floral aroma. The taste had roses and nuts while the crisp finish had floral and nut aftertaste. Laconic was a straw colored blend of Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc and Seyval Blanc. The wines with its green apple aroma and taste would pair well with cheeses.
Vexation was a blend of Chancellor and Corot Noir. The ruby colored wine had an earthy and black fruit aroma. The silky taste had dark fruit and there were mild tannins on the finish. Umbra was a light pink color. It reminds one of summer with a touch of cinnamon.
Artists
The gallery displays and sells artwork from artists in the surrounding region including New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Artists are given a section of the gallery, and their work is on display for about four months. Sensory Winery selects artists who use shapes, forms, colors and textures that are unique and not easily recognizable. They choose artists who create abstract art. This matches the winery’s abstract wines.
Wine enthusiasts will want to repeatedly visit Sensory Winery’s tasting room and art gallery. Both wines and artwork change. Taste the current portfolio of wines as you amble through the gallery.
Sensory Winery
10593 West Main Road
Ripley, New York 14775
GPS: N42º 14.956’ W79º 44.903’
September 2012
