# Oyster River White (2023)

- **Producer:** Oyster River Winegrowers
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cayuga, Seyval Blanc
- **Region:** New York, United States
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 10.5%
- **Average price:** €23
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, lemon, peach, elderflower

## About this wine

Oyster River Winegrowers was established in 2007 by winemaker Brian Smith in Warren, Midcoast Maine. Smith embraces a low-intervention, pre-industrial winemaking ethos, acting as a steward for natural ferments without synthetic inputs, chemical additives, or strict temperature controls. For the estate's initial seven harvests, field labor and plowing were carried out using draft horses. The Oyster River White cuvee is sourced from organically managed partner vineyards in the Finger Lakes region of New York and transported to coastal Maine for vinification.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Brian Smith used draft horses for all field labor during the winery's first seven harvests.
- Grapes are grown organically in New York's Finger Lakes but vinified in coastal Maine.
- Bottled completely unfiltered with zero added sulfites.

## Food pairing

The wine's electric, high acidity and bright citrus profile make it an exceptional match for fresh seafood, raw shellfish, and tangy goat cheeses. High acidity effortlessly cuts through rich or fried elements while harmonizing with light, herbal dressings.

## Wine making process

The Cayuga and Seyval Blanc grapes undergo a brief pre-press maceration on their skins before being pressed into stainless steel tanks. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using ambient wild yeasts without temperature control or artificial cooling. The wine ages through the winter on its fine lees in stainless steel. It is bottled unfiltered with zero added sulfites.