Nathan Kendall: Rising star of New York’s Finger Lakes

Driving down Route 14 in Dundee, New York, a clear day reveals rolling hills of grape vines along either side of Seneca Lake. Seneca is the largest and deepest of the 11 glacially carved Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The lush terrain and diverse microclimates across its 61 kilometres are home to over 60 producers, including Nathan Kendall.

His name is becoming increasingly familiar to those watching New York’s growing wine scene. Kendall has topped various wine industry recognition lists over the last few years as a rapidly rising star in both New York and American wine. He calls the attention ‘truly humbling for a small-town person.’

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 10 wines from Nathan Kendall

‘Anything I read about the region, whether it be myself or anyone else, is a victory for the whole team,’ says Kendall. He is a rising tide lifting all ships in a place that means a lot to him. Kendall grew up locally, in a town with a population of just 1,700.

The experience seems to have grounded Kendall further in his efforts as a Finger Lakes winemaker and steward of the land. He is steadfast in his minimalist approach, embracing vintage variation and the authenticity of place.

Growing up in New York

Kendall’s love for New York is intrinsic. ‘My parents were drinking local back before it was trendy,’ he smiles.

Grape cultivation and winemaking is an older business here than people might think. Indigenous peoples are thought to have cultivated and harvested grapes after they arrived at the end of the last Ice Age. The first commercial Vitis labrusca plantings date back to 1829, with varieties that have since been given names connected with those same peoples, such as the Cayuga, Catawba, and Delaware.

The Vitis vinifera revolution didn’t hit this region until the 1960s led by Charles Fournier and Dr. Konstantin Frank.

With his mother working at Hermann J Wiemer and his best friend’s family farming grapes, Kendall grew up surrounded by viticulture. He quickly became intrigued by the concept of turning fruit into a delicious drink. By 18, he was working in tasting rooms and reading wine books voraciously.

Kendall pursued a business degree with wine in mind before deciding hands-on vineyard management and winemaking experience could be beneficial. Concurrently, his parents opened Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars on the southwest side of Seneca Lake.

‘I felt I had something I had to prove on my own,’ said Kendall, who chased harvests after school.

For five years, he travelled the world, starting in Sonoma before working in Willamette Valley; Waipara in New Zealand; the Mosel in Germany; and Adelaide Hills, Australia.

‘I expedited the learning process and completely avoided winter,’ says Nathan, laughing at the memory.

Coming into focus

Alongside sunnier days, Kendall’s time abroad allowed him to find his style: low to no intervention and letting the vintage and grape variety shine. He returned home in 2011, working for local wineries while honing his craft on the side.

‘I started making teeny batches of wine in the corner for fun and to work with the techniques I learned [abroad],’ Kendall explains. ‘I grew that every year until I just couldn’t balance the two, and my side hustle became more of a day job.’

This was the start of his namesake brand, Nathan K. In 2016, he took over winemaking for Hickory Hollow while also starting a natural wine project he called ‘chëpìka’ – which means ‘root’ in Lenape, the Algonquian language spoken by the Delaware tribe – with New York City-based sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier.

Today, Kendall operates all three brands, each with a separate focus. Nathan K. centres around Finger Lakes vinifera, while Hickory Hollow explores French-American hybrid grapes. For chëpìka he explores wines made from Vitis labrusca hybrids. ‘It’s been a fun little history project and a lesson in horticulture,’ he says.

Honouring home

Kendall’s style allows him to highlight the best of the Finger Lakes. In the vineyard, grapes are carefully selected by hand, allowing Kendall to avoid sorting on the press pad. His vinification methods are minimal, partly by necessity and partly by design. ‘I’m not working with any refrigeration, and my press is old enough to be my grandfather,’ he jokes.

In the cellar, he lets the cool-climate region shine. ‘I lean into the beauty we have here: higher acid, lower alcohol, more delicate wines in general.’ Kendall focuses on complexity through mouthfeel.

‘I like a little more texture in white wines, which I get through barrel ferments and lees ageing,’ he details. The reds are a fresher style, a little more fruit-forward. I like the whole cluster adds – they really make the fruit pop.’

Though Kendall has enough land for a future estate vineyard, he believes his purpose right now is to allow it to flourish naturally. Instead, he partners with three to four local grape growers annually to get the fruit he needs.

He tends to prefer working with neutral grapes like Chardonnay. ‘They’re a little more transparent in regards to understanding what you’re working with in the vineyard site,’ he explains. As such, Kendall determines the best possible use for the fruit he sources each year.

Championing hybrids

Making fine wines with hybrid grapes for chëpìka is more than just winemaking to Kendall – it’s a catalyst for necessary conversations. ‘I thought it was important to see if those varieties are still relevant,’ he says of the organic Catawba, Delaware, and Concord he sources for the brand.

These were among the most planted varieties during the early development of the Finger Lakes region, and with a less predictable climate, he finds them more relevant than ever.

Kendall suggests consumers should open their minds to new varieties to expand the industry. ‘It’s about being able to work with grapes in your backyard because not everyone can afford to live near the lake where the more tender vinifera thrives,’ he notes. ‘As long as you’re not biased about the specific species of grape, you can make something real nice.’

The brand chëpìka has also become a way to honour the region’s original inhabitants. ‘There are so many stories that aren’t told or preserved,’ Kendall says, disheartened by the forgotten history of New York’s indigenous communities. ‘It’s eye-opening and we figured we just have to have that uncomfortable conversation a lot of people want to ignore.’

Kendall and Lepeltier help keep these stories alive by donating proceeds to OJI:SDA Sustainable Indigenous Futures (a local non-profit organisation founded by indigenous people).

The wines also support the Literacy Volunteers of Yates County, which assists vineyard farmers with English language skills. ‘We thought it was important to take the proceeds from every bottle sold and put them towards something more noble,’ he says.

When asked what’s next, Kendall just smiles. ‘I just wake up grateful. I’m happy I’m here, and I try to do a little bit better than I did yesterday: get a little bit better extraction, a little more nuance, a little more precision on the sparkling. I just try to be a better version of the last time.’

10 wines from Finger Lakes maestro Nathan Kendall

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