Seeing Pink Elephants
Kris Kane is especially proud of his winery’s Thirsty Elephant, a hearty blend of Concord, Niagara and Fredonia grapes that pays tribute to the pink amusement park relic that greets visitors to 21 Brix Winery in Portland, N.Y.
But, even though he grew up around grapes on the family fruit farm, Kane never expected to be making wine. In college, he studied to become a chiropractor and a massage therapist. What he discovered is that he enjoyed cultivating grapes more than kneading muscles.
So Kane switched majors in his senior year and began studying plant biology. “I was attracted to chiropractics because I liked healing, and working one-on-one to make people feel better,” Kane reflects. “But then I got into this and thought, ‘Wine has healing powers, too.’ I figured winemaking would be less stressful and I’d work [fewer] hours than [as] a doctor, but nothing’s further from the truth.”
Kane learned winemaking while working for six years at Presque Isle Wine Cellars in nearby North East, Pa., under master winemaker Doug Moorhead. He also learned to make shiraz by working at Stuart Wine in Australia.
Kane’s grandfather, Trenholm Jordan, began the 12-acre Olde Chautauqua family fruit farm in the 1960s but, back then, grapes were sold to juice makers. Several land acquisitions and a name change later, the homestead boasts 15 varieties of grapes grown on 225 acres of vines. In addition, the spread contains 16 acres of cherry trees and an asparagus patch from which customers can pick in season.
21 Brix bottled its first vintages in 2009. Last year, it produced 900 cases. This year, with a new batch of vines set to mature, production is set to mushroom, with the goal of producing up to 4,000 cases.
The winery specializes in full-bodied reds, semi-dry whites and sweet-yet-tart cherry and raspberry wines.The name 21 Brix refers to the sugar level a grape reaches upon maturation — 21 percent sugar, the point at which flavor starts to develop. Winemakers denote this as a level of brix, which is a French scale of measurement.
The 10,000-square-foot winery features a comfortable tasting room, or patrons can choose to sit on the wraparound porch, which offers lush views of surrounding fields. In the evening, the west side of the porch offers a beautiful sunset view.
Then, of course, there is the pink elephant. The winery’s mascot came from a local amusement park that closed several decades ago. “When everything was put up for auction, my father bid on it, but didn’t get it,” says Kane. “It kinda bounced around the county until about three years ago, when it ended up on the front yard of some guy’s house down the road.”
The family bought it and moved it to the winery. If you visit 21 Brix this summer, however, you may notice a change. Kane’s wife, Nicki, is about to give birth to their first child — and he’s thinking of repainting the pachyderm blue if it’s a boy.
“Then again,” he says, giving his head a shake, “do you know how long it took to paint elephant toenails?”
Perfect Pairs
Winemaker Kris Kane recommends these 21 Brix vintages with your next entrée:
Cabernet Sauvignon ($21.99): Hints of clove, sour cherry and vanilla, with a smooth finish. Serve with steak or blackened fish.
Gewürztraminer ($16.99): Semi-dry with a nice citrus aftertaste. Perfect with a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey with stuffing and cranberries.
Thirsty Elephant ($10.81):
A sweet, Zinfandel-type
blush for summer barbecues, or as an appetizer wine. Serve chilled.
Info to Go
21 Brix Winery
6654 West Main Road
Portland, N.Y.
716-792-2749
21brix.com