Published: June 01, 2007 10:19 pm      

Local wineries getting documentary TV time

A longtime plan to feature the area’s wineries has finally come to fruition and two Niagara County wineries will get a piece of the spotlight.

Niagara Landing Wine Cellars in Cambria and The Winery at Marjim Manor in Appleton are featured in WNED’s special “Wineries of Western New York and the Finger Lakes,” airing at 9 p.m. June 18.

WNED spokesman Darwin McPherson said the New York and Canadian versions of the show fulfill a desire of the station.

“We’ve been wanting to do a show on the wineries of the region for forever,” McPherson said. “It was just hard in terms of production time to solid plans and shooting.”

The specials are supposed to show the differences in winemaking and wine depending on the region. Western New York and Canada are known for cool-climate winemaking, a different technique than in other regions.

WNED crews visited Niagara Landing in October. Co-owner Jackie Connelly said the station filmed operations when employees and machines were picking grapes and making Nouveau Rouge.

“My strongest recollection is we just had the perfect day,” Connelly said.” “We had customers help with some of the handpicking ... . Everything went well.”

The staff at Marjim Manor also had fun as a camera crew filmed the fruit farms, wine tastings and even a luncheon.

Owner Margo Bittner said she’ll be watching carefully to see whether any of the mansion’s ghosts were captured on film. The 1800s farmhouse reportedly has a few spooks in the wings.

“We didn’t get to see the film afterward,” she said. “You never know.”

Bittner said it was fun having television cameras around, although this isn’t the first time. She said the winery has been featured on local news stations before.

Connelly and Niagara Landing’s wine maker will be at the station for the program’s debut; Bittner also is planning to be there.

Other wineries featured in the New York special include Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan, Johnson Estate Winery in Westfield, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in Dundee, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars in Lodi, Merritt Estate Winery in Forestville and the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua.

Hector wineries Red Newt Cellars and Standing Stone Vineyards, Hammondsport wineries Chateau Frank and Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, and Ripley wineries Blueberry Sky Farm Winery and Schloss Doepken Winery also are featured.