The IWBW Wine making
Philosophy – by John Izzo

(Fullback right on two)

It’s that time of year when I dream of producing our next vintage.

I follow the local buzz on how the crop will finish.

Research the latest techniques and materials.

Review notes on things I’d like to improve on from the past season.

Consult with my partner and customers and aspire to create
the perfect wine.

I then face reality,

I work two jobs,

Have no formal training and am hampered by limited funding.

We are at the mercy/blessing of what the good lord gives us.

(Fullback right on two)

So we keep it simple at IWBW.

We focus on a process that will deliver the desired result.

We pay attention to detail.

We stay away from complexity and temptation.

We plan our work and work our plan to achieve the intended
result, given the above considerations.

If you have been to IWBW you know that in our brief history
we have been well served by this doctrine.

We regularly get very good reviews on every wine, not
exceptional reviews on a few wines.

That is music to our ears and a perfectly executed, “Fullback right on two”

“Fullback right on two” , the definition

In my youth I had the
good fortune to play Pop Warner Football in my home town of Auburn NY.  Our winning percentage was very high – (you can have a lot more fun by winning than losing boys), in fact losing was a  very rare occasion.

Our Coach Don “Peaches” Crawford was one of the great
motivators in my life, right up there along a guy named Mario Izzo.

The first play we learned was “ Fullback right” very simple,
very conservative, properly executed-

A touchdown!

Thanks coach, for a lifelong lesson on teamwork and the beauty of simple
execution. Please sign your kids up for sports and have a glass of wine after
the game.

General George Patton said, “A good plan executed
today is better than a perfect plan executed at some
indefinite point in the future.”

I think George and Coach Crawford ate at the same diner.

You know there is something about hanging out in a barn that is just fun.  The casualness, the aromas, the appreciation for simple rustic construction that last hundreds of years, it’s all there for your enjoyment at IWBW

Add in live music and you have an exceptional experience reminiscent of days past where folks physically worked hard and then played hard in their barns for recreation.  It didn’t take much to make people happy, good thing because they didn’t have much

The Music in the Barn events offer the opportunity to enjoy those past experiences in today’s world. So now you work hard at your keyboard rather than in your fields. It’s still refreshing to chill out in a barn, listen to music and visit with friends in a completely different environment.

Get away from it all in Cayuga NY!

Stroll down to the pond, sit on the deck and watch the rt 20 traffic (we used to call that “porching” when we lived on Lake Ave as kids) or hang out in the barn and “watch” the music, it’s all good stuff and rejuvenating after a tough week slaving on the keyboard .

We hope you take advantage of the opportunity and join us for “Music in the Barn”. Nothing pleases the staff at IWBW more than seeing a barn full of people having a good time, it is what we do and personally rewarding when folks Get It,

I love it when a first time visitor looks around and then tells me what our vision is “wow this is great, casual, fun, gee the wines are good, you know you should use that barn for parties”

(now why didn’t I think of that?)

IWBW, Nice Place, Nice People, Nice Wine.

Simple enough, see you in the barn.

The crew is restless the rain has dampen our spirits yet again in 2011.

So how does this weather affect the grapes?

The vines are happy, they are taking long drinks of water in anticipation of the pending hot dry summer, a camel affect if you will, drink now or forever hold your piece.

Every time we dry out the rains come, I am looking for ark plans.

Actually our grapes are babies, not yet in production, so the rain for us means less time spent on irrigation

The real grape growers likely have a different viewpoint, but this is life, constantly changing, unpredictable, as my mentor Chris Scholomiti of CJS Vineyards says, “ it’s farming in Central New York, we must be crazy”

So why would you pick such a chancy occupation? Because it is rewarding and fun.

Our  winery covers every aspect of business, agriculture, manufacturing, marketing and sales, we certainly won’t be bored!

I am frequently asked “how will you keep you wines consistent year to year”  – the answer is we won’t, wouldn’t want to if we could.

Each year is a fresh canvas, if every aspect of the weather were identical year over year, the vines would be one year older which in itself causes a change. We prefer to optimize what we get each year and enjoy the changes nature provides, thanks for asking.