About Us
The vineyards, retail shop and production facilities of Anthony Road Wine Company are located in Yates county on the west side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Just 10 miles south of Geneva, 25 miles off the New York State Thruway, our winery is an easy drive from all of New York state's major population centers.
Anthony Road Wine Company uses only grapes grown in the Finger Lakes region to create their wines. An array of wine is produced – from dry to dessert – with a range of tastes designed to please connoisseurs and casual aficionados alike.
About the Owners - Ann and John Martini:
Ann grew up in Rochester, New York and the New York City suburbs of New Jersey; John grew up in the same New Jersey suburbs. After working in teaching (Ann) and Peace Corps and business (John), they moved to Yates County in 1973 to grow grapes and raise their family on 100 acres overlooking Seneca Lake.
Ann managed the vineyard and raised the children, while John worked for Cornell University at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. The grapes from their vineyards were first sold to the Taylor Wine Company and eventually to wineries across New York State.
In 1990, Ann and John Martini opened Anthony Road Wine Company with wines made from the 1989 crop. The first building was a renovated farm shop and the equipment was at best an eclectic collection of used and borrowed tanks and pumps and an old apple press.
Their children, Peter, Sarah, Maeve and Elizabeth, have been involved in the vineyard and winery throughout their growing years and beyond. Peter, is the vineyard manager at Martini Vineyards.
The joy of growing grapes and producing fine wines still motivates and excites the Martini family…more than a quarter-century after the first vines took root.
About the Winemaker - Johannes Reinhardt:
Johannes Reinhardt, a German native, was born in the little village of Franconia, 80 miles east of Frankfort. Johannes grew up in a family that has been in the wine business since 1438. He has been in the vineyards and wine cellars all his life and his attraction to wines and winemaking began at a very early age.
Through training and experience he has formed a philosophy that great wines begin with close attention to the basics. Wine quality still begins in the vineyards and continues through the cellar. Johannes' philosophy is to do his best, to respect nature and work with it. He says, "mother earth gives us this great beverage. I believe in giving the wine a chance to express itself with a minimum of manipulation."
Johannes has had extensive experience in small to medium size wineries with excellent reputations, allowing him to keep a hand on the vines and a hand on the glass. His education began with a three-year training in wine growing and winemaking. After completion of formal schooling, he worked for two years in his family's winery. He went on to study further at a technical college in wine growing and wine making, finishing in 1991. Johannes sought work experience in organic operations, sparkling wines, red wines and white wines. This effort led him to work at Estate Kistenmacher-Hengerer, a red wine specialist. He worked next for Hartmann Dippon Castle Estate, famous for organic wines; and then for Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars as a student intern. He joined Anthony Road in 2000.
His passions include: life, good food, good wine, his job, volley ball and soccer as well as classical music. Johannes dislikes dishonesty, those who enter the wine business for money alone without a passion for wine, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
About the Vineyard Manager - Peter Martini:
Peter Martini grew up on the family farm, working in the vineyards from a young age. He graduated from Clarkson University in 1990 with a BS degree in business management and moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the summer season. Nine years later, after working as an automotive technician for one of Jackson's premier shops, he and his fiancée decided to move back to the Finger Lakes and the family business.
After working for a year in the vineyards Peter was given the responsibility for managing the vineyard operation for Anthony Road. Recent plantings of Cabernet Franc, Lemberger and Pinot Noir have been added to the existing Riesling and Vignoles acreage. Beginning in 2002, Peter started managing our joint project with the Young family of California and planting the first section of the new vineyard on Nutt Road. Excited about this endeavor Peter says, "this project has been great for Anthony Road and for the Robert Young Family. It has brought the Finger Lakes more credence as one of New York's premium grape growing regions and as a national contender for fine wines." There is always a lot to do in the vineyard, but if you have a question about how the grapes are growing or our management practices, please feel free to e-mail Peter Martini at peter@martinivineyards.com.