Vanessa Hoffman grew up in Silicon Valley, a short distance from Napa and Sonoma, where she became fascinated by the romantic idea of growing wine grapes since she was eight. As a young adult who knew nothing about wine, she shifted focus in college at UC, Berkeley, where she majored in Neurobiology. After college, she decided to work a harvest in the laboratory as a lark before applying for medical school. Her first harvest was a Ridge at Lytton Springs in Healdsburg, California. Working at Ridge was such an inspiring opportunity, surrounded by passionate, dedicated people making incredible wine, she never left the industry. Since then, she has worked in wineries in California, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy. Most recently, she earned her master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology in Italy. Vanessa joined Knapp as winemaker in 2021. She hopes to continue the history of quality winemaking and use the skills she has gathered from her worldwide travels.
Media Inquiries: Vanessa@knappwine.com | https://www.knappwine.com/about
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, memorable about your brand?
Knapp Winery was founded in 1984 by Doug and Susie Knapp. They were true visionaries for the Finger Lakes. They were the first to plant Cab Franc on Cayuga Lake, which is now one of the flagship red varieties for the area. They were the first to create a winery restaurant, designed to highlight the incredible produce and meat coming from the area. The Knapps understood the importance of ‘farm-to-table’ before it was even a phrase. They started growing grapes before they started making wine, understanding that the best wine starts in the vineyard. They also helped create America’s first wine trail (Cayuga Wine Trail). The Finger Lakes as a winegrowing region would not be the same without the Knapp family.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained. Sky’s the limit!
Without the constraints of practicality, I would make a dozen different roses. I would buy dozens of small tanks so I could make roses from a bunch of varietals. I love making rose wine, so it would be beautiful and fun to do. But I also find blending to be one of my favorite parts of winemaking. With dozens of rose lots to choose from, I could blend a bunch of interesting and fun roses in different styles. My tasting sheet would be a huge list of pink wines.
I would also immediately plant some Syrah in our vineyard. I love the variety from all over the world, but the Finger Lakes Syrahs I have had have been particularly exciting. Also, I love GSMs from the south of France. I will never make a GSM-style wine in the Finger Lakes due to the radically different climate, but making a cool climate Syrah would be an excellent concession prize.
Asking a winemaker what they would do if they were unconstrained by reality is a dangerous question. There is also about a $1,000,000 wish list I have for improvements, equipment, and additions to Knapp. I could go on forever about pumps, mechanical sorters, presses, wine caves, tank temperature control systems, large format barrels, etc.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
The wine most emblematic of our brand is our Siegerrebe. We were the first winery to plant Siegerrebe on the East Coast, and still the only grower east of the Mississippi to the best of my knowledge. It is a vinifera grape bred in Germany from Gewurztraminer and Madeleine Angevine. While an aromatic white similar to Gewurz, it ripens earlier than Gewurztraminer and survives winter temperatures better. I was not working for Knapp when it was planted, but it truly symbolizes Knapp’s pioneering spirit and forward thinking. Knapp Winery has a long history of being at the front of the pack in terms of innovation and experimentation in the Finger Lakes. We hope to continue to honor the Knapps legacy in the coming years.
Read this wine review here https://winecharacters.com/2023-knapp-winery-siegerrebe/
Why Winemaking?
Winemaking is an incredible blend of art, history, and science. I was a neurobiology major in college, but I really wanted a career that allowed me to be creative as well. It is a job that is incredibly precise and scientific, but it is not something that can be learned solely from textbooks. There is a nuance and instinct required to make well made wines that comes from experience. There is also an artistic flair required to turn a technically well-made wine into a exceptionally special wine. I also love that winemaking is a physical job. I spend a large chunk of my day on Excel, but I am not chained to a desk all day. Another reason I was drawn to winemaking is that I really wanted to make an actual product. My family historically were piano makers, steel workers, and engineers. I also wanted to make something that people could see and touch and enjoy. But most importantly, winemaking allows me to bring my dog to work with me (an Australian shepherd named Hammie).