Chëpìka, Catawba Petillant Natural

Wine Maker: Nathan Kendall, Pascaline Lepeltier
Vintage: 2019
Country: USA, New York
Appellation: Finger Lakes
Grape: Catawba
Soil:
Farming: Organic
S02: Under 10 ppm 
Tasting Notes: Mouthwatering tartness with fresh stone fruits and citrus and a vivacious acid finish.
 
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About the process
 
100% Catawba Pet’ Nat. Organically-certified grapes grown on Keuka Lake. Indigenous yeasts fermentations. 6 months tirage before disgorgement in April 2020. No additives. Harvest : 10.28 - 9%, pH 3.1, TA 10.
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About the Winemaker 
 
Chëpìka is the project of winemaker Nathan Kendall and Pascaline Lepeltier MS, beginning with the 2016 vintage. The chëpìka sparkling wines are crafted in the ancestral method, relying exclusively on natural yeasts without anything added. Since 2018 they also make a still version of the Catawba, also with no additives. The Delaware and Catawba grapes are grown organically in a certified vineyard near Keuka Lake.
 
The name chëpìka comes from the Lenape word for "roots". Lenape is the language spoken by the Delaware tribe. We chose the name as a tribute to the history of northeastern America, the presence of the Native Americans and the wild American grapes growing in this region, history that is unfortunately often overlooked.
 
The goal of the project is to work diligently and respectfully with the land, using the native varieties to recreate the traditional wines of the Finger Lakes, and to produce a delicious, affordable, local wine made from the natural and historical resources of the region.