A new vision for the Finger Lakes.
Element Winery was founded to explore the extreme climate terroirs of the Finger Lakes region, to produce wines which express their origins without preconceived notions. We make delicate wines—low alcohol, higher acid, and balanced with a focus on mineral and floral aromas.
It is an honor to be a part of shaping the definition of Finger Lakes wines. It has been a core philosophy from the beginning and has driven us to work to define the unique taste of the region. We are inspired by Burgundy, Chablis, Hermitage, Germany, and Chinon. But we are not trying to be them.
We want our wines to be distinctively Finger Lakes. Our goal is to guide the wine to be what it is capable of, not force our will upon the wine. We work hard to allow the wine to be itself and allow our region to shine.
Element Philosophy
Using a minimalist approach, we allow the grapes to speak for themselves.
Vineyards & Sourcing
We work to source grapes from different soils, sites, and growers that are exemplary of the region. Working with local farmers, we push the norms, proving the potential of extreme climate and the Finger Lakes region.
APPROACH
We believe in making high quality wines that are true to place. To this end, we do not remove things from our wines (Reverse Osmosis, Spinning Cones, etc).
More importantly, we also do not add much either. We do not want to force our will upon the wine. With the exception of minimal amounts of sulfur, we do not add anything to our wines.
Winemaking Team
The People Behind the Wine
Christopher Bates, MS
Christopher Bates has spent over 25 years excelling in all aspects of the hospitality industry. His years of experience have taken Bates around the world to perfect his craft and realize his passion for all things hospitality. His well-rounded perspective has been shaped by his extensive global travel as well as experiences at award-winning properties such as the Inn at Dos Brisas and Hotel Fauchère, both Relais & Châteaux. Under his direction as General Manager and Sommelier at the Inn at Dos Brisas and General Manager & Executive Chef at Hotel Fauchère, both Relais & Châteaux properties were named one of the 100 most exciting wine programs in the US by Wine Enthusiast.
From his early years as a freshman at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Christopher had the opportunity to learn from a number of formative influences from professors to peers that would inspire his interest in wine. Already a fan and student of single malt scotch, he was encouraged to learn more about wine by his father Robert (co-owner of Element Winery). Christopher became obsessed with not only wine, but beverages as a whole, adding to his obsession for food and cooking.
Christopher’s relentless passion would bring him to Immich Batterieberg in the Mosel Valley region of Germany to learn the art of winemaking and the harvest. His ongoing drive for excellence would reach major career milestones in 2012, when Bates was named Best Young Sommelier in the World after winning Best Young Sommelier in America in the same year. He went on to win TopSomm 2013, the most important sommelier competition in America, before passing his Master Sommelier Exam in May 2013, making him the 199th person in the world to do so, and the first ever to achieve this prestigious accomplishment while working as an Executive Chef.
Christopher has since returned home to the Finger Lakes region of New York accompanied by his wife Isabel Bogadtke with hopes to help the place where he grew up move forward and prosper. As owners of Element Winery and the F.L.X. Hospitality Group, which features a growing portfolio including F.L.X. Table (a restaurant concept focused on a communal tasting menu format), F.L.X. Wienery (a relaxed dining experience specializing in artisanal, high-quality food served fast), and F.L.X. Culture House (a nano-brewery focusing on sours and barrel aged beers) Chris and Isabel are integral contributors to a growing hospitality industry in the Finger Lakes and are committed to building the future of this wine region with the belief that one day, it will be recognized as one of the great wine regions of the world.
Isabel Bogadtke
Isabel has worked in wineries around the world, from Batterieberg in the Mosel, Guerrieri Rizzardi and Villa Monteleone in the Valpolicella, to stages at Gramercy Cellars and J. Christopher in Washington and Oregon.
She met Christopher while working at Immich Batterieberg in the Mosel. They were both there to learn how to make wine in a place they both loved, but it turns out they had a lot more in common than that. Isabel started her career in hospitality, mostly focusing on service. Growing up in Berlin, she worked for a Relais & Chateaux property in Germany before moving to Frankfurt where she worked at the Michelin-starred Brick restaurant.
After harvest in the Mosel, Isabel and Christopher moved to Italy, where she managed a tasting room during the day and worked at Christopher’s restaurant at night. Along with Christopher, she has spent the last 7 years managing first The Inn at Dos Brisas, and later the Hotel Fauchere. While at the Inn at Dos Brisas, Isabel was awarded Best Service in the World by Mobil Travel Guide, and remains the only person to have ever received this honor.
Isabel’s other major focus is tea. She is a Certified Tea Specialist. When not drinking tea or Element Wine, you will most often find her drinking old Cabernet, be it Bordeaux or California.
Robert Bates
Bob is a man of few words.
But sit down with him and a glass of his favorite 2012 Element Riesling and he’d love to tell you his life story...;)
FRIENDS OF THE WINERY
While many people have truly impacted this project, a few deserve special mention.
Cameron Karger. Cameron helped us immensely in getting started and provided us with advice from the beginning. Cameron brings much experience from his days as Assistant Winemaker for Mark Aubert, where he was making the wines of both Aubert and Colgin. Cameron provides us with advice on how to produce clean, rich, full-bodied wines that are sure to please wine reviewers and consumers alike. We disregard it all, and continue to focus on making wines we love. Cameron is currently the General Manager at The Point, Relais & Chateaux.
Andrew Welder. As a former sommelier turned restaurateur, Andrew has one of the sharpest palates I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. Andrew acts as our official taste-tester in addition to the much appreciated contribution of physical labor. Andrew owns Rockhill Restaurant in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Jacob Kiel. As the former Sommelier for the Hotel Fauchere, Relais & Chateaux, Jacob worked with Christopher and Isabel, and as part part of his training, trips to the winery were mandatory. Jacob has helped with nearly every aspect of the winery from sorting and crushing, to blending and bottling. Jacob continues to support Element Winery in Norway and our unofficial brand ambassador.
Julia Grashaftel. She also came to the Hotel Fauchere to develop her skills in the hospitality industry and later took over for Jacob as sommelier. Like Jacob, winery work was an important part of her learning about wine. Julia now resides at home in Austria.
Ron Hall. The contribution of physical labor can not be overlooked. Ron has helped every step of the way. He helped Bob with much of the day-to-day operations in the winery in the early days.
Greg Bates. Always willing to help when the crunch is on. Greg has helped not only to bottle, but to help rebuild the bottling line itself.
David Hansen. He drives up to the winery from Virginia to help bottle, crush, or press whenever we need it. At this point, his biggest impact has been helping us figure out this internet thing.
Justin Recktenwald. Justin began working for Element Winery in 2012, and has been an amazing help ever since. He has since launched his own label, Wild Brute, but still works very closely with us as we both look to push ourselves to produce the best wine possible.
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Christopher Bates, MS
The Finger Lakes
