Silver Thread’s original 6-acre vineyard and ecologically-designed wine cellar were established by organics enthusiast and author Richard Figiel. It was one of the first Finger Lakes wineries to produce exclusively dry wines from European grape varieties. Since the late 1980’s, the vineyard has followed the principles of sustainable farming, and it even held an organic certification from 1992-1997. Our energy-efficient tasting room and wine cellar building, built in 1995, is set into the hillside for natural temperature control and to take advantage of gravity flow in the winemaking process. The winery building is a contemporary take on Greek Revival, the architectural style of many of the early farm houses in the Finger Lakes. Since the winery’s first release in 1991, Silver Thread earned critical acclaim for its wines. Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were lauded in Wine Advocate, The New York Times, and The World Atlas of Wine during the 1990s, when Finger Lakes wines were virtually unknown outside the region.