Lakes are the unheralded costume designers of the wine world. Like their Hollywood brethren, few lakes are household names, but their quiet influence can’t be overstated. Can you imagine Black Panther or Marie Antoinette without the brilliant costumes (courtesy of Ruth Carter and Milena Canonero) that help tell the story? They draw sharp lines around what these characters aspire to and represent.
With wine, lakes have a similar ability to transform a narrative. They can make wines brighter, crisper and more complex.
“Lakes act as temperature buffers in the summer and winter,” says Greg V. Jones, PhD, a renowned atmospheric scientist who’s also CEO of Abacela Winery in Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. “The areas around the edges of big lakes are cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. They also create breezes because when the sun comes up during the day, the land naturally heats up, and air starts rising off the land. That air is then replaced by air from the lake, which causes a breeze.”
While robust rivers and dramatic coasts are frequently touted for their wine-boosting powers, lakes get short shrift. Why?
Abacela vineyards in the Umpqua Valley AVA of Oregon.
Courtesy of Andrea Johnson | Abacela
“Lakes aren’t studied as much as rivers and coasts in the world of wine, probably because there aren’t as many great lake regions as there are great river and coastal regions,” says Jones. “So we don’t have a precise way to define what a ‘big’ or ‘deep’ lake is, but I’d say 100 acres or more constitutes a lake that can have an effect on grapes, and the effect will be proportionally greater the closer the vineyards are to the lake.”
The bigger the lake, the greater the effect, he says. And depth matters, too.
“The deeper the lake, the more heat it can store, which means it can generate more cooling and warming in the summer and winter,” says Jones.
What else should we know? Read on.
Lakes regulate the weather
Weather determines grape quality. Ask any winemaker about last year’s vintage. Be prepared for a detailed soliloquy about rain, sun, snow, and even wind (or lack thereof). Grapes are goldilocks creatures that thrive in a precise set of circumstances.
Lakes generally soften Mother Nature’s rougher edges.
In the Niagara Lake Plain, at Chateau Niagara Winery, rocket-scientist turned winery owner Jim Baker says that two lakes influence his wines.
“The land we’re on was shaped by the ancient Lake Iroquois, which left behind a long stretch of sand and gravel, and [it] gives us incredible drainage and structure in our soil today,” says Baker. “Fast-forward 10,000 years, and Lake Ontario plays an equally important role, acting as a massive temperature buffer for the entire region.”
Kathy and Jim Baker, owners of Chateau Niagara Winery in Newfane, New York.
Courtesy of Chateau Niagara Winery
Reaching 802 feet at its deepest point, the 4.7-million-acre Lake Ontario rarely freezes, which means it can store a great deal of heat.
“In winter, the lake moderates our low temperatures and keeps the lakeshore area in a USDA Zone 6A, or between [minus]-5°F and 0°F,” says Baker. “That’s significant because vinifera vines start to die at around [minus]-5°F. Being just a bit warmer here makes the difference between losing a vineyard and keeping it thriving.”
Baker grows vinifera grapes that include Cabernet Franc and Saperavi, which makes the warmer shore temps a necessity.
During the summer, the lake acts as an air conditioner. It keeps lakeshore high temperatures around 85°F, ideal for a long ripening season. Without the lake’s moderating effect, Baker says they wouldn’t be able to grow vinifera successfully.
In the northern Lombardy region of Italy, Ferdinando Dell’Aquila, winemaker at Berlucchi, explains how Lake Iseo, at 15,271 acres and up to 823 feet deep, significantly reduces frost risk.
“In the winter, the lake releases the heat accumulated during the summer, which reduces the risk of frost that could damage the vines,” says Dell’Aquila. “In the summer, it absorbs heat and keeps temperatures cooler and more stable, avoiding water and heat stress for the plants.”
Vineyard views around Lake Garda in Lugana, Italy.
Courtesy of Consorzio Tutela Lugana
Lakes blow disease away
Lakes can even reduce the incidence of potentially grape-fouling diseases.
Lugana, Italy, sits across the southern shores of Lake Garda, between Brescia and Verona. The lake, at 91,420 acres and up to 1,135 feet deep, produces breezes that shift direction during the day. The winds in the morning begin north-to-south, then shift to south-to-north in the afternoon. It allows the Turbiana grape that dominates plantings there to thrive.
“The distinctive glacial morphology of Lake Garda strongly influences wind patterns and microclimates in Lugana,” says Ambra Berardi, communications manager at Consorzio Tutela Lugana. “And in Lugana, where the clay soil is poorly draining and therefore retains moisture, the breezes help maintain the health of the vineyard and protect it against fungal diseases.”
Even 60 miles north in Alto Adige, Lake Garda’s vast effect is felt, says Eduard Bernhart, director of Consorzio Vini Alto Adige.
“As the sun warms the air over Alto Adige, it rises, drawing cooler air northward from Lake Garda in a daily, mid-day breeze known as the ora, or hour in Italian,” says Bernhart. “The Lake provides excellent ventilation, helping vines stay healthy by preventing moisture buildup on the grapes and reducing the risk of fungus and mildew.”
This means winegrowers need to spend less time spraying vines with pesticides, something an increasing number of producers and consumers want to avoid.
Fox Run Vineyards in the Seneca Lake AVA of New York.
Courtesy of Fox Run Vineyards
Lakes sharpen flavors and aromas
In the end, the pleasure that a wine provides resides primarily in its flavor. And yes, lakes are good for that, too.
In Austria, Lake Neusiedl, at 77,838 acres, but just up to six-feet-deep, develops fog over its surface, especially during autumn mornings, which shapes not just the flavor of the grapes, but the entire style made in the region.
“The morning fogs in fall lead to a rapid development for botrytis, which is essential for the production of noble sweet wine,” says Christian Zechmeister, managing director of Wein Burgenland. “The lake also creates high humidity in areas like Seewinkel, which is also beneficial for the development of noble rot in sweet wines.”
Part of the Finger Lakes region in New York, Seneca Lake is sizable (43,343 acres, up to 618 feet deep), as is its effect. Seneca not only protects surrounding vineyards from winter damage, but according to Scott Osborn, co-owner of Fox Run Vineyards, it provides space and time for grapes to ripen.
“The slow and even ripening helps preserve acidity and develop complex, layered flavors, which is especially important for varieties like Riesling and Cabernet Franc,” says Osborn. “The grapes can hang longer, which builds richer aromatics, like stone fruit, citrus or floral notes in Riesling. It also helps provide the balanced acidity with moderate alcohol levels that have become a hallmark of the region’s style.”
As the climate continues to change, lakes may become increasingly attractive to winegrowers and sippers.
“We don’t have great long-term data on climate change and lakes, but as the land around a lake heats up more, and the lake’s air rises to replace it, this will increase the flow of air, which means more breezes for vineyards,” says Jones. “This, and the many other weather-ameliorating effects lakes offer, could offer a kind of magic solution in an increasingly challenging climate.”
Lake Iseo sits near the Franciacorta appellation in Lombardy, Italy.
Courtesy of Berlucchi
Lakes wine lovers should know
Lake Neusiedl: The Neusiedlersee wine region is set within Burgenland, Austria, and is known for bright, fruit-forward Zweigelt and long-aging sweet wines like Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein from grapes like Welschriesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc.
Lake Garda: White wines made from Lugana DOC are made primarily from the indigenous Turbiana grape, in a range of forms from dry to sweet, still to sparkling.
Seneca Lake: The Seneca Lake AVA is a subappellation in New York’s Finger Lakes, renowned for producing aromatic whites like Riesling and Chardonnay, but also lively sparkling wines, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir.
Lake Iseo: Set within Lombardy, Italy, the vineyards around Lake Iseo are best known for Franciacorta, a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Bianco. Franciacorta is produced in the traditional method, with the second fermentation happening in the bottle.
Lake Ontario: Several wine regions can be found around Lake Ontario: Canada’s Niagara Peninsula, and New York’s Niagara Lake Plain and the Niagara Escarpment.
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