Wine and beer sales to improve New York lake health
Naples Brewing Co. and Heron Hill Winery in New York State are donating a portion of their sales towards protecting the water quality and ecological health of Canandaigua Lake.
The fourth largest of the Finger Lakes, Canandaigua Lake is home to a rainbow of aquatic vegetation and fish species, including brown trout, yellow perch, black crappie, and the largemouth bass. Stretching across both Ontario and Yates counties the lake is home to tidal wetlands and is popular for fishing, canoeing and hiking along its banks.
Last year, Naples Brewing Co. produced a limited-edition craft beer called Lakeside Cream Ale, donating a portion of its sales to the nonprofit Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, which works to preserve and restore the lake for future generations. Thanks to its popularity, Naples has decided to repeat the brew for 2025, and this year Heron Hill Winery has also decided to dive in and support the lake.
“Last year it [Lakeside Cream Ale] sold so quickly that we had to brew another batch before summer’s end,” Naples posted on its facebook page.”Be sure to check out the can for some lake facts, and scan the QR code on the labels to learn how you can get more involved.”
Cashmere hops
Lakeside Cream Ale, a 4.5% ABV cream ale brewed with all New York state grown ingredients, including Cashmere hops, is available in four-packs of 16 oz cans and on tap at Naples Brewing Co. (US$8 for a 16oz pour), as well as at Heron Hill Winery. Meanwhile, Heron is releasing two wines as part of the project, Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association Chardonnay; and Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association Cabernet Franc, made from grapes grown in its Ingle Vineyards on the west side of the lake. US$24 from every case of wine will be donated to the Watershed Association to help it to protect the water quality and ecological health of Canandaigua Lake.
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“We of this region are truly blessed to have clear, pure water and lots of it,” Heron Hill Winery owner Ingle said. “The lake is a living, evolving entity and needs to be protected and maintained.”
Echoing this, Larkin Ryan, co-owner of Naples Brewing added: “We all grew up in the Finger Lakes and we know how lucky we are to have access to clean freshwater and to live near not just the lake, but so many pristine tributaries as well.”
Water health
Safeguarding water purity is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of drinks producers’ sustainability strategies. In particular, achieving ‘salmon-safe certification’ is growing in prevalence as it proves that a producer protects the water quality of its surrounding lakes, streams and rivers. The work is largely about minimising potential damage caused by pesticide run-off from treated vines into nearby waterways, and Washington is leading the charge for wineries to become ‘salmon safe’.
Beer is also being used in Oregon to help salmon ‘smell’ their way back to hatcheries where they were born in order to lay their eggs. It could prove to be an important breakthrough in how breweries dispose of their waste, and could be extended beyond Oregon to other locations where salmon populate local waterways.
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