Final Star in Our Sky
Ken Klucznik, wine
Stars in Our Sky #11
Ken Klucznik, wine lover
Dear Readers,
We’ve had a great run with Stars in Our Sky editions of Hi Zan, Hi Pa in the past year, featuring people we know and their creative contributions to the world, but it’s time for this series to come to a close. (The regular editions of Hi Zan, Hi Pa will continue on the same schedule, the 10th and 25th of each month.) We’ll be taking some time to go through your survey responses and figure out what’s next for this monthly spot—stay tuned!
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Our Star this month is Ken Klucznik who, along with his wife, Jan Eklund, traveled with Pa, (and Zan’s mother, Amanda) in the former Soviet Union on USIA cultural exchange exhibits. After the exhibit tour, Jan worked for 33 years teaching high school Russian in Glastonbury CT. Ken and Jan also have two daughters, and our families have remained friends for close to four decades
Ken was born in Providence and grew up mostly in Attleboro, MA. After attending Bates College where he met Jan (“the love of my life” in his words), Ken completed a Ph.D. at Indiana University, taught English at Manchester, CT, Community College, and served in higher education administration. Over the years he’s been a runner, a biker (the pedal kind), played in bands, played a lot of tennis, learned to hammer a nail and raise a wall (from Pa, he says—though Pa considers that a kind exaggeration), prepared lots of food, and shared “too few meals and glasses of wine with good friends.” He's working on changing that last one.
ZAN AND PA: Hi Ken, what inspires you?
KEN: Hi, Zan and Pa. I am inspired by people who have a passion for what matters to them, people like the nearby cheesemaker or those who made by hand the guitars I am fortunate to be able to play.
In the late 1990’s, my wife, Jan, and I took our first trip to a wine region—Napa, California. At that time, like perhaps many wine drinkers, we preferred big (mostly red) wines, so even as newcomers to wine tasting, we had no trouble enjoying the wines. When we boarded the flight to return from that trip, most of our carry-on luggage was wine, and we had ordered a number of cases to be shipped to our home.
Ken and Jan at Sheldrake Point Winery’s Vintage Room
One of those cases came from a wine importer and retailer in Berkeley, and that shop began sending a monthly booklet highlighting their wines. Since the shop specialized—and does to this day—in wines from the Burgundy region, I was soon exposed to wines quite different from those big reds from California. Red wines from Burgundy, with few exceptions, are almost all 100% Pinot Noir, and, as my wife would say when I’d open one, “Oh, I see we are having Chateau de Something-See-Through tonight.”
We are fortunate to live near a wine region, the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Several times a year we travel to the lakes, visit wineries, and bring home cases of wine to enjoy. We’ve visited nearly 50 of the 150 or so wineries in the region, and each time we go we discover new wines and new vintages.
Jan and I have always appreciated people who care deeply about what they do—writers, musicians, photographers, teachers, chefs, wine makers, to name a few. In the Finger Lakes, we have found and gotten to know many people who are passionate about the craft of wine making.
Two aspects of exploring wine, in particular, frequently strike me. For one, the wines I am most drawn to almost always represent the specific place and vintage they come from, not to mention the skills of the grape grower and wine maker, so each vintage is different. If I enjoy a 2016 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc from one of our favorite wineries, I know that once it’s gone, that’s almost certainly the last time I will be able to enjoy that wine.
On Boundary Breaks’ patio, overlooking Seneca Lake
The second aspect that strikes me is how people, even experienced wine tasters, can taste very different things in the same wine. At one of the wineries we love in the Finger Lakes, we were having a conversation with one of the owners (they are husband and wife) and we got on the subject of the descriptions they provide for their wines. She said that they have the team try the wine and will only list a characteristic, such as “spicy,” if at least three of the tasters note it. Sometimes there isn’t that much agreement!
Here are three of our favorite places:
The wines produced at Ravines Wine Cellars make a strong case for the overall and consistent quality possible in the Finger Lakes. Apart from the excellent dry Rieslings that Ravines played a substantial role in making a signature style in the region, the winery offers a broad selection of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines. First time visitors to the region can get a great introduction to FLX wines by starting here.
For those interested in sampling some of the best Pinot Noirs of the region, Hearts and Hands offers a number of single vineyard bottlings. They also produce fine Rieslings, rosés, and Sparkling wines. This is a very small winery, frequently making only 30-40 cases of some wines.
Kemmeter specializes in excellent Rieslings of all levels of sweetness, but in addition offers a unique tasting experience hosted by the winemaker, Johannes, and limited to 8 or fewer people at each tasting. Johannes makes each tasting interactive and very personal.
One of the vineyards at Boundary Breaks
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North/West of Hammondsport on Lake Keuka there used to be vineyard called Dana. The Chardonnay was far above average, but I cannot find 'the place' anymore? On Cayuga Lake there is a 'speedboat' type service to the different wineries. High recommended.
Ken and Jan,
I vividly and fondly recall our conversation--over wine, of course, an especially fine Grillo--at Juliana's graduation party in June. As we sat on the lawn at the home of Roland and Amanda, spending a sunlit afternoon sharing thoughts on teaching and learning in America, it seemed to me I'd known you both for a lifetime, when I believe it was only our second encounter, the first on another sunlit afternoon at the wedding of Zanny and Philipp last year. Until I read this Star in Our Sky piece, I hadn't known of your love of wine. I'm a wine lover, as well. We'll need to share a glass the next time we meet to celebrate our common appreciation. And I agree with your observations about wine's provinciality, as distinct and precise an expression of people and place as any.
--Bob