The Road Well Traveled
Hosmer winemaker Aaron Roisen brings a passion for agriculture to the western shore of Cayuga Lake
In our July/August 2015 issue, learn more about Aaron Roisen, the head winemaker at Hosmer Winery, and his journey from Minnesota to New Zealand to the Finger Lakes.
During the dog days of summer in the Finger Lakes, it’s commonplace to feel the roar of motorcycles cruising lakeside, to view sail and fishing boats maneuvering across the lakes, and to hear the sound of corks popping and wine glasses clinking at every lake house, restaurant and winery. The region is truly a place where the term endless summer is welcomed. For Aaron Roisen, winemaker at Hosmer Winery in Ovid, along the shores of Cayuga Lake, the road to the Finger Lakes was long and well traveled.
Roisen was born in Minnesota and grew up in the town Dawson. His family is composed of farmers mainly focused on corn and beans. Roisen remembers life growing up on the farm vividly—it was the reason for his growing desire as a teenager to take up agriculture and pursue it in college. In 1998, he chose to attend Minnesota State College and during his next two years at school, Roisen and his father began to look into other crops that may be suitable for farming in Minnesota. Roisen came to the realization that grapes had a growing future in the state. He and his father decided to plant vines and then in 2000, Roisen set off on the next leg of his journey to winemaking, all the way down to the south island of New Zealand to study vinification for his junior and senior years of college.
To discover more about Aaron Roisen’s journey to becoming Hosmer’s head winemaker, pick up a copy of our July/August 2015 issue and enjoy the full story by Nicholas Baldwin.
Photo by Jan Regan
