Winemaker
Fred Merwarth
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Dundee, New York, United States
i. Biography
The Climb
Cornell University provided the formal training, but the day-to-day discipline was built at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in Dundee, New York, where Fred Merwarth served as an apprentice from 2001–2007. Those years established the habits that matter in this trade: repetition, observation, and the accumulation of practical knowledge through work done every day. In 2007, that apprenticeship became ownership and leadership, with Merwarth stepping into the roles of owner, winemaker, and vineyard manager at the same estate.
Today
Since 2007, Fred Merwarth has held three linked responsibilities: Head Winemaker, co-owner, and Vineyard Manager. The combination places farming and winemaking in the same set of hands, season after season, with the vineyard and the finished wine treated as parts of one process. Riesling remains the variety through which his work is most clearly read.
Signature
Fred's signature wines include Reserve Riesling and Riesling HJW Vineyard 2023. Both belong to the narrow focus that defines his cellar, where Riesling is treated with precision rather than breadth. The names point to the style itself: clarity, place, and a steady commitment to the grape that has anchored his work from the start.
Recognition
In 2021, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Merwarth its Wine Star Award Winemaker of the Year. The award recognized a career built on continuity rather than movement: Cornell training, an apprenticeship at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard from 2001–2007, and then, from 2007 onward, a leadership role that joined ownership, farming, and winemaking in one place.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Fred
What is Fred Merwarth's current role?
As of 2026, Fred Merwarth is Head Winemaker, Co-owner, and Vineyard Manager.
Where did Fred Merwarth train or study?
Fred Merwarth trained at Cornell University.
What is Fred Merwarth known for?
Riesling.
