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Fred Merwarth and Oskar Bynke, owners of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in Dundee, with Tom and Marti Macinski of Standing Stone Vineyards in Hector. Merwath and Bynke have purchased Standing Stone and will continue to operate it as a separate company.

(Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard)

HECTOR, NY -- Two of the most respected wineries in the Finger Lakes region are joining forces: The owners of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard on the west side of Seneca Lake are buying Standing Stone Vineyards on the east side of the lake.

Wiemer owners Fred Merwarth and Oskar Bynke will continue to operate Standing Stone as a separate business. Standing Stone owners Tom and Marti Macinski will stay on for at least three years to help with the transition.

Both wineries are among the most honored and historic in the Finger Lakes. Each, in its own way, has played a major role in the increasingly high reputation the region is gaining for the quality of its wines, especially those made from vinifera grapes (the classic varieties from Europe.)

Hermann J. Wiemer was founded in Dundee by its namesake, a German native, in 1979 and helped establish Riesling as the most recognized and awarded wine varietal in the Finger Lakes. It's also known for other aromatic whites like Chardonnay and Gewurtztraminer, and for its sparkling wines. In 2007, Hermann Wiemer sold the winery to Merwarth, who had apprenticed with him, and Bynke.

Standing Stone sits on one of the most historic vineyards in Finger Lakes, on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in Hector. It was the site of some of the earliest plantings of vinifera grapes in the Finger Lakes. The Macinskis bought the properry and have become well known for their quality red vinifera wines, including Saperavi, and for the French-American hybrid Vidal, which lends itself to ice wines.

"The two wineries have their differences -- for example Wiemer is doing great things with sparkling wines -- while we've been doing more with reds and with Vidal," Marti Macinski said.

Merwarth and Bynke share with the Macinskis a belief in what winemakers call "terroir," the way that a particular location, with its climate, soil conditions and other factors can shape a wine. Even though Wiemer and Standing border the same lake, there are "micro" differences in terroir between the two sites, Marti Macinski said.

"Where we (Standing Stone and Wiemer) overlap, as in Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurtztraminer, I think going forward you'll be able to see the differences that wines made from one location have with those made in another," she said.

Bynke agreed. He noted that Hermann Wiemer himself had always admired the Standing Stone site.

"There is a way in which the site where the grapes are grown finds its expression in the wine itself," Bynke said. "I think you will see these two wineries continue those different expressions from their vineyards."

Macinski, who is 58, and her husband, who is 63, have been considering what to do about the future of the winery, but didn't expect to make the decision to sell so soon. One reason they did is the chance to pass their winery on to respected vintners and vineyard operators like Merwath and Bynke.

"They showed they could take over for someone with the reputation of Hermann Wiemer and continue and improve the legacy," Macinski said. "That's what we liked about them. They share the vision we have for what this winery can be in the future."

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.