Colloquial Wines
Master Sommelier/Chef Christopher Bates is something of a Renaissance man. In addition to his three labels, Element, IOE and Colloquial Wines, Bates oversees the FLX hospitality group, which owns and operates several restaurants throughout the region as well as a microbrewery. Operating out of a garagiste style facility in a warehouse in downtown Geneva, NY, Bates wears his passion for wine and winemaking on his sleeve. The IOE label is a value-oriented project, Element is the core brand, and Colloquial is a new high-end venture that aims to push the limits of both perception and price in the region. Made from a combination of purchased and estate fruit, the wines across all three brands are consistently good and often excellent, but what is most important is Bates’ staunch advocacy for the Finger Lakes and his belief that these wines—not just his, but the region’s as a whole—deserve their place on the world stage.
In the winery, Bates’ approach rarely varies. All the wines see long aging (18-24 months) in very old (15+ years) French oak puncheons, which allows variety and site to shine. Highlights include two excellent Syrahs from Element’s estate vineyard and the new Colloquial Re(de)fein White, a 100% Chardonnay that quite honestly left me floored. Keep an eye on these projects. There’s some magic here.
From Finger Lakes: Follow the Leaders (Feb 2025) by Billy Norris
2019 White Wine Re(de)Fein
Color: White
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2020 Red Wine From Now Forward
Color: Red
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