2023 has been the busiest year for us since starting ‘the vineyard adventure’ in 2014. We never dreamed back then we’d be where we are now with it.

Anyway, here it is Dec. 22 as I finish writing this, and we’ve not even ordered Christmas cards. Not too sure any will go out this year, beyond to a few friends we know don’t use the web.

Again, we and all our extended family have been blessed with good health this year. Sure, we’re another year older, have a few more minor aches, and not quite as much energy as a few years ago. And yet as you’ll read below, we’re still able to do quite a bit.

For those not inclined to slog thru this long letter, here’s the synopsis of significant events w/more detail below:

• Noah got engaged to Katie O’Toole in April; wedding June 2024
• Everyone has same jobs, except Nate who becomes Airy Acres Vineyard Mgr. in January (and Noah will go full time as Tasting Room Mgr. around April/May)
• It’s been great having Nate, Adele and family living next door since they moved here Sept. 2022
• Josh spent about a month traveling in Europe this past summer, before and after 2 weeks teaching in an ‘English as 2nd language’ camp in Poland
• We planted 3.3 acres more vines in May, bringing the total to 21 acres
• Renovation of the 1840’s farm house into our tasting room facility is well underway, with plans for a grand opening around May 2024

First, the family news.

Left to right:
Front row: George, Lydia, Noah, Katie (Noah’s fiance; see below), me.
Back row: Peter, Pam, Dan, Adele, Josh, Nate

Dan, our oldest, now 45, lives in Honeoye Falls and continues as a self-employed computer consultant. He services both individuals and small businesses, as well as at least one of the local government offices (Village of Honeoye Falls and/or Town of Mendon). He’s active in his church, Calvary Chapel Southside. This Christmas season he coordinated the annual ‘Living Nativity’ in Honeoye Falls. Pam and some friends started that about 40 years. When we left Honeoye Falls in 2016 one of those friends ‘took the lead’. However, she went home to the Lord in 2023, and her illness resulted in no 2022 Living Nativity. Dan decided to get it going again this year, and did a great job.

Left t0 right (celebrating Dan’s birthday): Dan, Fred, Josh

Adele and family moved from NJ to Interlaken in late summer 2022. So we’ve been blessed to see her, Nate, and the 3 grandchildren a lot. Adele continues to home school them in conjunction with a home school co-op group. A nearby Christian school allows home schooled children to participate in team sports as long as they take one class at the school.  Peter is now 16, has a learner’s permit. He and sister Lydia (14) both take a music class. And Lydia continues her harp lessons, in Ithaca. As in the 2022-2023 school sports season, they’re both playing basketball now, and probably volleyball later. We love going to as many of their home games as we can.  George, now 12, also enjoys music, taking piano lessons. He has a very inquisitive mind and loves to learn about everyting, and shares his father’s love of all things animal and plant life!  Speaking of Nate, when they moved here in Sept. 2022, he began working at a medical equipment company in Ithaca until the vineyard/wine business grew enough that he could work full time there. Between getting caught up with many of the ‘home improvement’ projects at their home here right down the road from us, and the vineyard work becoming increasingly more than I could do alone (for the last couple years, to be honest), he’ll start working full time for Airy Acres Farms in January.

Next is son Joshua. In 2023 he continues teaching 8th grade math at School of the Arts in Rochester. It’s part of the Rochester public school system, with special  programs for music, drama and fine arts.  Still in the apartment in Rochester he moved into in late 2022, he continues to sing in various Rochester area choirs (2 of them paid!). And continues his 2 hour classical music program on WXXI radio from 1-3PM on Sundays. In May Josh formally graduated with his Masters Degree, at St. John Fisher College in Rochester.

He spent about 3 weeks in Europe this summer – exploring various countries and cities before and after teaching at a two week ‘English as a second language’ camp in Poland run by the Kosciuszko Foundation.

Noah’s big news for 2023 was getting engaged to Katie O’Toole in April! The wedding is set for June 2024, at the vineyard.  The ongoing renovations of the 1840’s farmhouse into the tasting room and wine storage facility are to be done shortly before, so the reception will be there.  We are excited that Katie will be joining our family, as we also enjoy getting to know her parents and two sisters.  Noah continued working 3 days/week at Damiani Wine Cellars, and also 3 days/week at our ‘interim tasting venue’ at the vineyard. Starting April 27 he staffed regular 11-6 hours at Airy Acres on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in some space we spruced up on the back and inside part of the vineyard barn.

Pam and Fred remain involved in much the same activities. Fred, in his ‘retirement,’ has been kept busy more than full time between caring for the vines, coordinating the renovation of the farm house into the new tasting room facility, and helping Noah grow our wine business. He continues on our church (Seneca Community Church in Romulus) leadership board this year. Pam continues as Teaching Director of the Between the Lakes Community Bible Study class. It has about 50 participants from about 10 area churches engaged in both in-person and Zoom discussion groups. Pam provides overall leadership for the class, and prepares a weekly teaching given to all participants. This year’s 30 week study is in Ruth, 1st & 2nd Samuel and Ephesians. Fred leads one discussion group (some teens, via Zoom) as well as helping with computer/tech support and as the class treasurer.

Now, the vineyard and wine business update.

We never imagined when Fred left Kodak in 2007 that 16 years later we’d have transformed a portion of the farm that’s been in the family since 1918 into 21 acres with 8 grapevine varieties and now 14 different wines (6 that won awards in the 2023 NY Wine Classic Competition, include 1 gold, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes). Fred told son-in-law Nate and son Noah two years ago that by his 70th birthday (2024) he wanted the business to have grown to the point where they were both working full time for it and he could start ‘stepping back and passing the baton’.  We’re getting closer, slowly but steadily. Nate will be full time as Vineyard Manager starting in January, and Noah as full-time Tasting Room Manager sometime around April or May. This is a family run business with everyone wearing multiple hats. Son Dan takes care of our website. Adele and Pam help Noah in the tasting room when there are bigger groups. Adele and the 3 grand-kids help care for the vines. And Josh continues to provide various creative ideas.

Besides starting regular tasting ‘venue’ hours in April, we planted 3.3 more acres in May.  And starting in January the renovations of the farm house got into full swing. January involved several weekends with the whole family emptying out the farm house … all ~3,000 sq. ft.  When mom moved from there to live with us in 2012, all she brought with her were 2 or 3 suitcases. The house had been in the family since 1918, when she was 5. Her parents and grandparents lived there. Then mom and dad were given the house and 21 acres in 1950 when they got married.

The house had never been cleaned out from 3 or 4 generations of Freestones and Bassettes, so there was much to either dispose of, store to sort thru or sell later, and more. A veritable treasure trove of family (and local) history.  Anyway, starting in February a wonderful friend and contractor started the complete ‘deconstruction’ down to bare studs, as well as completely removing about 800 sq. ft of the house (kitchen and 2 porches). It was at first emotionally challenging to see the house Fred grew up in being torn apart, but as its future vision became clearer and clearer, the excitement of its new use overcame any and all hesitations.

Next came the work of expanding the basement. About 40% of the house had only a crawl space. So it was temporarily supported with I-beams, the crawl space was dug out to create a basement, a new foundation was poured, the original field stone foundation separating that space from the basement under the rest of the house was removed and a new concrete floor was poured in the combined space. This provides about 1,200 sq. ft. of basement for storing up to around 3,000 cases of wine.

We even recently started storing cased wine in the basement!

In November the rest of the extensive renovations began. The old clapboard siding was removed (creating a veritable ‘see through’ house) so new insulated plywood sheathing could be installed, turning the house into a big green box!

Then much of the interior walls were removed, and new walls built.  Rough electric was installed in December, and just today, Dec. 20, the new spray foam insulation was finished in the walls and roof.  Rough plumbing starts next week, and drywall shortly after January 1.  2024 will include all the interior finishing, fitting out the small kitchen, adding a new deck across the entire back side, overlooking the vineyard and Cayuga Lake. Here’s the rendering of the finished building (probably not the siding color we’ll actually use).

One of the joys of the tasting room is having friends and family, some of whom we’ve not seen in years, stop by to visit. We’d love to see you.

In closing, for us Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and His subsequent years of earthly ministry culminating in His death, resurrection and return to heaven, from which He continues to share His love for us. Those receiving this update are a mixture of those who share in this joyful celebration and those who may not.  If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus, Pam (585-301-1812, pam@bassettes.com) or Fred (585-727-3328, fred@bassettes.com) would be honored to chat with you about any questions you might have. Perhaps Linus explained it well to Charlie Brown in 1965, a show that won a Peabody and Emmy for outstanding ‘children’s’ programming.

Blessings on you and yours,

Fred & Pam