Growing new grape varietals is slightly less stressful for Eric Amberg than it is for most of his colleagues in the Finger Lakes.

That’s because whenever Amberg, owner of Amberg Wine Cellars in Stanley, Ontario County, has a question or concern about his new vines, he simply calls Mom or Dad.

For 50 years, Eric’s parents Ute and Herman Amberg have raised and sold grapevines to commercial and backyard growers at Grafted Grapevine Nursery in Clifton Springs. The business ships vines – sometimes 10,000 at a time – as far west as Colorado and as far south as Texas.

Over the years, Ute and Herman’s profession has helped shaped the product line at the winery, which Eric founded in 1989.

“One of the benefits of having the nursery is that we’re exposed to a lot of new (grapes) that are coming out,” says Eric, who graduated from Fresno State’s enology program in the 1980s.

“So we like to try them out,” he says.

One uncommon grape that has done well at the winery is Siegfried, a Riesling cousin.

Grown more commonly in Germany than in the U.S., the grape is featured in the 2005 Mandolin ($11.99), a late-harvest wine that Eric recommends pairing with cheesecake.

Eric says he feels fortunate to have a large cache of Mandolin on hand, since this summer’s consistent heat prevented his current Siegfried crop from developing botrytis cinerea, a desirable fungus that helps intensify grapes’ sweetness.

Though this summer’s heat wasn’t a boon for Siegfried, it was for the winery’s red varietals, Eric says.

“Our situation this year was much closer to that of Napa or Sonoma Valley, California,” he says. “(There’s) the potential to produce a little bit bigger, fuller flavored, fuller bodied reds that normally, for us, can be very challenging (to do).”

While the 2007 vintage matures, the 2006 options at Amberg are now trickling into the tasting room. One of the most highly anticipated is the 2006 Marquette, made from the cold-hardy red Marquette grape developed at the University of Minnesota.

“It’s a wine similar to a Syrah. I’ve also had it compared to a Sangiovese – nice rich flavors,” says Eric, who expects to release the wine in December.

“We think (the grape) could have big potential for us and also for quite a bit of the Northeast, especially in cold areas,” he says.

One uncommon option available now is Bianca ($14.99), a non-vintage white wine made from a Hungarian grape of the same name. Crisp and dry, the wine often pleases Sauvignon Blanc fans.

Other options range from the 2003 Cabernet Franc ($16.99) to the 2005 Pearl ($9.99), a blend of Riesling and Traminette.

Winning the charm award, though, is the 2005 Red Panda ($8.99), a Corot Noir wine that helps raise funds for its namesakes living at the Syracuse zoo.

Amberg Wine Cellars, 2200 Routes 5 & 20 in Stanley, Ontario County, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 and from March 1 to May 31. Hours from Jan. 1 to Feb. 29 are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. From June 1 to Aug. 31, hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Phone: (585) 526-6742. Web: www.ambergwinecellars.com. Tasting fee: $2 for five samples of wine. The fee is refunded if a purchase is made. Wheelchair-accessible.

By Sheila Livadas, for www.fingerlakeswine.com.