This Month’s Featured Article

I had the pleasure of meeting John Frishkopf and Brett Mattingly, partners in life and business, in 2016 in their early days of exploring the Hudson Valley for a suitable location to start a bona fide brandy distillery. John visited the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY, where we had lots of Baco Noir grapes in the ground and lots of barrels of it in the barn, a possible starter kit for brandy production. He was kind and curious and gave us a sense of what he was looking to do. I remember being very impressed by the scope of his vision and wondering how it was going to happen. 

On Sunday, July 21, a few days after the official opening of that vision came to life at the Klocke Estate in Claverack, I joined John in the morning for a tour. In a word, Wow. Everything at the Estate speaks to the commitment John has to making an exceptional product to be experienced in an exceptional place.

The seeds

Klocke, a name as carefully crafted for John’s venture as any other part of the organization, is a Dutch word for clock. The word brandy comes from the Middle Dutch word brantwijn (burnt wine!), which became brandewijn, which became, in English, brandywine, or simply brandy. It was the Dutch who brought brandy making to the Hudson Valley hundreds of years ago, so Klocke is rooted in the past as well as the present – and certainly the future. Making earth-to-glass brandy takes time. “Patience, passion, and heritage,” John says, are the hallmarks of his undertaking.

It all started when John took a wine-tasting course in college and “fell in love with wine.” He pursued a business degree but spent a summer in California learning about winemaking and made his own wines at home. When he had a business career opportunity in Europe, he landed in Vienna, then London, and went on to spend seven years in Prague. In Central Europe, making brandy is akin to making wine in Western Europe, and it was there he had a “second epiphany,” to make brandy in the United States. 

The terms are often used interchangeably, so I wanted to clarify with him the difference between cognac and brandy. While all cognac is in fact brandy, not all brandy is cognac! Brandy is spirits that have been distilled from fruits, including grapes and other fruits that are fermented. Brandies include armagnac, calvados, pisco, and eaux-de-vie, among others. Cognac, while similar, can only come from Cognac (a region in southwest France), and can only be made from white grape juice that’s double-distilled in a specifically designed copper pot still. It’s the distilling, maturation, and blending of the brandy made in cognac that truly differentiate it, and that’s where the distiller’s art comes in. Each contributing piece has to sing its song, and then it has to come to a crescendo in the aging process.   

John wanted to take on fashioning both a calvados-style apple brandy and a cognac-style grape brandy. With the flame of this idea burning inside him, he knew he needed land that was compatible for growing a variety of apples and grapes. His research landed him in the Hudson Valley, where a search for just the right property led him to the 160 acres at 2554 County Route 27 in Claverack. Not just a property suited for growing apples and grapes, this property has some of the best views in the area – a property fit for a vision that included but went beyond the production of a special craft spirit. A vision for where to see it made and where to enjoy it, too. Brett, who grew up on a farm in Le Roy, NY, and one of their business partners, third-generation orchardist Russ Bartolotta of Klein’s Kill Fruit Farms, blessed the exceptional fruit-growing potential of the land. John purchased the property in 2018 and got started.

The orchards and vineyards

The winding driveway that takes visitors to the tasting room and restaurant at Klocke Estate provides views of the expansive orchards and vineyards. Under Brett’s masterful planning, combining his farm experience with his engineering knowledge, Klocke has planted 43 varieties of apples and nine of grapes in distinct blocks around the property. There are three ponds on the property that feed a “swale system,” of shallow channels designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. The system feeds Klocke’s drip irrigation system should it be needed. 

I was particularly interested in the grapes, and fascinated to learn they included Baco Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Riesling clones from Germany and Alsace, and Cayuga. All are known for their bright acidity, a necessary component of quality cognac. As for the apples, any of us would be stumped to name more than a dozen we’re familiar with, but once upon a time there were unique varietals in nearly every town in the young United States. John identified which he wanted, working with Cummins Nursery in Ithaca and the Cornell Geneva Research Station, as well as getting cuttings from Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery in Millbrook, NY, which grows over 100 different varieties. The farm and estate are overseen by Caleb Gregg, a native of Chatham, who is applying regenerative agricultural methods to evoke a sense of place from the fruit in order to make the spirits a true expression of the Hudson Valley.

The orchards and vineyards are now over four years old and are already producing a harvest. “We should get about 25 tons of apples this year,” John says, “and we’re aiming to get to 100 tons in the next year or two.”

The production

John showed me where the magic happens – the beautiful copper still from Cognac, France, that shipped here in a thousand pieces and was put together by two French technicians who came specifically to do the work. It took them three weeks. In the same room is a still to make eau de vie that came from Germany. John and Brett proudly put that one together themselves. Kudos! The stills are housed in a large room adjacent to the restaurant so guests can see and appreciate them.  

The brandy-making process is an exacting and complicated one that involves multiple distillations to extract just the right liquid to be aged into the final product. From the stills the spirits are put into French oak barrels that are housed in a building sunk six feet into the earth, with specially built-up floors to help regulate humidity and temperature. I was reminded of how a clock has to be put together in just the right way to accurately keep time, and I further understand the name Klocke Estate. John delights in explaining the process, and when I ask him what his favorite part of all of this is, without hesitation he says, “distilling and making the brandy.”

The restaurant and bar

Steeped in the process, of course I was eager to taste what Klocke Estate has made so far, and to experience the bar and restaurant. 

It sounds so cliché that it almost pains me to write it, but in this case it’s true: You have to see the restaurant and bar to believe it. The gorgeous building was designed by Barlis Wedlick Architects. The interiors were done by Ken Fulk, an Architectural Digest “100” designer known for his sense of theatrical adventure specific to a location, whose “energized designs evoke emotion and excitement.” 

Every surface area has been carefully thought out. The materials from the floor to the ceiling to the furniture speak to the sense of luxurious yet rustic style that’s being cultivated there. 

Kristine Danks is Klocke Estate’s general manager of hospitality, overseeing all the public and private areas where people can gather to enjoy Klocke. Her deep background in all things related to making people feel welcome has given life to the space. “I’m drawn to creating environments where people can commune,” she says, and she has paid attention to every detail, even understanding the comfort level of the chairs in different rooms. “The goal is to balance accessibility with finesse in a space like this,” she explains with a smile. “There has to be comfort in there, too!” Hailing from Minnesota, Kristine’s influences include a year spent in France, where she learned what it really means to appreciate and enjoy food and eating, and her experiences in dining venues around the world, including Manhattan’s Death & Company, renowned for innovative cocktails and exceptional experiences. 

While Klocke Estate slowly but surely increases its own earth-to-glass brandies, vermouths, and eaux de vie for people to enjoy, guests can choose from what is available as well as an impressive selection of cocktails, spirits, wines, beers, and ciders. 

Between the bar and the dining room is a cabinet featuring a selection that John curated of about 100 brandies from around the world. I asked if he had a favorite. He looked lovingly at the bottles, like reflecting on a photo from a family reunion where everyone matters in their own special way, and, in the moment, mentioned the Lemorton calvados, a Domfrontais selection from Normandy, France. All of the bottles are listed on the menu and are available for tastings. You could do one a week and still be coming back for more delights for years. A worthy goal! 

Tasting and trying at last!

We were excited to sit down for lunch in the dining room. We started with a Klocke Estate red vermouth on the rocks with a twist of orange, and an appletini made with Klocke Estate apple brandy, Klocke Estate white vermouth, and honeycrisp apple. Delicious!

Kristine works closely with Chef Becky Kempter, who plans and oversees the menu and runs the kitchen. A California native, Becky’s culinary curiosity landed her in Tannersville by way of Seattle. She had an organic farm there, then got lured back to cooking and worked for an estate that did weddings and corporate retreats. “I love the seasons here,” she says, “and I understand what grows well here and when. I bring that to the menu.” 

The menu isn’t extensive, but it offers a bounty of freshness and flavors. We enjoyed the aioli plate, piled with farm-fresh summer vegetables, a soft-cooked egg, shellfish, and two homemade aioli (garlic mayonnaise) dipping sauces. The flavors shone through in every bite. We also had the pork belly banh mi, a cheese plate with three local cheeses, and the yuzu tart and chocolate semifreddo for dessert. We capped our lunch with glasses of French brandy and Spanish sherry that were so special and just right. And the views we enjoyed throughout the meal were, well, breathtaking.

The pride

A recent post on Instagram summed up Klocke beautifully, so I’m borrowing it: 

“At Klocke Estate, we believe that making fine brandy is a celebration of time and place. From the care of the land and cultivation of the fruit to the art of distillation and aging to the joy of savoring, we harmonize all the elements to create a memorable and exquisite spirit and experience. We have coalesced the best global distillation practices and heritage techniques with visionary ag-tech farming and top talent. The result will be a brandy that embodies the terroir and heart of the Hudson Valley, while proudly respecting the finest brandies of the world.”

Here’s to you, John Frishkopf and Brett Mattingly (and team), for bringing your vision alive, right here in Claverack, NY. Held og lykke i dag, i morgen og i mange år fremover. •

The Klocke Estate is located at 2554 County Rte 27 in Hudson, NY. You can call them at (518) 672-1166 or visit their website klocke-estate.com.