With a history dating back more than two centuries, Fossil Stone Farms has gone through many changes in its lifetime. Originally used to raise horses, later adding sheep, and more recently becoming a vineyard, it has also changed names several times throughout the years. However, the one remaining constant is the farm has always stayed just that: a farm. Owner Michael Spiak has worked on the farm since childhood. Adding the vineyard became his personal dream and, with lots of time and effort, he made it a reality. While it wasn’t an easy road, he continues to work on the farm and hopes that it will remain for many more years to come so others can enjoy the tranquility of the rolling hills, sunsets on the pastures, and – of course – the vineyards.
Fossil Stone Farms was originally founded in 1802 by Elihu Wing, and was known as the Wing Farm. Elihu and the following generations of the Wing family raised horses on the land until 1965 when Martha and Frank Carver purchased the land and changed the name to Carver Farm. They kept the horses to help with the work, but turned it into a sheep farm. Mike grew up next door to the Carvers and he spent a lot of time working on the farm. During this time, he developed a very close relationship with the Carver family.
In 1986, Mike graduated high school and didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He decided to join the US Air Force and discovered his love for planes. While enlisted, he became a flight engineer working on C-130’s, the heavy-duty cargo aircraft for troops and equipment. During this time, Mike met his future wife, Kelly, who was then working in the finance department. While serving in the Air Force, he also spent a lot of time in New Zealand, where he discovered the Sauvignon blanc vineyards. They instantly piqued his interests. “I just had this strange attraction to them,” explained Mike.
When he returned to the farm, Mike shared his newfound interest with Martha Carver. He started discussing his idea to create a vineyard on the property. “If I combine my passion with wine and agriculture, I could make something that this place has never seen before,” said Mike. With Martha’s permission, the journey of creating the vineyard and making his vision a reality began. While he had the passion and work-ethic required, Mike faced several challenges throughout the process. “Oh boy there was a lot,” he explained, “First of all I really didn’t know what I was doing, so I had to figure out a way to educate myself.” He discovered the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ballston Spa. This organization helps educate people on a variety of different agriculture topics. Fortunately for Mike, they had an experimental vineyard in Willsborough and he was able to work there on the weekends.
During his time with the organization, Mike learned all he could about the work that goes into growing and maintaining a vineyard. He was paired up with people who had the knowledge he lacked at the time. “While you’re there working you’re getting hands-on experience, but you’re also getting an education,” Mike shared. Part of the process was growing several different tester vineyards to figure out what kind of grapes would be able to grow. Eventually, Mike decided on three different kinds of grapes: marquette, la crescent, and petite pearl. Once he knew which grapes to grow, the process of planting the vineyard began. Unfortunately, Frank had passed away in 1997, but Martha enjoyed seeing the farm transform. “She would sit out and watch us plant, and she was excited that it was going to be a vineyard,” said Mike. In 2009, Martha told Mike that she planned on leaving the farm to him.
When Mike took over, as much as he wanted to keep the Carver name, he knew it would need a more distinguishable name. While brainstorming ideas he thought about all the fossils on the property. Known as stromatolites, he always enjoyed finding them as a child and even today continues to add to his collection when he comes across one. This helped him create the name Fossil Stone Farm, which is what the property is called today. While continuing his work on the vineyard, Mike cared for Martha during her later years. She passed away in 2015, but not before the farm produced its first commercial wine in 2014.
The wine making process is much more time consuming and strenuous than most people would expect. The grapes grow throughout the summer until late August or early September. They are then harvested and immediately go into the wine barn where the actual process of preparing the wine starts. “It takes me almost three years to get a bottle of my red wine out to the market,” explained Mike “I tell people that and they’re kind of surprised by it, but they have more of an appreciation for the agricultural part of making wine.” One of the ways many locals have been able to get involved in the process is by attending the harvest party hosted at Fossil Stone Farms. Every year, when the grapes are ready to be harvested, people come to the farm to help pick them. Originally, only around 15 people attended the first year, but during the most recent party over 100 people came to help. “People get to see the process,” Mike said, discussing the party, “By the end of the day when they’re all picked we have a little party here with some food, wine of course, and we have a band. It’s a lot of fun.” In addition to the harvest party, the farm is a popular place for people to visit and some even take a tour of the vineyard. Attached to the wine barn is a tasting room where guests can enjoy the wine made from the very fields they walked through. Currently, the farm produces four different kinds of wine: Marquette, oak aged Marquette, rose, and La Crescent. They also host different events, including weddings.
While Mike is creating his own legacy with the vineyards, he still honors the farm's history. There are still plenty of horses on the property, and their stables are almost always full. Mike also named a few of the barns after Martha to keep the Carver name part of the land. But while he loves the vineyards, his overall goal is preservation. “I’m kind of a caretaker passing through,” he explained, “My legacy for this place is to try to leave it a farm.” As suburbs and residential areas grow, there are not as many open spaces of land for people to enjoy. Mike hopes that going forward, whoever takes over the farm will share his same level of appreciation for the land. “It would be great if the vineyard stayed,” said Mike, “And maybe 70 years from now somebody can say, ‘some crazy old man back in the 2020s decided to grow these vineyards and make wine.’”
For more information about Fossil Stone Farms visit: fossilstonefarms.com.