Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. and Spit & Twit in NYC

By Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall Manager

I just returned from NYC where I poured wine at two different events. The first one was Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. 24.7.365. and the second one was Spit & Twit. They were both located in amazing places.

The Cook. Eat. Drink. Live. venue was down in the Chelsea area in an amazing post and beam warehouse located on The Tunnel & La Venue at 608 West 28th Street @ 11th Avenue in New York City. They had a lot to offer at this amazing site. For the “Cook.” Section of the event they had over 35 restaurants sampling their products…my favorite was this great homemade macaroni and cheese, with the creamiest cheese sauce I have ever tasted. It just melted in your mouth! Down in the tunnel area was the “Eat. & Live.” section with almost 30 different gourmet food brands, including cheese samples, lots of amazing sauces and some fabulous brownies from “Hot Blondies Bakery”. I even traded some wine in return for a couple brownies that I was able to actually save to take home for a gourmet chocolate treat in upstate! I was located in the “Drink.” area that included a sophisticated collection of fine wine from all over New York State with wine for both the novice collector and expert oenophile. Thank you to The Grape Exchange for sponsoring this section. They did a great job of getting about 40 wineries together to pour wine for a great crowd. I spent two days educating the public about the Finger Lakes wines and in general where the Finger Lakes region is located. Heron Hill’s Semi-Dry Riesling and the Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir were the hit of the show. Most people seemed to really be into finding wines to pair with the Thanksgiving meal that is happening next week. The Pinot Noir is very smoky and earthy which pairs well with the roasted veggies as a great side dish. The crispness of the Riesling is amazing with the sweet potatoes and the softness of the turkey. Overall I think the show was a great success, I was able to get the word out about Finger Lakes wine with many retailers seemingly interested in pricing up at least a few of our wines. Hopefully our outside sales manager, Christina Bowe’s phone is ringing off the hook. Look for her in the NYC area in the near future.

On Sunday I headed down to City Winery located on Varick Street in the Soho district of NYC. City Winery hosted a really cool consumer tasting event called Spit & Twit. This was the first of its kind event, incorporating the Twitter platform throughout the tasting. As the consumers came through and tasted all the wines there were then encouraged to spit them out in the provided dump buckets and then Twitter about each of the particular wines. It was a fascinating idea that I believe just need a little bit of “tweeking”. I found that there wasn’t a lot of spitting actually happening, but that’s to be expected…it was a fun afternoon to have a few glasses of wines and try new wines that many people had never tried before. I found that people really needed to have a few snacks and after a few winery tastings and actually twitter about the wines they were trying. I think they forgot to keep twittering as the event wore on. I did get a lot of really great contacts from the event and would love to keep supporting these types of events, as I think they could be really effective in the social media aspect of marketing. The photo is of Morgen McLaughlin (President of Finger Lakes Wine Country) and I courtesy of Metromix.

Overall, NYC was a blast. I was lucky enough to bring by boyfriend (I even put him to work), we had some great food, did a little bit of Christmas shopping and for the first time ever went to a dueling piano bar called Sweet Caroline’s (located on 322 W 45th St.). I love to visit the city for a few days, but am glad that I live here in the Finger Lakes region, as it is one of the most beautiful (…and quiet) spots in the world!

Wrap up on the 2009 Harvest

By JJ Pierce, Production Manager

Well another harvest is in the history books (for the most part)! It has been interesting to say the least but it was fun and a great learning experience. Thanks to my talented fingers and expertise (yes I’m tooting my own horn) we made it through the 2009 harvest with NO I repeat NO mechanical breakdowns of any kind. All of the equipment ran flawlessly. Now is that time of year when I start to clean, repair and put all the equipment back into storage to await the 2010 harvest which will be starting in about 10 short months.

Thanks go out to the entire production team. Because of our ability to work as a TEAM, this harvest went as smoothly as possible. And Kudos to our new Winemaker, Bernard for making an easy transition into his role and teaching us many new, more efficient techniques to achieve the same goal we have always been responsible for and that’s making the best wine in the Finger lakes.

What's the new Winemaker like?

By Brian Barry, Assistant Winemaker

Well, 2009 has brought us an unusual harvest. Early on it seemed like we were in for a repeat of 2006 with higher acids and lower brix. But quality prevailed and Mother Nature came through with above average numbers. At least she did for us.

We picked our estate grapes earlier this week and our last white, a late harvest Vidal is still a while off. We’re devoting our time to working with wines currently fermenting and the juices waiting to be transformed into wines you all know and love.

Alright, now on to the question I know at least some of you are asking: “What’s the new Winemaker like?” I can say this, he couldn’t have picked a better time to jump on board. Our harvest this year was lighter tonnage-wise than it has been in previous years. So Bernard was able to transition easily into things. Through efficient time management and excellent communication and co-operation with our growers, JJ Pierce, our production manager and I were able to manage the harvest until Bernard made his Heron Hill debut. And he debuted headfirst. It only took a few days of updates and questions until he was able to step in and do his part at the helm. It’s been a very enjoyable harvest with both the existing team and Bernard, he’s been able to help with ways to improve existing practices. All decisions concerning the wines thus far have been made with logical discussions and equal say. It’s been very diplomatic and enjoyable so far. Here’s hoping to good things to come! Until next time, raise a glass and we’ll all do the same, cheers!

Staff favorites in the gift shop

By Danielle Shaw, Wedding and Events Coordinator

As the holiday season quickly approaches, my focus is our winery gift shop. We have a ton of local and unique items perfect for gifting!

Exclusive artist Kristin Smith from Magic Moon Designs creates beautiful jewelry with precious stones and sterling silver. Made locally in Rochester New York, her pieces make a wonderful treat for yourself or someone special. These are only available at the winery, as they are all so unique, you really have to see them for yourself!

Local artist Charity Lord uses her paper techniques to create frame able cards, which capture special memories. Inscribe your good wishes inside, frame and gift! These are also only available at the winery, each card is different and special.

I also talked to the Heron Hill staff to find out what their favorite gift shop items are:

Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall Manager

Havill Pottery: “I use Havill pottery when I entertain; my guests are always complimenting! I have quite the collection!”

Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR Manager

Eclipse Oil & Vinegar Bottles: “My favorite gift shop items are the Eclipse bottle oil and vinegar pourers. I'm a vinegar connoisseur and always appreciate a high-quality salad topping. I grow a lot of different kinds of fresh lettuces in my garden and we often eat salads at the end of our meals. The Red & White Eclipse bottles make a perfect addition to my kitchen decor as functional oil and vinegar receptacles. The bottles are artwork and are meant to be displayed!”

Danielle Shaw, Wedding and Events Coordinator

For Claudia’s Sayke: “I am so happy that we carry Sandy’s skin care line. I have replaced all of my old products with hers. Her masks have helped my complexion tremendously; I apply once a week. The sugar scrub is a must have. A really great treat in the shower; it fragrances my entire apartment! I love how they are all natural and made locally.”

Come visit, enjoy a wine tasting and take a look around our one of a kind gift shop!

Transition into fall with this recipe for Choucroute

By Steve & Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting Room

The last thing we remember at the end of August was looking forward to fall, harvest time and anticipating many busy days in the tasting room. Since then, we’ve said good-bye to many of our neighbors who have shuttered their lake homes and headed south, loading their cars with ample supplies of Heron Hill wines for the months to come.

The blur that was September and October brought all that we thought it would…along with some pleasant additions. The long awaited outside tasting bar was a great success. For the few truly beautiful afternoons that this autumn held, guests were eager to enjoy their wine sampling al fresco, basking in the sun and enjoying the view of the rolling farmland. We shared many stories, recipes and of course many conversations about wine while they sipped and sampled the best that Heron Hill has to offer.

As we transitioned from fruity summer blush and light crisp Chardonnay to soul warming reds, the release of the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir couldn’t have been better timed. What a pleasure it has been to pour that wine and the customer response has been so exciting! Of course Riesling goes with everything and I can’t wait to whip up my first Choucroute of the season where I will use the 2006 Ingle Vineyard Riesling both as an ingredient and an accompaniment. Yum. (Light a fire, grab a book and pour a glass of wine while it simmers away, the recipe follows.)

It has been a great season and the crew here on Seneca has enjoyed meeting and serving so many wonderful guests. We are still open daily and look forward to seeing you as the holidays approach, and are always eager to assist with your wine needs and food pairing questions.

CHOUCROUTE (pork and sausage with sauerkraut)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small apple cored and sliced
2 pounds sauerkraut rinsed and drained (fresh or in glass jars, not canned)
1 cup 2006 Ingle Vineyard Riesling
1 cup chicken stock
2 pounds country style ribs
2 pounds sausage (best with fresh Polish sausage like Kielbasa or a light garlic sausage)

Heat a 6 to 8 quart enameled cast-iron casserole (do not use aluminum or black iron) and warm the olive oil. Lightly brown the spare ribs and remove from pot. Add the onions and garlic and lightly sauté. Add the apples, sauerkraut, wine and stock and lightly stir to combine. Top the mixture with the spare ribs, add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and cover. Place casserole in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Add the sausages and return to oven for an additional 40 minutes or until meat is falling off the bone and sausage is cooked through. Wonderful served on a family style platter with mashed potatoes on the side. Enjoy!

Welcoming our new Winemaker

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR Manager

Everyone here at the winery is so excited to announce the arrival of our new Winemaker, Bernard Cannac. I realized during this process that hiring a Winemaker is like trying to find a daycare caregiver for your child. You want the best person available and you also want someone that’s easy to work with, capable and enthusiastic. Luckily Bernard fits this description and we’re all welcoming him with open arms!

Thanks to Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor at LENN’S New York Cork Report for posting on the whole story with our search for a Winemaker. Evan told me on Twitter that “John Ingle was very open and honest, and that translates into an easy - and hopefully interesting - story.” And it was, the story really goes in our experience as a winery searching for a world-class Winemaker. Read Evan's Story here.

Bernard came up to work last Friday, John brought almost 2.5 tons of Pinot Noir from Ingle Vineyard. I went down to the crush pad and talked with Bernard and the rest of the production team and took photos. Bernard was adding Sulphur to the grapes to prevent oxidation. He explained the whole process to me, I was enamored and thought to myself, “I’m going to learn a lot form this Winemaker!” It’s such an exciting time of year, it’s hard to not get caught up in all the harvest rush. Thanks to JJ for keeping me in the loop with what grapes are coming in, what’s being crushed and letting me stand on the grape bin scale to weigh myself on the biggest digital scale ever!

We had Jeff Blackwell from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle here today, he was doing a video interview with John about what’s going on with the Harvest this year. I did a short clip with Jeff talking about the winery’s social media presence. I haven’t done a lot of live video interviews so I hope this turns out OK! The D&C also featured a story about John, written by Suzette Norris. She spent the day with John at Ingle Vineyard and got quite the story of what has shaped John's decisions and how he's ended up where he is. She also found out about his old nickname his Mom gave him, "Johnny Don't."

In other news, our almost 1 year old son has started walking. It’s like flipping on a light switch, one day they’re crawling around the floor looking up at you, the next day they’re waltzing across the kitchen. Someone told me that after they start to walk, “The honeymoon’s over.” Look out Oliver family!

Vineyard Manager for Ingle Vineyard reports on harvest

By John Rodger, Vineyard Manager for Ingle Vineyard
(John Roger has been the Vineyard Manager at Ingle Vineyard for 18 years.)

At Ingle Vineyard, we strive to grow the best grapes in the Finger Lakes. Our practices are hands on and labor intensive.

Phillip Dennis, our new man Nate Holden and I have spent many hours in the vineyards this year. We’ve been hand hedging and tucking, suckering and leaf striping and keeping the vineyard rows open for mowing.

Everything looks great, the seedless grapes are ripe, gardens are being harvested, we had the best year for corn and we’ve made a few batches of great apple cider.

We need another few days of sun and wind to ripen the Pinot Noir. Heat would be great to drop the pH levels on both the Pinot and Chardonnay. The Riesling is a few weeks from harvest and our Cabernet Franc is coming along nicely. 2009 could be a great year if Mother Nature cooperates.