Heron Hill Winery Blog

Some memorable visitors

2010-10-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

By Steve and Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting RoomWe survived Columbus weekend. Phew! So many people, so much wine, so much fun.It is hard to believe that more than 7,000 guests have passed through the doors of “Seneca” this season. Reflecting back over the past several months, I think one of the best aspects of working in a tasting room is getting to know our customers, and

Heron Hill Goes to NYC GreenMarket

2010-10-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales ManagerIt was my honor to do two GreenMarkets in the New York City area last weekend. The GreenMarket is a program of GrowNYC and was developed to support local farmers while offering over 600 varieties of delicious farm-grown products to City residents (organic meats, breads, vegetables, soaps, artists and, of course, NY wines.)This was actually my second

Winemaker's harvest update

2010-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

By Bernard Cannac, Winemaker Harvest started much earlier than last year. We had more heat and more sun in 2010 than we did in 2009, which explains why the grapes got ripe earlier. We started on September 3rd with some Seyval Blanc for the Game Bird line. It was followed by some Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris dedicated to the Eclipse White blend. Then Pinot and Chardonnay came in at the same time;

Harvest update from Ingle Vineyard

2010-09-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

By John Ingle, Owner/GrapegrowerIt’s autumn in the Finger Lakes, harvest time, and I feel like I’m “sitting on a gold mine.” It has been the hottest summer in memory and the result is ultra-ripe grapes. The sweetness level is comparable to middle or late October. Half of the Pinot Noir, our “Old Field” has been picked and brought over, I bought these vines from Hermann Wiemer over 25 years ago.

Q&A with Tambi

2010-09-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

By Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall ManagerOver the years I have been asked numerous questions, so I have kept a journal of them. Hopefully my answers will entertain and educate….On a typical night, what wine is in your glass?I tend to be a dry red wine drinker, but it has been such a hot summer that I have been drinking my two favorite white wines that we carry here at Heron Hill, the Reserve

A great summer at the Blue Heron Cafe

2010-09-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

By Mike "Ollie" Oliver, Blue Heron Café Director & Wholesale Sales RepresentativeWell, it has thus far been an exciting summer at the Blue Heron Café! I am proud to announce that we have been serving some great customers some amazing food. After getting settled in for the season, the Café got to a point that it could almost run itself.On the whole, things have run very smoothly. We have been

The start of the 2010 harvest

2010-09-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

By Brian Barry, Assistant WinemakerWell now… with harvest being early this year (3 weeks – no biggie…yikes!) and bottling just getting started as opposed to finishing, this will probably be my last blog as I can already hear the men in white coats coming. Anyone remember the song “they’re coming to take me away”? Yeah, it’s my personal theme song now.It may be too early to say this, but so far

Meet the Bristol team

2010-08-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

By Lindsey Dickens, Tasting Staff at the Bristol Tasting RoomThis has been quite an exciting summer up here in Bristol! The Bristol Tasting Room crew hit the ground running on July 15th and we haven't slowed down since.The Bristol staff includes Chuck (the general manager), Tim, Josie, and myself. Even though the four of us came into this position with a variety of experiences - from owning a

Meet the Seneca team

2010-08-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

By Steve and Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting Room Our summer season is moving along at breakneck speed and we thought you should be introduced to the great group of people that make Heron Hill on Seneca such a wonderful place to visit. We will also share our best “5:05” (that is the sip of choice at closing time…..) from each team member. Alicia joined us this spring and brings

Back to the winery!

2010-08-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing and PR Director What a summer! I was off for most of it, enjoying my new little girl, Loretta. I had her on June 14th, one day before my due date. She’s a healthy, happy bundle, and I was ecstatic to spend my summer with her. It’s my second week back to work, I miss her, but it’s great to be back amidst the adult chatter. My Loretta! There has been so much going on

New Gift Shop Goodies

2010-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Busy season is here and it has been challenging keeping our gift shop stocked. After spending several months with Paul, Steve and Tambi hashing away at what we will buy for the gift shop, the time has come. We all worked together to choose some new items and well as keep our customer favorites. We are now carrying a variety of hand-blown glass items. Elijiah Smith is an artist out of Corning,

An update from John

2010-07-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

This has been a wild and crazy spring and summer. After dodging frosts through May we've dealt with excessive heat, rain and dry spells. Every week has seen at least one or two "gully gushers" filling Canandaigua or Keuka lakes above normal levels. The vines are thriving nonetheless and it appears to be a moderate crop size with balanced leaf to fruit ratios and very good prospects for

Heating up in the Vineyards

2010-07-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

By Brian Barry, Assistant WinemakerI'll try to keep this one short so we can all go back to being hot and miserable. Summer sure turned angry quickly didn't it? It's been a battle for our vineyard manager Zac and his stalwart band of grape grunts. From relentless torrential rains to blazing sun and temperatures above 90, they've run the gauntlet to get the extensive replant in shape. And

Welcome Summer!

2010-06-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

By Steve & Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting RoomOne of the things that keeps a career (and life in general) interesting, is change. With the beginning of the summer season upon us some changes have come to the tasting room at Heron Hill on Seneca. We have said goodbye to some talented and interesting staff who have moved on to their next challenges and at the same time we are

Up in North Country

2010-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

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

Transition into fall with this recipe for Choucroute

2009-10-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

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

Welcoming our new Winemaker

2009-10-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR ManagerEveryone 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

Vineyard Manager for Ingle Vineyard reports on harvest

2009-10-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

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

Kitty Cats in the Catskills

2009-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales Manager A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure to travel to the Catskills to present wines to stores and restaurants in that area. The scenery was amazing and the leaves were beginning to change. Each winding road had scenery and the climb up and down the mountains was stunning with a little town nestled around each turn. Just when I thought we were beyond

Ingle Vineyard Harvest Update

2009-09-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

By John Ingle, Winery OwnerFall is my favorite season. I love the peace of winter, the promise of spring, the activity of summer, but the bounty of the harvest is what makes Autumn so rewarding. When you throw in the beautiful colors, the crisp air and all the food from the garden and it’s a soul-satisfying time of year. Right now we’re eating sweet, fragrant melons, plum cabbages, nutty winter

Events at the winery and Reserve notes

2009-09-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

By Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall Manager Well, it has been great summer, full of lots of free live music on the Blue Heron Café terrace. This past weekend we had Brett Beardslee, a local musician from Hector, NY (East side of Seneca Lake), he was fantastic, singing some of his own tunes while also playing a few of the standard classics! Brett was the talk of the day on Saturday with his amazing

Gearing up for the 2009 Harvest

2009-09-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

By Brian Barry, Assistant WinemakerPlease bear with me, this is my first blog post. As many of you may know, we are currently without a winemaker for the time being. As Assistant Winemaker, I’ve stepped in to do my best to carry us through the rest of the 2009 bottling season. The last four wines of this season went through without a hitch and should prove to be solid examples of what we’re

Follow us on Twitter to keep up with the Heron Hill 2009 Harvest

2009-09-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

By JJ Pierce The end of summer has arrived! All of the great wine that we produced in 2008 is now in the bottle and put to bed. This is the time of year at Heron Hill when things start to get a little hectic. It's time for the production team to start thinking about the 2009 grape harvest and all that goes along with it. This means a lot of time is spent cleaning the wine cellar, getting

Flowers for wedding decoration

2009-08-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

By Danielle Shaw Decorating for weddings is so enjoyable for me. It’s fun to see all of the different ideas that the couples come up with. The decorative elements reflect them as individuals; earthy, traditional, artistic, simple. Flowers are a huge part of the wedding tradition. Through my profession I have gained enormous respect for florists and the way they create works of art using a

What to eat and drink in the summer

2009-08-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

By Steve & Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting RoomSummer on Seneca has brought many pleasures in the form of welcoming new visitors to our tasting room, reconnecting with old friends and neighbors, and of course entertaining with wonderful food and wines from our area. Weekends are fun and busy with mid-week the best time for a visit if a slower pace is what you enjoy. The cool

Graphic Design & Puppies

2009-08-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR ManagerBeing recognized as one of the most spectacular tasting rooms in the world is a pretty big deal around here! We’re getting a lot of calls from journalists, especially travel writers. It’s an exciting time for the Finger Lakes as a region – a true travel destination. I’ve met some really talented writers lately, I’m always in awe at how down to earth and

106th Annual National League of Postmasters Conference

2009-08-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales ManagerThe summer is jam-packed with events, and the State is all “abuzz” about NY wines. Having joined Heron Hill over 15 years ago, you would be amazed that in the beginning many people did not know about Finger Lakes Wines, let alone that Heron Hill was right in their backyard. With all wineries working as a team to make New York State’s wines notable, that

Riesling: Part 1-4

2009-07-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

By Thomas LaszloPART ONE: WHERE DID IT COME FROM?PART TWO: WHAT’S IN A NAME?PART THREE: WHY IT’S SO GREAT?PART FOUR: WHERE IS RIESLING HEADED?PART ONE: WHERE DID IT COME FROMThe first reported record of Riesling occurred in Germany in the 15th Century. In 1435 the storage inventory of Count John the 4th of Katzenelnbogen in Rüsselsheim (close to today’s Rheingau region) showed six “Riesslingen”

We are one of the "most spectacular tasting rooms in the world"!

2009-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

By John Ingle, Winery Owner There’s some big news here at Heron Hill Winery. We are thrilled to be named as one of the 10 Most Spectacular Tasting Rooms in the World by Travel + Leisure Magazine! Only two were listed in the US: Heron Hill and Opus One in CA. This is a feather in the cap of the Finger Lakes region and an honor for all of us at the winery. I called the architect and builder

I've been painting for a month straight!

2009-07-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

By Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall Manager WOW…we have been very... busy... busy... busy... here at the winery. We have had a record number of guests here at the facility, I’m so glad that I am finally able to stay at the tasting bar. I love meeting and talking to all the unique people that I get to meet. Just this past week I met a great couple from Pennsylvania; we ended up having so much in

Winemaker Dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn - Elmira

2009-07-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

By Jane LaszloOne of the great perks of my position at Heron Hill is setting up winemaker dinners with our winemaker Thomas and local chefs. It's awesome to witness the interplay between the artistry and creativity of the chef balanced by the scientific and organoleptic skills of the winemaker. Both chef and winemaker create, but when they work together a synergistic effect is brought to life.

Does the production team get enough recognition?

2009-06-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

By JJ Pierce So summer is once again upon us here at Heron Hill Winery. The summer time crowds have returned and as is the norm we in production are elbow deep in bottling all the great wines that we produce for our customers every year. That being said, I was reflecting back on the years that I have been in this industry and I had a revelation. Sometimes the people behind the scenes in the

Going local in the gift shop

2009-06-18T07:07:00.001-07:00

By Danielle Shaw The season is just getting started for me, which brings a lot of excitement. Our first wedding was on Saturday June 13th. The stormy weather stopped just in time for the beautiful ceremony over looking Keuka Lake. Everything worked out so amazingly. It was a great way to start off the wedding season of 2009. Aside from the weddings at the winery, I work on the majority of

A great way to enjoy Semi-Sweet Riesling - Sangria!

2009-06-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

By Steve & Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting RoomHello again from Steve and Pam at the Seneca Lake tasting room of Heron Hill Winery! The soft scents and gentle warmth of early June beckon us to linger outside just a bit longer. That calls for a glass of Heron Hill Classic Semi-Dry Riesling 2007 on the porch, deck or dock as evening falls.We welcome back all our good neighbors who

We're officially on Snooth and Twitter (and of course Facebook)

2009-06-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR DirectorJune is here (my ½ year mark), and our marketing & PR front is really taking a hold! Everyone in the staff has been such a huge help with all of the efforts taking place. My Mac and I are the command center, and there is so much going on lately!First of all we’re really trying to spread the word about our free, live music here at the winery all summer long.

Upcoming festivals and events

2009-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales ManagerWith the warm weather comes the days of festivals and outside events for Heron Hill Winery. It’s amazing how many different venues and requests I get to taste and display our award-winning wines.When thinking about my upcoming blog entry; I thought about some of the interesting adventures you might want to look for over the Summer.By WaterOld Forge Lake

Botrytis Cinerea – The Magical Mushroom

2009-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

By Thomas LaszloPictures: The three pictures show the progressive stages of Noble Rot used in making our 2005 Select Late Harvest Chardonnay. The process from healthy grape to Noble Rot usually takes two weeks. At any time during that period all hopes of a great wine can be lost by an excessive rainy period rendering the grapes useless except for green fertilizer when they drop to the vineyard

May is Riesling Month in the FLX

2009-05-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

By John Ingle, Winery OwnerMay is Riesling month here in the Finger Lakes and we’re doing our part! We’re offering free shipping for six or more bottles of any of our nine styles of Riesling. This includes Dry, Semi-Dry, Semi-Sweet, Late Harvest, Icewine and Reserves. Since it’s Riesling month, Heron Hill will be featuring a special Riesling tasting flight. $5 to taste Old Vines Riesling Reserve,

What my personal favorites are at the winery

2009-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

By Tambi Schweizer, Tasting Hall Manager Upon your visit to Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes, you will find me inside our barrel-vaulted tasting hall. Starting now and continuing into the end of November, this is where I spend most of my time. I am the Tasting Hall Manager for Heron Hill Winery. I thrive on tasting, comparing and educating myself on Heron Hill’s award-winning wines. We have

Get the most for your buck this Spring

2009-04-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

By Jane LaszloThe last few months have been a stressful time for many of us as we’ve been under a constant barrage of sound bites on the bleak and dire economy. We’re left wondering, how much worse could it get and how long will it last? Everyone has been told they’d be wise to tighten up their spending habits and save every dollar in the fear of the bottom growing even deeper.I’ve always been a

On the bottling line at Heron Hill Winery

2009-04-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

By JJ Pierce Well, spring is finally here at Heron Hill Winery! For those of us in the production department here at the winery, it means time to start putting all those great wines that were made during the fall and winter months into the bottle. We use only the best equipment on the market because if you're going to make the best product why ruin it by using mediocre equipment and compromise

Greetings from the Heron Hill Tasting Room on Seneca Lake

2009-04-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

By Steve & Pam Acker, Managers at the Seneca Lake Tasting RoomGreetings from the Heron Hill Tasting Room on Seneca Lake! Spring has finally sprung and this is the beginning of our fourth season as the “satellite” tasting room from Heron Hill Winery. In the spring of 2006 we decided to un-retire and learn about an industry and product we both enjoy…wine. Our career with Heron Hill began with

Upcoming Weddings

2009-04-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

By Danielle Shaw I have a much longer history with Heron Hill than one might expect. I started back in 2000 working in the gift shop. A friend introduced me to the facility manager at the time, John Rose. He needed someone to help bag wine and serve food samples; it was a great opportunity for me! I was happy to be working and making money. John would even burn me CD’s like Joan Osborne and

Reading Windows on the World Complete Wine Course with Augustus

2009-03-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

By Kitty Oliver, Marketing & PR DirectorAs my son and I watched the snow fall all day on Sunday, we had to wonder if spring has really sprung? Although we do bundle Augustus up and take him for the occasional wintertime hike, we mainly keep ourselves occupied indoors during the cold weather. One of my favorite times is when my husband makes a fire in the fireplace (“Ranger TV” as he calls it) and

On the road and miles to go before I sleep

2009-03-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales ManagerOne of my favorite poets since I was in high school was Robert Frost, and my favorite poem was “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Little did I know at that time, my career would take me to my favorite verse.“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP, And MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP.”My life

The first Finger Lakes Blaufränkisch

2009-03-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

By Thomas LaszloNew Release - BLAUFRÄNKISCH!! – We will be releasing a “zamatos” style of Blaufränkisch for the first time later this summer. The Heron Hill Reserve 2007 Blaufränkisch will be the first of it’s kind released in the Finger Lakes. The variety is more commonly known as Lemberger in the U.S. however the variety that is indigenous to Austria also goes by the name Blaufränkisch. The

The trials and tribulations of making maple syrup in March

2009-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

By John Ingle, Winery OwnerIt’s early March and Mother Nature is gradually loosening her icy grip over the long frozen lakes of western NY. It’s been a “real” winter with close to 100 inches of snow, 6 weeks of snow cover, lows near -10 and steady single digit temps. This cold weather makes you want to read some Robert Frost.The first glimmer of spring is the 40 degree days that bring the thought