Tag Archives: Finger Lakes

Heron Hill Winery Eclipse Red

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Pot roast dish setting on tableTangy Tomato Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and halved
  • 6-8 carrots, peeled and halved if thick or left whole if thinner
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 lb. boneless beef roast, inside or outside round, blade or cross-rib works well
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, or passata
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
  • freshly ground pepper

To thicken:

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

To serve:

  • Fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

  • For Oven Method: Sear meat in an oven safe pot with lid or Dutch oven. Lift out briefly and place vegetables underneath the roast. Add sauce, cover and place into a 325°F oven for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  • For Slow Cooker: Scatter the prepared potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of a slow cooker.
  • On the stove top, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef roast on both sides until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast. Scatter the fresh thyme sprigs over-top.
  • Place cover on slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until beef is fall-apart tender.
  • Remove roast to a cutting board and cut in to slices. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch with water and stir in to gravy with vegetables and let cook for a few minutes until gravy thickens a bit. Taste gravy and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Return meat to slow cooker. Gently stir to coat with gravy. Allow to cook a few minutes to re-warm the meat, then remove all to a large platter or bowl to serve. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley.

© Recipe courtesy of Seasons and Suppers. All rights reserved.

SEPTEMBER WINE CLUB:

Mellow style logoHeron Hill Eclipse wine bottleHeron Hill Winery
Eclipse Red
Finger Lakes, New York

MELLOW WINE STYLE

This medium ruby colored wine shows the beauty of what the Bordeaux varieties can do around New York State in warm vintages. Medium to full intensity on the nose shows a great combination of black and red fruit with blackberry, cassis and raspberry all made more complex with some herbal mint tones and slight cedar notes. The palate is medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and refined, silky tannins with great length.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Varietal: 44% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Appellation: New York – grapes sourced from growers in Finger Lakes and Long Island
  • Analysis: 13% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.69
  • Total Acid: 5.85 g/L – 0.585%
  • Residual Sugar: 0 – Dry
  • Aging: 15 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels
  • Malo-Lactic Fermentation: 100%
  • Free SO2 at Bottling: 32ppm 
  • Production: 1312 Cases of 12 Bottles
  • Winemaker: Jordan Harris

FOOD PAIRING:
This wine would make a wonderful accompaniment to pot roast with roasted seasonal root vegetables in a tomato base. Also great with those steaks and chickens coming off the grill in summer!

Heron Hill winery and winemaker Jordan Harris

WINEMAKER – JORDAN HARRIS

Jordan Harris is best described by three words: passionate, determined and focused. Jordan has always had an incredible passion for all things food and wine. From his education in culinary arts to studying Enology and Viticulture at The Niagara College of Canada, Jordan’s passion has lead him to many successes. He has achieved numerous awards and accolades for his wines. He placed first at the Inter-Rhone Sommelier Challenge, third at the International Challenge in Avignon, France, and was featured in Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. Jordan joined the team at Heron Hill in 2020 to be closer to his family and embrace the opportunity to work with cool climate fruit in the Finger Lakes.

Information and Photos © Heron Hill Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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Heron Hill Winery Reserve Riesling

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Mango Salsa HalibutHalibut with Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

For the Salsa:

  • 1 large ripe mango diced
  • ½ small red onion diced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced
  • 2 tbsp lime juice about 2 small limes
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the Fish:

  • 1 lb halibut filet
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp black pepper

To Garnish:

  • lime wedges for squeezing

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, add in all of the salsa ingredients and mix well. Optional to let it marinate for 10+ minutes to really let the flavors out. Set aside.
  • Pat the fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a grill or pan over medium heat and add oil. Cook the fish 4 to 6 minutes per side until it has turned opaque throughout. You should be able to easily flake the meat with a fork when it’s done.
  • Let the fish rest for a minute or two before garnishing with the salsa. Store the extra salsa in an air tight container for future use.

© Recipe and Photo courtesy of Justin Colt. All rights reserved.

SEPTEMBER WINE CLUB:

Crisp Wine Style2021-Riesling-Reserve-bottleHeron Hill Winery
Reserve Riesling
Finger Lakes, New York

CRISP WINE STYLE

An elegant and vibrant Riesling with medium to high aromatic intensity of lime, green apple, anise and wet rock. The palate has tremendous excitement from the electric acidity and dry nature of the wine with citrus and saline notes, combined with some floral undertones and great length. It’s a refreshing joy to drink now, but will also age well over the next 8-10 years.

WINE DETAILS:

  • James Suckling Award_91 pts.Varietal: 100% Riesling
  • Vineyard: 100% Keuka Estate
  • Appellation: Finger Lakes, New York
  • Analysis: 10.5% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.43
  • Total Acid: 7.45 g/L – 0.745%
  • Residual Sugar: 2 g/L – 0.2%
  • Fermentation: Stainless Steel, 100% uninoculated
  • Malo-Lactic Fermentation: 0%
  • Production: 208 Cases of 12 Bottles
  • Winemaker: Jordan Harris
  • Critical Acclaim: 91 pts. James Suckling – “Cool and pristine nose of lemon zest and mint leaf. Very straight and focused with well integrated acidity and good depth for the difficult vintage. Quite some tannic power at the crisp finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”

FOOD PAIRING:
A great wine with simple grilled summer vegetables. Also delicious with halibut or freshly caught Seneca Lake rainbow trout, served and topped with a tropical mango and jalapeño salsa. It is also great with a triple cream brie.

VINEYARD INFORMATION:
Keuka Estate – the winery’s onsite vineyard comprising of 10 acres of Riesling, 1 acre of Vidal Blanc, and 2.5 acres of Cabernet Franc. Most of the vineyard is a relatively gentle east facing slope toward Keuka Lake; at one of the coolest points along the lake due to the gap in the hills behind the winery, which allows cool air to flow through their site, draining down toward the lake. The soils comprise of shale and loam, allowing for a very well drained and mineral driven site; these, combined with the cooler temperatures of the site, lead to fruit with wonderful purity, mineral expression and fresh acidity.

VINTAGE INFORMATION:
Grapes thrive in growing seasons with less precipitation, and luckily for the Heron Hill team, it only rained twice – once from April 1st until July 15th and again from August 10th until November 1st. With that said, it was certainly a wet year from start to finish, but in 20 vintages, the Heron Hill team has learned that some of the top wines still come from challenging years, as it forces it to be a grower and winemaker’s year. It’s all about attention to detail at each step.

It was a year that you could not miss a pass or downy mildew could come and wreak havoc. Luckily, most of their vineyard lots were on top of it and were able to get through to the harvest season with clean fruit and canopies. Another big change for the Finger Lakes this year was the warmth. It was one of the hottest years on record, and that was largely due to less diurnal temperature swings, thus leading to warmer nights as well. While this brings some challenges, it also helped push the ripeness of the fruit.

In the end, the fruit came through mostly with ripe flavors from the warmth and waiting for longer hang time. The warm nights created fruit with a bit less acidity, offering softer textures. Overall, the vintage will yield wines with lower alcohol, softer acids, but ripe fruit flavors and silky tannins. They really are a pleasure to drink.

WINEMAKING:
The Reserve Riesling was immediately pressed coming from the vineyard at cool October temperatures. The juice was settled over the course of 3 days before having the clean juice racked, allowing it to naturally start to ferment, peaking at 61 degrees, lasting 78 days. Post fermentation, the wine rested on its lees three months before being filtered and readied for bottle. No fining necessary.

Information © Heron Hill Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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September Wine Club Pairing Recipe

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Bolognese Sauce with pasta on tableMarcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ⅔ cup chopped celery
  • ⅔ cup chopped carrot
  • ¾ pound ground beef chuck (or you can use 1 part pork to 2 parts beef)
  • salt
  • black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • whole nutmeg
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 ½ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
  • 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds pasta
  • freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese at the table

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.
  2. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.
  3. Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating — about ⅛ teaspoon — of nutmeg, and stir.
  4. Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add ½ cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.
  5. Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano on the side.

© Recipe courtesy of Marcella Hazan, adapted by The New York Times.

SEPTEMBER WINE CLUB:

Mellow style logo2019-Baco-Noir-bottleHeron Hill Winery
Reserve Baco Noir
Finger Lakes, New York

MELLOW WINE STYLE

Nearly an opaque ruby red with blue tones, this Baco Noir shoots from the glass with abundant aromas of bramble, juniper, raisin, black currant and earthy tones. It is medium to full bodied and hits the palate with bracing acidity, modest tannin structure and a long fruit-drive finish.

WINE DETAILS:

  • Varietal: 100% Baco Noir
  • Vineyard: 100% Doyle-Pulteney Vineyard, west side of Keuka Lake
  • Appellation: Finger Lakes, New York
  • Analysis: 13.1% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.43
  • Total Acid: 8.7 g/L – 0.87%
  • Residual Sugar: 0
  • Fermentation: Open top fermenters, 11 days total skin contact
  • Malo-Lactic Fermentation: 100%
  • Aging: Neutral French Oak, 21 months
  • Production: 413 Cases of 12 Bottles
  • Winemaker: Jordan Harris

FOOD PAIRING:
This wine is similar to an Italian wine with big acids. Pair with tomato sauces and medium meats like veal. Also stunning with a spaghetti bolognese topped with freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

VINEYARD INFORMATION: 
Doyle Pulteney – just 5 minutes from the winery – is a steep and rocky site with gravelly loam, shale and great eastern exposure on the west side of Keuka Lake. The steep slope and morning sunlight allow for dense but fresh wines with the great drainage, yet limited afternoon heat.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS:
About as “classic” a Finger Lakes vintage as you can get. After a relatively mild winter, the spring was extended and dry, allowing for a decent fruit set that resulted in slightly above average yields. This led to the cool and dry summer with some warmth in the fall, helping to push along the fruit ripeness. Overall, this vintage offered all you would expect from a Finger Lake wine – bright acidity, moderate alcohol and lovely ripe fruit notes.

WINEMAKING:
The fruit for the Baco Noir Reserve was destemmed, leaving berries whole with one ton open top fermenters. The bins were punched down twice per day and spent 11 days on the skins prior to pressing. The wine was then transferred to neutral French oak for malolactic fermentation and completed with 21 months of élevage. After the time in barrel, the wine was assembled and filtered prior to bottling.

Heron Hill Winery building and finger lakes landscape

ABOUT HERON HILL WINERY:
Nestled in a slate hillside overlooking scenic Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region, Heron Hill has been dedicated to excellence since 1977. Rated as one of the top ten most spectacular tasting rooms in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine, the winery has become a coveted destination within New York for wine, ambiance and service.

For over 50 years, owners John and Josephine Ingle have been practicing sustainability as a way of life. To them it’s about giving respect. Respect for the land by farming sustainably and respect for the product by making it natural, fresh and healthful. Most importantly it means respect for the consumer by providing the best product and education about their long term goal of environmental balance. Today, Heron Hill offers over 20 different varieties of wine; including crisp and light Rieslings, aromatic dry Chardonnays, complex Pinot Noirs, elegant Cabernet Francs, and their legendary Eclipse series. Learn more here.

Information & Photos © Heron Hill Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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September Sweet Club: Iowa

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Sweet Wine ClubLate Harvest VidalHeron Hill Winery
Late Harvest Vidal Blanc Reserve
Finger Lakes, New York

NECTAR WINE STYLE

A very refined and balanced dessert wine. The aromatics are concentrated but not overwhelming with floral notes, pineapple, peach, cantaloupe and honey. The palate is medium bodied with fresh acidity, balancing the sweetness and making this wine a lovely sipper.

  • Varietal: 100% Vidal Blanc
  • Vineyard: Keuka Estate
  • Appellation: Finger Lakes, New York
  • Analysis: 10% alcohol / volume
  • pH: 3.14
  • Total Acid: 9.0 g/L – 0.9%
  • Residual Sugar: 74 g/L – 7.2%
  • Fermentation: Stainless Steel – after whole cluster pressing of the fruit, the juice was cool fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks
  • Malo-Lactic Fermentation: 0%
  • Production: 152 Cases of 12 Bottles
  • Winemaker: Jordan Harris

FOOD PAIRING:
A wonderful wine on its own or with medium sweetness desserts like fresh fruit and custard, créme brûlée with persimmon, or a cheese course. If you are feeling indulgent, pair with foie gras.

WineStyles’ Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section will pair well with any rich or blue cheeses. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

VINEYARD INFORMATION:
Keuka Estate – the winery’s on site vineyard comprising of 10 acres of Riesling, 1 acre of Vidal Blanc and 2.5 acres of Cabernet Franc. Most of the vineyard is a relatively gentle east facing slope towards Keuka Lake; at one of the coolest points along the lake due to the gap in the hills behind the winery, which allows cool air to flow through their site, draining down to the lake. The soils comprise of shale and loam, allowing for a very well drained and mineral driven site; these, combined with the cooler temperatures, lead to fruit with wonderful purity, mineral expression and fresh acidity.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS:
Many growers may have been a little worried about drought like conditions through the peak of the summer in July and August, but it did remain cool enough to keep the vines healthy and thriving through the summer.

The season began like it often does with sub-freezing temperatures coming later in May. Luckily most varieties and pretty much all vinifera was delayed from a cool and wet spring, so there was little impact on them. The main variety that was impacted was Concord which is not made at Heron Hill (they do however grow some for juice). Once the season warmed up, it never really stopped. That wet spring gave the vines the water they needed to catch up in the season that was nearly ideal and created almost no disease/pest management issues. It also allowed for slow, steady vine growth that was balanced throughout the entire season. 

Harvest remained dry and warm with cool nights. The result was the ability to allow flavors to develop slowly but progressively while maintaining acidity and structure. The fruit that was harvested had significantly higher than normal brix levels and, in some cases, record breaking, while still having high acidity and fabulous concentration and flavors. A great year. 

WINEMAKING:
The Late Harvest Vidal was harvested as slightly concentrated fresh fruit from slight dehydration on the vine prior to harvesting at a ripe 27.6 brix with still bright acidity. After whole cluster pressing the fruit, the juice was cool fermented in stainless steel and then continued to age in stainless steel after racking once. The wine was never fined (not necessary) and was simply cold stabilized before being sterile filtered and bottled.

Information and photos © Heron Hill Winery – All Rights Reserved.

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July Sweet Club Iowa

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Romerhof_Kab18_bottleSweet Wine ClubRömerhof
Riesling Kabinett
Mosel, Germany

NECTAR WINE STYLE

The Römerhof Riesling Kabinett is a well-balanced young wine. It highlights flavors and aromas of peaches and citrus, and is fresh and fruity with a crisp acidity.

Analysis: 8.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Region: Mosel, Germany
Vineyard: Very ripe Riesling grapes from the middle of the Mosel Valley of Germany are used in making this wine. These grapes are allowed to hang longer, earning the designation of ‘Kabinett’.
Pairing: The sweetness from this wine makes it a perfect pairing to aged cheeses, chicken and cream sauces.

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section pair well with an aged cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“Drought and heat as well as the fear of heavy rain were of primary concern. As in the other regions, vine development was well ahead of the average and picking started in mid-September. The grapes were healthy which brought much relief. September brought rain, but thanks to cool nights it did not lead to rot.” – Römerhof Winery

ABOUT THE WINERY: 
Römerhof Winery is owned by Heinz Eifel, whose family has been producing wines in the heart of the Mosel Valley for over 400 years. Based in the village of Trittenheim, Heinz works closely with his winemaker daughter, Anne Eifel-Spohr, to produce award winning Rieslings. Learn more about their history here.

Dr-Konstantin-Frank-2019-Semi-Dry-Riesling-bottleDr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Semi-Dry Riesling
Finger Lakes, New York

NECTAR WINE STYLE

A delicate Semi-Dry Riesling initially, then rounding out to be tropically ripe. It is brimming with notes of apricot, nectarine, and a hint of pineapple. Flavors of citrusy lemon and acacia blossom balance the sweetness effortlessly.

Analysis: 11.5% alcohol / volume
Varietal: 100% Riesling
RS: 22 g/L
pH: 3.11
TA: 7.0 g/L
Vineyard: Seneca and Keuka Vineyards
Vinification: De-Stemmed. Direct Press.
Vessel: Stainless Steel. Temperature Controlled.
Fermentation: Traditional. No Malolactic Fermentation.
Élevage: Unoaked. Aged 5 months on the lees.
Dryness: Semi-Dry. 2.2% Residual Sugar
Pairing: Enjoy with Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Thai or Asian cuisines. This wine pairs exceptionally well with ingredients such as pepper, ginger, curry, sesame, soy, spicy BBQ, and pork.

WineStyles Wine and Cheese Pairing: Sweet wines from our ‘Nectar’ section also pair well with an herbal cheese. Learn more about our wine and cheese pairings here.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
“Budbreak and flowering started about two weeks later than normal. Temperatures during the summer were moderate, August and September were cooler than average. Luckily, the weather in the fall was extremely favorable with extended periods of sunny and dry days followed by cool nights. This offered excellent conditions to fully ripen the grapes well into October.

Riesling was first brought to the Finger Lakes by our founder. Those original vines dating back to 1958 are still in production. Riesling blocks on our Keuka vineyard were planted in 1958, 1962, 1968, 1976, 1999, 2006, and 2012 with various clones (88, 90, 11, 318, 239, 49, 110, 38). Soils here are shallow, shale-based which add minerality, acidity, and elegance. Riesling was planted in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012 on our Seneca estate vineyard with 90 and 356 clones. Temperatures here are a few degrees warmer than Keuka, thus providing riper fruit notes. Soils on Seneca are characterized by deep Honeoye silt loam.” – Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

ABOUT THE WINERY:
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is a family owned and operated winery situated on the southwestern hills of Keuka Lake. In 1958, Dr. Konstantin Frank planted his first Vinifera vines, igniting the “Vinifera Revolution” – forever changing the course of winemaking in New York. Four generations later, the Frank family continues to grow their winery throughout the Finger Lakes region. Learn more about their story here.

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