Consider Signing the Fracking Petition

Below is a link to a petition asking for a ban against fracking in the Finger Lakes watershed.

http://signon.org/sign/ban-hydrofracking-from.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=1553052  

Consider signing it to support the people, land, water, tourism, agriculture and THE WINE INDUSTRY in the Finger Lakes.  Over 500 chemicals, some carcinogens, have been found in the waste water from fracking. Hundreds of trucks moving supplies and the waste water (where does THAT go? Into the ground to contaminate our produce and livestock?) will decimate the beautiful area of the Finger Lakes. Air pollution around the wells is another side effect.  Thanks to former VP Cheney, hydrofracking for natural gas is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act's restrictions. What are we doing to our land and what legacy are we leaving for our children?  I recommend watching Gasland to get more information about how fracking has impacted other areas of the country.  Frightening.

Way to go Monroe County.

"Likely Monroe voters back fracking" is the headline in today's fish wrapper. 55% of the people polled support fracking, 45% oppose and 10% undecided.  Wake up people!  It doesn't look likely the Monroe County will be affected and because it won't impact them directly, why not support it?  I lived in Buffalo during the 1970's and early 80's.  I drove past Love Canal frequently.  Anyone who saw the boarded up houses and empty playgrounds or read the horrific stories of what Hooker Chemical's "safe" way of disposing their toxic waste did to the people in that neighborhood, would understand the impact on health and the environment big companies can have (all the while promising the safety of their procedures). The way the fracking companies have been sneaking in and buying land for cash all around the Finger Lakes is sly and devious, praying on the economic hardships we are facing.   Studies completed in areas where hydrofracking has been done point to destruction, contamination and negative health affects.  Wake up ALL of New York State!  Do you want the beauty of the Finger Lakes decimated?  Drinking water and land contaminated for future generations?  Isn't it about time we stood up for our planet and protected the beauty and abundance we have?  And does anyone honestly think that this will decrease our dependance on foreign energy supplies?  You can live without natural gas, but can you live without drinking water?  The question I would like to ask every person who supports hydrofracking is..."Would you want it in your back yard?"  I think we would have different results.

Wow, it's been awhile, eh? Sorry but we are working on our move to the Finger Lakes Region....

Tonight Jim and I are doing a taste test. We kept meaning to get to Shalestone Vineyards this summer, but because of circumstances way beyond our control, we just keep missing them. So yesterday I went to the McKenzie Child Sale and Festivities for Columbus Day and stopped at the "Bet the Farm" retail shop in Aurora. We tasted "Bet the Farm" wines: Pinot Grigio, Traminette, a white blend, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir and Cab Franc. I liked what I tasted. They were all light, smooth, but also complex. The winemaker was actually trained by Lou Damiani and does her winemaking at Damiani. Anyway, I bought 2 Shalestones wines at the retail shop because I fear we won't make it there before it closes again this year. I bought the Pinot Noir and Cab Franc. Tonight we opened the Shalestone Pinot Noir. It is full of cherries, nutmeg and coffee with a long finish. Jim, however felt it tasted more like a Cab Franc with green pepper tones. I agreed that the tannins were evident half way through, but then I got cherries again. He disagreed (as we do often these days) and went downstairs to get our benchmark of pinot noirs, Heart and Hands, to compare.

Heart and Hands is like eating a golden delicious apple: smooth, round, full and lush. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. The Shalestone is cherry and more fruit forward. I like them both and we are having a discussion about the fairness of comparing them. I think they are both good, though different. Jim prefers Heart and Hands. " That's the way it is" at our house tonight. Try some yourself and let us know your opinion.

A Real Tribute to Deb

As difficult as the evening had to be for Red Newt's Dave Whiting, the Sparkling Winemaker's Table dinner was a fitting tribute to his wife, Debra. Dave's toast to love and celebration (their son's birthday and engagement) was heartfelt and Deb's presence was felt throughout the evening. This was her menu, the last one she had planned. And the staff outdid themselves with each course's creation and presentation.

We started with grilled bacon wrapped shrimp on a white bean and roasted fennel cake drizzled with a lemon-mustard vinaigrette paired with Chateau Frank 2002 Blanc de Noir. Next was organic field green salad with caramelized chevre, duck breast, fried leeks and cherry balsamic vinaigrette paired with Heart and Hands 2009 Brut Rose. The main course was baked almond crusted sea bass topped with apricot relish and apricot verjus glaze served with a garlic scape potato pancake with green beans. This was paired nicely with Lamoreaux Landing 2006 Blanc de Blanc. The dessert was Chocolate Pate with Black Tea and Cardamom Ice Cream paired with Red Newt Cellars 2007 Hellbender Soiree. The food was out of this world and the pairings superb. Contributing winemakers or Dave's sons were seated at each table which made for fascinating conversation about the wine industry, local produce and food pairings.

What better way to pay tribute to Deb than through her passions of food and wine and with her family and the extended family of friends who support it? Thank-you Dave.

Sad News about Debra Whiting

We would like to extend our condolences to Dave Whiting and family. The Finger Lakes region mourns such a huge loss.

Brut Rose Vertical at Heart & Hands Wine Company

Have you ever been to a vertical wine tasting? Often winemakers will hold back some of their wines for their wine "library". The library wines can then be accessed for special events such as the Vertical Tasting on Sunday at Heart & Hands Wine Company. At a vertical, you are able to compare different vintages side by side. The Heart & Hand's vertical of their Brut Rose included the 2007, 2008, and 2009 vintages. Winemaker Tom Higgins had tasting notes available with information about the vintage season, which Pinot Noir clones were used and his tasting notes from when each was opened Sunday morning. He paired the Roses with Strawberry shortcake (and whip cream - yum) which really brought out the berry flavors in the sparkling wine.

Before I tell you about each vintage, I think a short course in Champagne and Sparkling Wines is in order. For a wine to be called Champagne, it must be made from either Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. Since Heart & Hands is in Union Springs NY, they must call their wine Sparkling Wine. HOWEVER, Tom uses the Champagne METHOD (or Traditional method) to make his Sparkling Wine. The Champagne Method is labor intensive, takes longer and is more expensive than other methods used. In the Champagne Method, the final blend of the still wine is bottled with a small amount of wine, sugar and yeast. A secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle which can last up to 3 months (to get those bubbles). Then the bottles are stacked with their necks pointing down and are turned at regular time intervals. In the degorgement stage, the bottle necks are plunged into a freezing solution which freezes the bottle around the sediment (which has traveled to the neck). The bottle is turned upright, the cap popped, and ice and sediment shoot out. Lastly, the bottle is topped with a reserve wine and sugar combo, re-corked and further aged. Using the Champagne Method generally produces a higher quality sparkling wine, and Tom is all about quality.

So - the 3 vintages:

2007: A hot and dry vintage. Dijon Pinot Noir Clones were used. This is important as these clones are from Burgundy and used to make still wines (such as Pinot Noir). The wine was a slightly darker shade of pink than the other two due (according to Tom) to thicker skins on the grapes. This sparkling wine was described by Tom :" Raspberry opens up on the nose leading to ruby red grapefruit, cranberry-raspberry-orange muffin". It was really really good with the strawberry shortcake!

2008: This was a normal vintage. The Pinot Noir clones were Champagne clones (from the Champagne region of France). Tom described it as "Plum skin and delicate floral notes open up to grapefruit and freshly mowed straw supported by a firm backbone."

2009: This vintage was cool and moist. Again Champagne clones were used. Tom's description:" Hints of candied cherries enter the nose followed by a ripe cherry burst on the palate with a touch of dried cranberry tartness on the finish."

All were really good and while there were commonalities among them, each had subtle differences that distinguished them depending on the taster's palate! Needless to say,we purchased the 2009, which is currently in the tasting room. But get some soon, because it won't last long.

New releases also available in the tasting room now are the 2010 Dry Riesling (108 cases produced) and the 2010 Riesling (226 cases produced). Other wines available for tasting are the 2009 Pinot Noir and the 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir (which is out-of-this-world).

P.S. Thank-you, Tom, for graciously signing a bottle of the Reserve Pinot Noir for Jim to give a friend who is retiring.

Wind, Rain and Chili Oh My!

Saturday started out hot, humid and breezy at Standing Stone Vineyards on the East side of Seneca Lake. The tents were set up with the Chili-meisters stirring and cooking like mad. There was the "Cheese-head Chili" man (yes, Packers fans, he does have the Cheese-head hat!). There was Gary's Hot Highland Drunkin Cow Chili, Chicken Wing Chili, Jamaican Me Crazy Chili, Dr. DD's Chili or Dr. DD's wife's Chili....all were very good and I was glad I wasn't judging. (I was told to stay clear of the cheeky red-head with the British accent as she might try to sway the votes toward the Drunkin Cow Chili)! Jim was chosen to judge, so "PHEW" to me!

There were the busloads, the limo's and the hard core chili tasters. The tasting room buzzed with people, then rumbled with people - wait- that wasn't the last tour bus, that was thunder! You could see the dark clouds and rain crossing the lake...headed right towards us! The wind hit! The tents and chili flew and the rain came down sideways and in torrential quantities. In came the soaking wet Chili chefs. Fortunately the judges had had enough time to make their decision. So when the thunder clapped, the lightening struck and the electricity went out, all was serene on the porch of Standing Stone as the awards were given out to the best Chili on the East side of Seneca. I believe Chili #6 won - Dr DD's wife(?), but I'm not sure as I was busy chatting, and pouring. All I know was when all the left over chili was mixed together and we had a moment to try some, the conglomeration was great! What wine would you have with chili you might ask? Well, it depended on the chili: hot and spicy - maybe Gewurztraminer or Smokehouse Red, sweeter - maybe the semi-dry Vidal. Whatever your preference, it was a fun day to taste and experiment with pairings. (And yes, after about 4 hours, the electricity did come back on)!

P.S. Marti hinted that there may be some vertical pairings coming up in August, so stay tuned!

An Enchanted Evening with Heart and Hands and Evan Dawson!

It seemed as if it had rained 40 days and 40 nights, but sometime mid-afternoon on May 20th, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the sky cleared. By the time Jim and I arrived at the Aurora Inn on Cayuga Lake, the sky was blue and the air was warm. You couldn't have ordered a better evening. Evan Dawson set up his book signing station on the patio and Tom and Susan Higgins arrived. A lovely library wine was served: the 2007 Riesling while Crab Cakes Dijonaise, Beef Carpaccio and Shitake, Leek and Asiago Croustades were passed among the crowd by the staff from the Inn. We chatted with a couple from Baltimore who got into Heart & Hands wines through their daughter. They had flown in for the evening's dinner!

We walked through the french doors from the patio into the Lakeview Room where the tables were set (with lots of wine glasses) in preparation for the dinner. Although it was hard to leave the natural beauty of the lakeside patio, this room was gorgeous - with beautiful murals painted by Cleveland artist Glenn Moore Shaw in 1958 surrounding the room. The murals show scenes of the village and were originally hung in the front hall of the Inn. Shaw's murals were joined by four new panels of other Aurora scenes painted by local artists with the newest being the Wells College Boathouse painted by local artist Derwood Crocker. They were stunning.

We sat at our table and met new friends Terry and John, and Vicki and George. The meal began with Red Endive, Fennel and Frisee Salad topped with pistachios and ruby red grapefruit vinaigrette perfectly paired with the 2010 Dry Riesling. With each course, Tom gave information about the wine being served. Next came Coriander Crusted Scallops drizzled with carrot ginger puree and served on kohlrabi slaw paired with 2009 Polarity, another library wine. The Polarity, a chardonnay-like wine made with Pinot Noir grapes, was awesome. Tom tells us that more Polarity is in the future of Heart and Hands. The entree of grilled lamb chops on warm berry pilaf with spring vegetables, watercress and natural jus was served with a flight of Pinot Noir (2007 Barrel Reserve, 2008 Pinot Noir from the Sawmill Vineyard, and the 2008 Pinot from the Hobbit Hollow Vineyard). I loved the idea of the flight so that each wine could be tasted, appreciated and compared to the others. (And I also loved the lamb!) The meal was finished with a delicious fresh strawberry shortcake paired with sparkling 2009 Brute Rose while Tom and Evan Dawson entertained with "the stories that didn't make the book."

The wine was delicious, the food outstanding, the company wonderful, and the surroundings beautiful. Our hosts, Tom and Susan couldn't have been more excited about the evening. Evan Dawson obviously enjoyed his role and had a lot of fun as well. What a great evening!

May Day and a Barrel of Fun!

This is very late in coming, but Jim and I attended a marvelous barrel tasting at Ravines on May 1st. This encompassed several vertical tastings paired with phenomenal food. At the end, we got to mix our own Meritage blend! But let's start at the beginning.

Finger Lakes Wine Retriever's friends and "Rovers", Maggie and Jon arrived at Ravines before we did, but saved us a couple glasses which were immediately filled with Keuka Village! We chatted outside until the preparations were all ready for us inside. Then we entered the tasting room to find tables set and wine ready to be poured. Winemaker extraordinaire, Morten Hallgren took his place behind the bar as we took our places at the table. Then the food pairings and wine tasting began! We knew the wines would be delicious, but we never expected the extensive food pairings which accompanied them. Still more unbelievable was that the kitchen equipment in the new kitchen area below the tasting room was not yet hooked up, so Lisa Hallgren made to make do (and did so exceptionally), with toaster ovens! We were able to taste the 09 Riesling that was awarded 90 points by the Wine Spectator, Merlot, Pinot Noir, some 2010's from the barrels and compare them to earlier vintages. Paired with quiche, salad, chocolates, and I wish I could remember what else, it was a meal, an education and beyond our wildest expectations. Everyone enjoyed sharing, talking and meeting each other and Morten enjoyed it all! Thank-you Ravines, Morten and Lisa for a wonderful afternoon.

Chapter 3 The Emerald City!

Remember the Zenith Slogan..."The quality goes in before the name goes on?" OK, so it originated in 1923 and we're not QUITE that old, but the slogan fits Heart & Hands Wine Company to a tee! Tom Higgins is the winemaker extraordinaire who focuses on world class Pinot Noir. From his meticulous search for the perfect property (with limestone) to hand picking and sorting the grapes to his oak barrels, everything that goes into his Pinot Noir is top shelf. And he doesn't stop there. If you stop into the tasting room where Susan pours the wines, you will be offered the opportunity to do a barrel tasting with Tom. Don't say no. You will regret it if you do. Just saying. Tom will take you back to his super cool barrel room. I mean it. There are these magnificent carved doors over 8 feet tall that you enter through. Then his barrel room itself is a consistently cool 50 degrees because the barrel room is BUILT INTO THE EARTH. The earth keeps a constant temperature, thus his barrels stay a constant temperature. With barrels lining the walls, the vineyard dog laying on the cool floor and a chandelier suspended in the middle of the ceiling, you will try samples taken directly from the barrels. Tom will give you the low down on the different processes, barrels and techniques used to make his fantastic Pinot Noirs. You will leave well educated and in awe of all he has accomplished in the few years he has been making his wines on Cayuga Lake. Because really good Pinots are grown only in a few areas of the world, Tom is competing on a global level and doing the Finger Lakes region proud. Tom's wine making knowledge comes from his training in France and California. He has planted his own grapes in 3 terraces so he can study the differences the "sense of place" or terroir has on the grapes produced. Currently he purchases his grapes from Hobbit Hollow in Skaneateles, Sawmill Creek and JW Vineyards on Seneca Lake, and Patrician Verona Vineyard on Cayuga Lake. Tom credits his wine growers on his bottles. Now that's class. Tom also produces a great Rielsing and Pinot Noir Champagne (neither of which was on our radar, but both blew us away). That's it -Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes. Cold climate grapes. He's keeping it limited so he can produce the best. Yup, a visit to Tom and Susan on the East side of Cayuga Lake (Union Springs, north of Aurora) is a must. Heart & Hands is a winery to keep your eyes on. They are all about quality.