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.