Heart & Hands Wine Company – Pinot Noir and Beyond

Heart & Hands Wine Company – Pinot Noir and Beyond

Heart & Hands WinesSince being exposed to Finger Lakes wines nearly 10 years ago, I have been a staunch supporter of the products coming out of that region.

I am a devoted fan of high minerality, dry Rieslings from the Mosel region and to me, Finger Lakes dry Rieslings rank up there with those fabulous German wines. While a growing number of wine aficionados know and enjoy Finger Lakes Rieslings, a grape some of the wineries in the region do well is Pinot Noir. The winery doing Pinot Noir best is, in my opinion, Heart & Hands Wine Company on the northeastern shore of Cayuga Lake.

Tom Higgins

Tom Higgins

Tech industry veteran Tom Higgins, with experience working at Zachy’s Wine & Liquor and vineyards in Bordeaux and the Finger Lakes, established Heart & Hands with his spouse Susan in 2006. After investing a significant amount of time on site selection to find the location most conducive to growing Pinot Noir, Tom and Susan opted for a 6 acre plot located about 200 meters from the shoreline of Carr’s Cove on Cayuga Lake. The winery officially opened in 2008 and the cozy tasting room opened to the public in 2009.

Puzzled by the Claddagh ring on their wine labels, I asked Susan why they had chosen it and she explained that the Irish wedding ring symbol depicts love, togetherness and fidelity, hence the heart and hands name of their winery. Tom and Susan named their wine club The Claddagh Club. Members of the wine club receive quarterly allocations of Heart & Hands wines, including guaranteed allocations of “Single Vineyard” Pinot Noirs and Rieslings and allocations of club-only wines. There are two club membership levels: “Eclectic Collection” or “Exclusively Red”. The Eclectic Collection features wines selected from the full portfolio, including Pinot Noir, Sparkling Wine and Riesling. The Exclusively Red Collection, of which I am a member, features Pinot Noir exclusively.

Fion the Winery Dog

Fion the Winery Dog

The boutique winery produces around 2,000 cases of wine a year and focuses solely on Riesling and Pinot Noir. During a recent visit, Susan poured us most of the collection under the watchful eye of her gentle giant winery dog, Fion. Here are tasting notes for some of these wines:

2009 Heart & Hands Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir ($40.99)

Medium raspberry-colored in the glass. Cherry, mocha and spiced aromas. Palate of ripe cherries and a little jammy stone fruit with a velvety mouthfeel and a long finish with some lingering tannins. This wine is closed under Vino-Seal for a completely leak-proof and taste neutral closure. A lovely Pinot Noir.

2011 Heart & Hands Polarity Pinot Noir Blanc ($26.99)

What happens to Pinot Noir that is pressed with almost no contact to the skins? Pinot Noir Blanc. Lightly golden in the glass, this is a pretty different yet delicious wine. Caramel and pear tart with a buttery crust in a glass. Long dry finish.

2011 Dry Riesling ($22.99)

Pale lemon-colored in the glass, this wine offers lemon/lime aromas. While there is still citrus on the palate, the flavors are richer with some peach and ripe melon. Dry, medium finish.

Heart & Hands Pinot Noir has garnered some very good press in recent years for its stellar wines, even getting some love from James Molesworth of Wine Spectator who recognizes that Tom is willing to lower yields to produce superior quality Pinot Noir.

Heart & Hands wines are available through the winery’s online store or at select New York restaurants and retail locations. Now, if the winery could develop a more robust distribution channel so more of us can enjoy its products….

The tasting room is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 5pm, and on Mondays and Thursdays by appointment.

4162 State Route 90, Union Springs, NY, 13160

(315) 889-8500

www.heartandhandswine.com

Cheers,

Veronique

 

2011 Ravines Dry Riesling

2011 Ravines Dry Riesling

2011 Ravines Dry RieslingI’m certain that if you’ve read me regularly, that you know what a fan of Ravines Wine Cellars and Finger Lakes Riesling I am. The 2011 Ravines Dry Riesling I poured over the weekend reminded me of why I love the wines from Ravines so much.

On the nose, there are lovely aromas of Asian pear and Meyer lemon. In the mouth, the lemon turns to lime and the pear to crisp apple flavors. The finish offers the perfect level of acidity and crispness.

It was delicious with the rich lobster I served at my 4th Annual Food & Wine Chickie Lobsterfest.

WS 90 points.

Pairings: Shellfish, seafood, grilled fish, spicy Asian food

Style: White wine

Grape Type(s): Riesling

Region: Finger Lakes, NY, USA

Price: $17

2010 Hermann J. Wiemer Select Late Harvest Riesling

2010 Hermann J. Wiemer Select Late Harvest Riesling

2010 Hermann J. Wiemer Select Late Harvest RieslingGolden in the glass, this Finger Lakes dessert wine is simply outstanding. The nose is sweet with honey and Meyer lemons. The honey continues in the mouth, in a non-cloying way, with a nice balance of sweetness and alcohol laced with notes of Asian pear.

Not many American dessert wines are better than this little number.

92 Points – Wine Spectator.

Pairings: Cheese course, stone fruit cobbler, custard-based desserts.

Style: Dessert Wine

Grape Type(s): Riesling

Region: Finger Lakes, NY, USA

Price: $52

May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes

May is Riesling Month in the Finger Lakes

Photo Courtesy of Finger Lakes Wine Country

Being a fan of Riesling, I’m excited about May being Riesling Month.  Being a huge fan of Finger Lakes Rieslings…read article.

Cheers,

Veronique

The Finger Lakes for Wine Lovers

Photo Credit: Heron Hill Winery

I’m a huge fan of the Finger Lakes and its outstanding wines.  Here is an article of mine on traveling to the Finger Lakes and which wineries to visit along the way published by Jersey Bites.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

2008 Dr Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling

2008 Dr Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling

I decided to pair this Finger Lakes wine with scallop ceviche I was serving as a starter at my last dinner party and it was a super choice.

When I poured the 2008 Dr Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling, it was straw colored in the glass.  I thought I’d made an error and opened a sweet Riesling judging by the honey color of the wine, but upon tasting it, I was pleased by the tartness and acidity I found.  In the mouth, this wine offers Fiji apple, ripe lemons and wet steely stones.  Great acidity and length on the finish.

Nice summer wine to add to my repertoire of affordable Rieslings.

Around: $15.

2009 Red Newt Circle Riesling

2009 Red Newt Circle Riesling

I met Red Newt Cellars co-founder, Debra Whiting at the New York Wine Expo this year and loved how passionate and proud she is of this well-crafted Riesling.

The 2009 Circle Riesling is ideal in any setting with its 3.2% residual sugar.  Great on a Tuesday night with Thai take out or paired with lobster in a spicy red sauce on the weekend.  The fact that this Finger Lakes Riesling is affordable is just another perk and makes it possible to order by the case for most wine lovers to have on hand for any occasion.

The wine is crisp, bright and juicy with the right amount of acidity.  On the nose, the aroma is peaches and nectarines.  In the mouth, it’s Meyer lemons with honey and Fiji apple undertones.  The finish is clean and slightly sweet and makes me look forward to the next sip.

Wine Spectator 86 points.

Around $13.

Riesling Hour – Tasting the Finger Lakes

Riesling Hour – Tasting the Finger Lakes

Riesling Hour Wines

Who’s ever done an online wine tasting? Why not join Finger Lakes Wine Country, me and hundreds of wine fans on Twitter and Facebook on 5/26 all while enjoying a fabulous glass (or two) of Finger Lakes Riesling: www.rieslinghour.com/#flxwine

Follow the Riesling conversation at:

www.facebook.com/fingerlakeswinecountry on Facebook or search @flxwine on Twitter

Let me know if you decide to sip with us!

Chateau Frank Célèbre

Chateau Frank Célèbre

Chateau Frank Celebre

Thought this Cremant-style sparkling wine from Dr Konstantin Frank was super.  Riddled by hand and aged ‘sur lies’, this sparkling Riesling offers apple on the nose and tiny, creamy bubbles.  Super enjoyable.

Around ($19.99).

Anthony Road Wine Company – A Seneca Lake Jewel

Anthony Road Wine Company – A Seneca Lake Jewel

Anthony Road Wine Sign

On a recent visit to the Finger Lakes wine region of New York, I had the pleasure of visiting Anthony Road Wine Company at the recommendation of Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report.  My initial reaction to seeing the beautiful structure the tasting room resides in was – wow, what wines might be waiting for me in such a facility?

Anthony Road Winery was opened in 1990 by Ann and John Martini in a farm shed on their property.  It has since prospered into an award-winning Finger Lakes winery.  Johannes Reinhardt is the winemaker and comes from a German winemaking family involved in the business since 1438.

Here are the wines sampled during our visit:

  • 2009 Semi-Sweet Riesling: Offers cantaloupe and lime aromas with slightly sweet notes and a crisp finish. $14.99.
  • 2007 Chardonnay – No Oak: Light, straight-forward wine with creamy finish. Not a buttery Chard for certain. $12.99
  • 2008 Cabernet Franc / Lemberger: Perhaps the best example of Lemberger I’ve seen in the Finger Lakes – medium-bodied, cherry on the palate with a dry finish. $17.99.
  • 2009 Pinot Noir: Fermented and aged in French oak, this wine offers red fruit, but in the form of ripe strawberries versus the typical cherry found in many Pinots.  There are hints of cocoa there that make this wine slightly earthy. $19.98.
  • Tony’s Red: Was boasted as the ‘pizza red’ and it was – light and fruity wine to be enjoyed with casual fares on any week night. $8.99.
  • 2007 Sweet Dream: Using Vignoles grapes (French-American hybrid), Anthony Road Wine Company is able to create a dessert wine that’s balanced with a nice level of acidity to cut through the honey and ripe peach flavors and long finish. 8.6% residual sugar. $15.99 (375ml).

You can find Anthony Road Winery products online at the winery’s web store, at nearby liquor stores and at the winery located at:

1020 Anthony Road

Penn Yan, NY, 14527

Social media fans can ‘like’ Anthony Road Wine Company’s Facebook page.