What to eat and drink in the summer

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

Summer 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 rainy start has given way to the hot, hazy days of August and this has a definite impact of what we eat and drink.

We are frequently asked for advice in pairing wines to a menu or occasion and are eager to help. The bounty at the local farm stands is exceptional this time of year and offers the opportunity to explore some interesting recipes with wine compatibility. One of our favorites is a fresh mixed green salad with roasted baby beets and local goat feta dressed with a delicate balsamic vinaigrette. I often serve this first course with the Ingle Vineyard Riesling 2006. The light citrus fruit and crisp finish of this wine make it a summer favorite.

The release of our new Game Bird Blush also timed perfectly with the warmer weather. It’s a terrific “picnic pink” whose bright fruitiness just begs for grilled veggies, chicken or just sipping during a lazy loll in the hammock!

As the summer winds down our season cranks up. We anticipate a very busy fall and have a few surprises up our sleeves. We recently welcomed Staci to the team here on Seneca. She, along with the rest of our seasoned staff, will be happy to assist you in the retail wine and gift shop and hope to make your visit fun and interesting. We are also looking forward to “Ron” and his roving hot dog cart (aka The Dog Haus) arriving in September along with some Saturday music on the patio. Stay tuned for details and be sure to come by and check us out. Thanks for a great summer and we hope to see you soon!

106th Annual National League of Postmasters Conference

By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales Manager

The 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 is no longer the case. On a daily basis there are great opportunities presented to me; it is deciding which ones to select.

Recently, I received a call from an organizer out of Buffalo, New York who was putting together an event for the 106th Annual National League of Postmasters Conference at the Adams Mark in downtown Buffalo. The theme of the event was all that NY had to offer. The diversity of the City and why Buffalo is a great place to visit. Heron Hill was exclusively selected as representing the NY wine industry.

The organizer, John Dubreville, Director of Sales for Hale Northeastern, had visited the winery and was taken back by the experience and the quality of Heron Hill Wines. His vision was to have the guests coming to the conference to experience it as well. The beauty of the winery and the excellent staff at the winery made it memorable for him and when this opportunity arose, he thought of Heron Hill.

The conference itself was unbelievable. I had the pleasure of being in attendance of the opening dinner on August 3rd. People from all over the country from Oregon to Maine attended with their families. Many of guests had the opportunity to travel North and South of the city and were amazed at the amount of vineyards along the highways. Many people from far away states have the misnomer that New York State is like New York City. Heron Hill was a BIG hit and many of them wanted to visit prior to going home. Unfortunately, the 2.5 hour drive from Buffalo did not fit their agenda.

There were four stations of food, Italian, Polish, Chinese, and, of course, ALL Buffalo with Beef on Wick and world famous Buffalo Chicken Wings. A Grammy-nominated Polka Band played throughout the evening at the Polish Bar, Italian singer at the Italian gondola and the first woman to go over Niagara Falls (and live) at the ALL Buffalo bar.