Upcoming festivals and events
By Christina Bowe, Wholesale Sales Manager
With the warm weather comes the days of festivals and outside events for Heron Hill Winery. It’s amazing how many different venues and requests I get to taste and display our award-winning wines.
When thinking about my upcoming blog entry; I thought about some of the interesting adventures you might want to look for over the Summer.
By Water
Old Forge Lake Cruises, which sails out of Old Forge, NY will be kicking off their season on June 5th for their first wine and food pairing. Heron Hill will be on board to cruise the Fulton Chain of Lakes and give the history of the winery along with a wine and food pairing experience. Check out the website at www.oldforgecruises.com. This is going to be a unique adventure and should be loads of fun! We will be returning in the Fall for a foliage cruise.
The Mary Jemison which leaves out of the Cornhill Dock, in Rochester, NY cruises the canal with a local restaurant and winery on board for a scenic cruise with a food and wine pairing. This not-for-profit organization has another boat (The Sam Patch) that leaves out of Pittsford in Shoen Place. Schedules have not been made yet for 2009, but we’re hoping to be back on board this season.
By Rail
Adirondack Scenic Railroad kicked off their wine trains last year and has been a huge success. This nonprofit organization offers passengers an unlimited New York wine tasting, New York State cheeses and light refreshments as well as a complimentary Uncork NY wine glass. The Adirondack Scenic Railroad offers many different scenic excursions departing from Utica's beautifully restored Union Station, which is an impressive station in itself. Heron Hill wines can be purchased for an additional fee by the glass or share a bottle with your friends, while you sit back and view beautiful scenery while riding the rails. Last year’s events included a Blues Train that departed from the Thendara Station in Old Forge. Check out their website at www.adirondackrr.com.
By Car
The Rochester Public Market has been in operation since 1827, making it one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the nation. Heron Hill is proudly the first Finger Lakes winery to be displayed, tasted and sold at the market for the past 15 years. Over the years new wineries have come and gone, however, Heron Hill remains a constant on Saturdays from May 1st until the last weekend of the year. Come taste some wine or buy that special bottle for dinner that evening.
Sterling Renaissance Festival is always an exciting thing to do for the summer. It is conveniently located just to the left of the Gift Shoppe as you enter from the parking area. Each weekend the Festival's wine tasting booth will showcase 4 wineries, which means that over the course of the 2009 Festival season, you could sample great wines from 28 separate vineyards. You'll be able to purchase wine by the bottle.
Festivals
Over the Summer and the Fall there are many festivals which bring the New Wines together with New York products. These food and wine festivals are a fantastic way to support your local farmers, wineries and food purveyors. Check for any local events, and check them out, they can be a lot of fun! I am still looking for the event aboard a private jet or a cruise in the Caribbean, but haven’t been contacted yet.
To be kept up-to-date on Heron Hill’s upcoming events, sign up to be our friend on Facebook (which is updated regularly) or check out our webpage at www.heronhill.com. Have a great Summer and I hope to see you on the road…..