Category — winemaking tips

Remember in September, I spoke about accidentally(?) meeting Barbara S. Hancock, the Associate Attorney for the NYS Law Revision Commission. Well, recently she and her colleges invited me to Albany for a bull session about Lakeland Winery. I told them about our wine making parties, and adopt-a-jug program. They had no idea such a thing existed, and were all ears and questions for an hour and a half. I told them my greatest obsticle was their definition of ‘New York State labeled wines’ being only wines made from grapes grown in New York State. Only those wines can be sold at the Fairgrounds, Farmers Market and Wine Festivals. I told them I can’t make a living without attending those events.

It may take another year, but when it comes to getting things done, I’m all over that. It feels good to lobby for something you believe in. Try it sometime. It actually works!

Lakeland Winery has new expanded store hours, Tuesday thru Friday from 4PM to 7PM; plus the normal Saturday hours of 10AM to 5PM. Naturally, if you want to have a wine making party, you can schedule it anytime day or night.

The new hours are meant to encourage customers to come in and buy a bottle of wine for dinner, or a gift on the way to a friend’s dinner party. I’m not saying you won’t stop into a liquor store, but if you do please ask if they have any wine from Lakeland WInery; even if you have NO intention of buying it. If enough people keep mentioning that name, they will call and purchase wine from me:)

Last week, the Bridge Street Show came to Lakeland Winery to see what all the excitement was about. On Wednesday, November 5th (the day after you vote) Gary and Jodi Davis will entertain the viewing audience by bottling, corking, labeling and heat shrinking colorful, decorative caps onto their bottles of Spanish Rioja wine.

They also taped me making a batch of wine that will be used for tasting when customers visit the winery. Sorry you missed out, but stop by soon and enjoy a free wine tasting.

Most people think of a winemaker as a stuffy old geezer who never gets out, and doesn’t know how to have fun. Well this winemaker has learned a few tricks in his time. Your own winemaker, Andy is different. He knows how to get down, and dance on the floor with all you slackers out there. Let me show you how… at the Syracuse Swing Dance Society Halloween Dance Party.

Recently, I took a group with our wine club (Syracuse Wine Meetup Group) on a wine tour down the West shore of Seneca Lake. Some of the greatest wineries in the world are in the Finger Lake Region of New York State, and we had the privilege of visiting some of them within only an hours drive from our home.   First, we stopped at  the famous Belhurst Castle and stuffed ourself with delicious foods and water. Then we began our trip South along Seneca Lake on a perfect Autumn day to taste wine and feel good. Don’t worry, I was the designated driver for the day:) All of us made it home safely, and with fond memories.

I recently had a group of customers come to the winery for a wine making party. When it was over, one of them asked, “are we the most fun group you ever had”? Ahh, “well, there’s nothing like a party full of girls”, I said. They all laughed, “good answer”. That pretty much says it all. Go to www.lakelandwinery.com and create your own wine making party (two visits each 1-1/2 hours over 7 weeks) ; or wine tasting party ($5/person, and purchase aged wine by the bottle). Both parties require you to bring your own food, and I’ll bring the wine:)

I did a wine tasting recently on the Finger Lakes Railway train. There were about 80 people total. We left from the parking lot in front of Home Depot in Camillus and ended up 2 hours later at the North end of Cayuga Lake. The colors, weather and scenery were gorgeous of course. Find out how you can go on an excursion at http://fingerlakesscenicrailway.com/.

One of my friends mentioned recently how all my different jobs end up being fun. I’m telling you, just find something you love doing and figure out a way to turn it into money. More on that another time.

Today, I “accidentally”  met Barbara S. Hancock, the Associate Attorney for the NYS Law Revision Commission, in Cazenovia. On September 2, 2008(my birthday, plus 54 years), they just finished doing a Preliminary Report to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law Study. Barbara is one of two Staff members who suggest revisions to all the States laws. I told her how the law prevents me from doing wine tasting at the Farmer’s Market (even though I do); the State Fair Grounds; all Wine Festivals, including the famous Finger Lakes Wine Festival in Watkins Glen; all because my wine is not made from NYS grown grapes. Anyway, if you want to see the Preliminary findings, go to www.lawrevision.state.ny.us.

Barbara S. Hancock is an Associate Attorney with the Law Revision Commission. She is also Of Counsel to the trusts and estates and elder law firm of Jones & Wilcenski PLLC in Clifton Park, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Albany Law School.

Ms. Hancock is a member of the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law and Trusts and Estates Sections. She is a graduate of Albany Law School, where she received the Sandman Fellowship in Aging Law and Policy and served as Managing Editor for Production and Note and Comment Editor for the Albany Law School Journal of Science and Technology.

Want to know the best way to remove labels from wine bottles?

It’s easy: heat them in an oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

The captain recently chaperoned a carload of thirsty girls from Lakeland Winery to the Finger Lake Region of Seneca Lake for a day of fun and laughter. We visited eight different wineries and mostly enjoyed drinking their award winning wines. The most fun was at the party house of Hazlet Winery, followed closely by the hilarious stories told by the owners of Silver Springs Winery. Leidenfrost Vineyards had the least favorite wines. The most showy building award goes to Ventosa Winery (the wines were so-so). We had so much fun goofing around that I have decided to take another trip down the other side (West) of Seneca Lake next month. For more photos of our break from reality, visit http://wine.meetup.com/405/