The view is everything at the Halbrendt Winery (www.halbrendtwinery.com), so we just HAD to go for a visit and see what new views would inspire us. From the long winding gravel lane, to the fields of vines and butterfly garden, we were already in for a treat, and that was before we really understood what motivates this young winery. In a few words: it’s all about family.
The wine itself is all made on site, from
local raw and sustainably-grown fruit (no juice-buying here) and every aspect
of the winery is managed as a family. We
were lucky enough to meet Nicole, who described with pride the hands-on passion
of her family’s wines, from the crushing that occurs on the concrete patio to
the fermenting room that looks like it was supposed to be the garage to their
lovely home. This micro-winery opened to
the public in 2015, and their dedication and drive is pointing in the right
direction.
That same concrete patio was where we had
our tasting, complete with a brick of some lovely local cheese (see photos)
while watching the butterflies in the garden next to us. So what if it was sprinkling? There was passion, there was romance….and oh
yes, there was wine!!!!
With a clink of the glass, we sampled a
wine from each of the grapes grown on site (tasting notes not in order):
·
Cabernet
Franc – more mild than other Cab Francs, velvety texture with a jammy nose
greets the tongue. Fruit forward, long
evolution, and low acidity really made this wine stand out. It could be a table wine, if you like, but
would also be comfortable with Thanksgiving dinner, or to make an
impression. It certainly made an
impression on us! We’ve been enjoying
cab francs for a little while now, but this one really talked to us. (The
bottle we bought….it didn’t last too long ;)
·
Traimanette
– This white was fairly dry (for a white), but fruity, earthy with notes of
citrus – perhaps starfruit? It had a
very lovely presence on the tongue, and very smooth finish. A great rendition of the style, it would pair
excellently with fish or vegetarian dishes, or a simple charcouterie
board. It can stand on its own as good
as anything else.
·
Chambourcin
– Big and bold, with a pronounced tanic presence, this red was extremely well
balanced, with a smooth, full finish that made an already wonderful visit even
more so. This is a complex wine that is
easily approachable for all different palates, even if you don’t like a dry
red. The first things we thought to pair
this with were mushrooms, beef liver/onions, and cured meats, but it would be
equally at home with a Philly cheese steak or a meat lover’s pizza. Delicious.
· Harvest Moon (Cayuga White Dry) – An excellent vintage for a hot day, this dry white gives a fruity nose, nice citrus flavor with a slightly tart but smooth finish. Refreshing like a summer day, this wine would pair well with a seafood paella, citrus chicken, or even just some garden veggies. Easily drinkable (kind of like everything else here!!)
This is a vineyard that we can’t wait to revisit. The passion and dedication to the craft of wine making is only surpassed by the pride of being family – and that’s how they treat you when you visit: like family. The kind of family you’d want to have over, open a bottle, and sit with on the porch! We liked them immediately!!
Your Friendly Neighbors,
Krystal and Bill
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