Heart & Hands Wine Company
Bottling the Blanc de Noir
About
We are committed to producing cool-climate wines that authentically express the unique character of the Finger Lakes. Our production is quite small - currently under 2000 cases, which allows for an intense focus on quality. Our intent is to produce food-friendly wines, and we offer several wines crafted from Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes for your enjoyment. We offer traditional tastings in our comfortable, cozy tasting room. A premium tasting experience is also available, which enables visitors to visit the winery barrel room, explore pending releases and learn more about the impact of vineyard differences and barrel selection on the final product.
Location Description
Located on the East shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of NY.
Additional Information
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- Dog Friendly:
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Average Bottle Price
Winemaker
After a stint in the technology boom of the late 90's, Tom decided to follow his heart and return to the wine industry. He began working at Zachy's Wine & Liquor where he was exposed to the broader world of wine. Desiring more information on traditional wine making practices, Tom traveled to France to work and learn from producers that have been applying the same cellar techniques for centuries.
Upon his return to the United States, he sought out a harvest opportunity at Calera Wine Company located in Hollister, CA. Josh Jensen, owner and winemaker of Calera, was known as a Pinot Noir pioneer back in the the 1970's for his efforts to craft Burgundian-style Pinot Noir from his limestone laden soil.
After returning to the Finger Lakes from California, Tom worked for Thirsty Owl Wine Company and Atwater Estate Vineyards, while preparing to launch Heart & Hands. In 2008, his sacrifices and dreams came to fruition as the winery building was completed.
In addition to keeping busy at the winery, Tom provides winemaking and vineyard consulting services throughout the Finger Lakes and promotes Francois Freres barrels in the northeastern United States. He also is a Board Member of the World of Pinot Noir.
The Team
Susan's interest in food and wine was nurtured by sharing stories and laughter around the family dinner table while enjoying her mother's fine cuisine. She spent her undergraduate years at The Ohio State University, and worked as a business analyst for a major consumer products company located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
When Susan met Tom, she began spending vacation weekends with him in the Finger Lakes. There, she fell in love with the beautiful scenery, the excellent restaurants dedicated to creating fine meals sourced from local farmers, and of course, the wineries!
After Tom and Susan were married and moved to the NYC metropolitan area, these weekend trips became much more frequent, and they began to ponder the possibilities of someday having a winery of their own.
Susan holds an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and is a Principal at a leading management consulting firm. She leverages this experience as she oversees all aspects of winery business and financial planning and operations management. Additionally, she assists Tom with winemaking activities, with her particular favorite task being pre-bottling taste trials!
Madison Williams - Winemaking & Vineyard Assistant:
The wine bug bit Madison the first time he and his wife visited the Finger Lakes back in 2000. They fell in love with the beauty and, most importantly, the wine. These trips always spurred talks of entering the wine industry, and after over 10 years in the packaging industry, Madison felt it was time for a change and looked for opportunities to acquire the knowledge that would someday make this dream a reality.
Madison enrolled in Cornell’s Viticulture and Enology program, and as luck would have it, Madison joined Heart & Hands as an intern just before his first semester at Cornell. He continued his internship during his time at Cornell and upon graduation joined Heart & Hands full-time as the assistant to the director of grape berry management, presspad activities, and wine maturation. He is a welcome addition to the full-time staff not only for his wit and humor, but his hard work and dedication.
Sharon de Boer - Sales & Marketing Associate:
Sharon moved to the Finger Lakes from the Netherlands in January 2014. Her husband’s job was the main reason for the move, but once Sharon found out that their new home was to be located in an emerging wine region in upstate New York, she was just as excited as he was! Wine has been a passion of Sharon’s for years - she loves to visit wine countries / regions (her # 1 determinant for selecting a vacation destination), and enjoys reading about, and tasting different styles of wine. To expand her background knowledge and develop her tasting skills, she successfully completed a Wine Course equivalent to WSET 2 in 2013.
Sharon holds a Master Degree in Finance from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. After a few years in the Financial Industry, she switched to Qualitative Marketing Research for an international company in Amsterdam. While Sharon had to leave this job upon their move to the US, being able to professionally develop herself in the world of wine has more than filled the gap! At Heart & Hands she is delighted with the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for her favorite product and the unique Heart & Hands approach with visitors, whilst continuously learning about wine herself!
Ken Armstrong - Cellar & Vineyard Worker:
Ken was fortunate enough to grow up in Aurora, NY; the heart of the Finger Lakes and this beautiful wine country. His love for working outdoors led him to respond to a job posting for a seasonal 'Harvest Muscle' position at Heart & Hands Wine Company. After a couple of seasons with Tom and the crew, Ken's knowledge and taste for wine became greater as did his desire to learn more!
Ken’s favorite task throughout the season is working with the Heart & Hands team whether it's in the vineyard picking fruit, listening to the birds, or on the Upper Crush Pad sorting fruit. When Ken joined Heart & Hands, one of his favorite wines was the Dry Riesling, and now his tastes have extended to include red wines, with his current favorite being the 2010 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir.
Practices & Techniques
Estate Vineyards / AVA
Early in the growing season, the emerging buds on the vine are shoot thinned to ensure proper fruit set. Sustainable viticultural methods are practiced throughout the year, creating a greater balance for the vine and surrounding ecosystem. At veraison, leaf pulling is performed to expose the clusters to the sunlight, maximizing the potential for proper ripening. Additionally, unripe clusters are removed to enable the vines to redirect energy to the primary fruit zone. Once the fruit has achieved proper intensity, the individual grape clusters are hand picked to ensure gentle handling. After hand picking, the grapes are transferred to the winemaking team, who begin the tasks necessary to preserve the pure essence of the fruit.