Spring 2006 newsletter articles

Wine Spectator features the Finger Lakes

My thoughts on our garden at the winery, and its lavender collection, were written in early April and intended for the Vineyard Report. (See the article Cellar Report in this issue). Just as we were ready to put the Spring Newsletter to press, the May 31 edition of Wine Spectator arrived in my mailbox.

All of us in the Finger Lakes region were ecstatic over the recognition of efforts by growers and wine makers in New York State but I was particularly proud of editorial references to Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars and the inclusion of a bottle of Lamoreaux Landing Riesling on the cover. With this in mind, we quickly changed the layout of the Newsletter to that which you see before you. My hope is that those of you who don’t subscribe to Wine Spectator will read this and pick up a copy before the next edition comes out.

Because of customers like you, our reputation for quality wines was known by the writers of this article as well as the authors of the many others stories that are written each year. They write about our wine, the winery, and our great employees. Thank you for sharing!

Along with the nasty, cold temperatures, winter brought a period of relative calm in the cellar. The bustling activity of harvest was replaced by the on-going work of preparing wines for bottling. Early in the winter, the yeast in our last fermenting tanks finished the job of sugar conversion and we turned to testing and tasting our new wines to prepare them for barrel and tank aging.

We are now full throws into the spring bottling season. While Winter temperatures in the cellar averaged about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and we eagerly piled on the clothing layers to taste and assemble the final blends, we’re now able to leave the doors open to the outside and enjoying the fresh Spring air.

This year we found that our barrels of Cabernet Franc from 2003 and 2004 came together to create a complex and spicy marriage that surpassed the already high quality of the individual lots. As we always strive to make the best possible wines, we decided to move forward with this dual year combination. Order this recently released, barrel-aged Cabernet Franc now!

Joining in on the bottling fun is our 2004 Chardonnay, with its knock-out fruit and fine nuances of oak, and the highly anticipated aromatic 2005 Dry and Semi- Dry Rieslings. We hope you are as excited as we are about a new year of wines to taste and enjoy. We urge you to take time out this spring for a relaxing visit to our winery where we look forward to sharing our wines with you.

Early April may seem an odd time to go looking for lavender. But in The Finger Lakes of New York, just after late March snow and rains, the circle of Lamoreaux Landing’s driveway is knitted together in patches of green. Sometimes you have to dig away the snow, but it’s there. After months and months of nothing but crisp, dry brown or snow, the days just after the Winter solstice bring a sneak preview of Spring to Seneca County, teasing not a few brave buds.

Unlike its hearty herb brethren rosemary and thyme, lavender persists through the winter. Come Spring, one of the best places to find it is at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars. Home to hundreds of carefully cultivated lavender plants, the winery is a sort of Provenceon- Seneca with patches of grey and purple shrubs throwing off a delicate, vegetative perfume regardless of the season. Sniff deeply, and the aroma will stay with you through the day, calm and meditative.Though it is first and foremost a winery—and a critically acclaimed one at that—Lamoreaux Landing attracts any number of gardeners and lavender fanatics to its garden of windswept native grasses, lilac bushes and, of course, the various types of lavender that bow and sway like a violet carpet throughout the summer. July and August are the best months to see the display, when blooms explode in sprays of heliotrope, magenta, lilac, plum...and just about every other shade of purple.

But even in late April and early May, you might find stalwart patches of lavender huddled together around the winery grounds and bloom despite the snow, rain and cold. With a glass of Chardonnay (or Cabernet Franc) from the tasting room, it’s a visit that soothes the soul—no matter what time of year you visit. Lavender on the Grounds at Lamoreaux

It may seem strange that our springtime newsletter recipe features venison. You’ll find that freezers around the Finger Lakes are filled with venison, a result of a busy November for all of us who braved early snow and cold to venture out for a day or two during deer hunting season. Controlling the deer population is an important part of conservation in the fruit industry, so if we appear to be politically incorrect, please recognize the importance of our hunting season, and enjoy a heart healthy meal of venison.

Susan Whitaker — New Retail Sales Manager

#e9cbc7 Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars welcomes Susan Whitaker as the Retail Sales Manager to the staff of the winery. No stranger to the Finger Lakes region, Susan was raised here and attended locals schools. As she has a degree in horticulture, she’ll enjoy some occasional work in the winery gardens.

For years, Susan traveled the Finger Lakes craft show circuit, selling her handwork at the Windmill Farm and Craft Market in Penn Yan, NY. More recently she owned and operated Black Sheep Designs, a retail gift store in Trumansburg, NY. Prior to that she was the Marketing Director for the Downtown Ithaca Association.

She and her husband recently relocated to the East shore of Seneca Lake and thus Susan will have a very short commute to the winery.

Pan Roasted Venison with Lamoreaux Landing 2003 Merlot
by Aaron Jéan-Arthur

Who says you have to dine out and spend a small fortune for delicious gourmet food? Put on your chef’s hat and try your hand at making this dish. The meal and suggested presentation will make a believer out of anyone.

Pan Roasted Venison with Morel Crust and Asparagus Puree
Ingredients 1 bunch jumbo asparagus — peel and remove the bottoms 2 tablespoons butter 2 ounces of dried morel mushrooms 1 egg, well beaten Flour for dredging 1 venison rack, bones and silver skin removed 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 4	Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook asparagus in boiling salt water for 2 minutes. Place in a blender with the butter, 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Place the dried morels in a spice grinder and grind until coarsely ground. Place the mushroom powder on a plate. Season the venison loin with the salt and pepper. Dredge the venison loin in the flour, and then dip into the egg, then into the mushroom powder. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat. Place the venison loin in the pan and sear on all sides. Place the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan from oven and take the venison loin out of the pan and let rest for 2 minutes. Cut the venison loin into 1/2 inch slices. Place a dollop of asparagus puree on a plate. Place the two venison slices on top of the asparagus puree. I suggest that you serve with a red wine reduction sauce and garnish with an herb salad. Wine Pairing: The ’03 Lamoreaux Landing Merlot complements the true identity of the dish.

Pan Roasted Venison with Morel Crust and Asparagus Puree

Ingredients

1 bunch jumbo asparagus — peel and remove the bottoms
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces of dried morel mushrooms
1 egg, well beaten
Flour for dredging
1 venison rack, bones and silver skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook asparagus in boiling salt water for 2 minutes. Place in a blender with the butter, 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Place the dried morels in a spice grinder and grind until coarsely ground. Place the mushroom powder on a plate.

Season the venison loin with the salt and pepper. Dredge the venison loin in the flour, and then dip into the egg, then into the mushroom powder. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over med-high heat. Place the venison loin in the pan and sear on all sides. Place the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan from oven and take the venison loin out of the pan and let rest for 2 minutes.

Cut the venison loin into 1/2 inch slices. Place a dollop of asparagus puree on a plate. Place the two venison slices on top of the asparagus puree. I suggest that you serve with a red wine reduction sauce and garnish with an herb salad.

Wine Pairing: The ’03 Lamoreaux Landing Merlot complements the true identity of the dish.