Sunday, October 31, 2010

Hummingbird Ridge Winery - November 2010 Newsletter

HUMMINGBIRD RIDGE WINERY “WINE POURS”



NOVEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER

In This Issue: November is “Wine Off the Vine” Month; Upcoming Events; New Wine Release; Photography Exhibit Continues; Recipe of the Month; Tasting Tip of the Month; Thanksgiving Wine & Happy Thanksgiving from HRW; New HRW Billboard; HRW Wine By The Glass

Wow. We had some beautiful weekends in October and we had a lot of visitors stop in to taste. The new wines are fermenting now and starting their journey from grapes to delicious wine. November is “Wine Off The Vine” Month at Hummingbird Ridge Winery in keeping with the Uncork York Wine Trail event on November 19-21. For just $10, you can sample the newest vintages at Uncork York Wine Trail Wineries, along with food samples, a commemorative wine glass, and 10% discount on wine purchases. Click on the following link for details: http://www.uncorkyork.com/index.asp?act=event&evt_id=182

- There are 2 Wine & Food pairing dinners coming up this month that feature Hummingbird Ridge Wine: On Wednesday, November 10th, BackWoods Grill in Etters (formerly Bumper Bob’s) will prepare a 5 course Steak & Seafood Dinner, with each course paired with delicious wine from York County’s own Hummingbird Ridge Winery. Click on the following link for details: http://eventful.com/etters/events/wine-and-dine-featuring-hummingbird-ridge-winery-/E0-001-034756108-3.

- Also, the “Wine Off The Vine” Wine Dinner at the elegant and historic Yorktowne Hotel will be held on Friday, November 19th at 6pm. This wine dinner will feature 5 courses created by Yorktowne Hotel’s award-winning chef Mark Pawlowski, with each course paired with wine from Hummingbird Ridge Winery, Central PA’s Newest Winery! Click on the following link for details: http://www.uncorkyork.com/index.asp?act=page&pag_id=81

- Our Newest Release is a new Port-style wine called “Blue Diamond”. Quite a following has developed for our port-style wines. This newest one is a beautiful peach blush color and features floral aromas, with delicate pear and berry flavors. Stop by to try this New Release! Also, stop in for our warmed apple white wine to take the chill off.

- Also continuing this month at the winery, Camp Hill wildlife photographer Melissa Earnshaw will be exhibiting her amazing artwork. If you are a fan of wolves (her specialty) or other wildlife, come and see her spectacular photographs!

- Recipe of the Month: This month’s recipe celebrates Autumn and is for all of you dessert-lovers out there. This Pumpkin Bundt Cake is so moist and delicious, you won’t be able to stop at just one piece:
Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil or Canola Oil, 3 eggs, 1 can (15-oz. size) pumpkin, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups white sugar, 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup chopped nuts (0ptional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 10 inch Bundt or tube pan. Cream oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate. Let cool and dust with powdered sugar. (Or, frost with cream cheese frosting or a powdered sugar glaze). This goes great with Hummingbird Ridge “Sweet Dreams” wine. ENJOY!!!

- Winetasting Tip of the Month: If you can never seem to find a dry red wine that you like, maybe you are not giving your reds enough of a chance to show themselves at their best. Remember that many red wines need to be exposed to air and allowed to “breathe” a bit before they become their best, especially if they are newer vintages. Just letting the wine sit in your glass (or decanting the wine into a decanter or glass pitcher) for as little as 30 minutes allows the alcohol aromas to “blow off” and also starts a reaction that softens and smooths the tannins and “unwinds” the tightly bound flavors in red wines. So give your red wine a chance to show itself at its best and “let it breathe”!

- It's often hard to pair Holiday meals such as Thanksgiving with wine, not just because of the variety of foods presented, but also because of the variety of people at the table. Trying to please a variety of people can be hard, but here is a possible solution. Present several wines at the table in different styles that guests can choose from. A nice sparkling wine is always nice, as well as a fruit-forward dry red, and perhaps a semi-dry white and of course, a sweet wine for those that are not big wine drinkers. Fortunately, Hummingbird Ridge Winery is your one-stop shop for Thanksgiving wines. From our Hummingbird Red & Semi-Dry Riesling on the drier side to our Sweet Dreams & Ruby Elixir on the sweeter side, you can present your guests with the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving celebration. Stop in our tasting room for more advice on pairing wines with Thanksgiving dinner or any meal.

- As our winery team prepares to celebrate Hummingbird Ridge Winery's first Thanksgiving, we wish you and yours a Great Thanksgiving with family and friends!!!

- Make sure to look for our New Billboard on Interstate 83 southbound, just after the Lewisberry Exit. We hope to see a lot of new visitors coming off of I-83!

- Remember, we also sell wine by the glass. Stop by and relax with a glass of wine!

- Also, Be sure to ask for Hummingbird Ridge wines at the following fine York County eateries:
Silver Lake Inn, Lewisberry
Back Woods Grill, Etters
The Field House, Etters
Two Brothers, Etters
Culhane’s Steak House, New Cumberland
Hillside Cafe, Lewisberry
Please visit these fine establishments and enjoy a glass of Hummingbird Ridge wine!!!

- Thanks Again to all of you who have stopped in to see us and try our wine!!! Tell your friends about us!!!

- Visit us on the internet at http://www.hummingbirdridgewinery.com/  (official website), http://www.hummingbirdridgewinery.blogspot.com/  
(our blog), and visit our new Facebook page and become a fan of Hummingbird Ridge Winery at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hummingbird-Ridge-Winery/261984513530

- Hummingbird Ridge Winery is a proud member of the Uncork York Wine Trail!!! Visit http://www.uncorkyork.com/  for more information.

HUMMINGBIRD RIDGE WINERY

"EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOR!!!"

OPEN FOR FREE TASTINGS SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS

FROM 11AM TO 6PM

735 KISE MILL RD

YORK HAVEN PA 17370

717-315-0209

Email: info@hummingbirdridgewinery.com

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

HUMMINGBIRD RIDGE WINERY - OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

HUMMINGBIRD RIDGE WINERY “WINE POURS”



OCTOBER 2010 NEWSLETTER
In This Issue: Fall Harvest is Here; Upcoming Events; October is "Ruby Is Back" Month; Art Exhibit; Recipe of the Month; Tasting Tip of the Month; Big Sign; HRW Wine By The Glass

 
The Fall is upon us and new wines are already fermenting in the tanks as the harvest this year is one of the earliest in recent memory. Many experts are saying that the 2010 vintage in the northeast could be one of the best in many years! Our September Port Month Celebration was a big success with many visitors enjoying our new Pordevino (Red) and Pordeblanco (White) port-style wines. We also had a great turnout for our first on-site winery charity event last Friday & Saturday that benefited the American Cancer Society. Thank You to everyone who came out!!!

- Our next major event coming up is our “Wine Off The Vine” Wine Dinner at the elegant Yorktowne Hotel in York on Friday, November 19th at 6pm. This wine dinner will feature 5 courses created by Yorktowne Hotel’s award-winning chef Mark Pawlowski, with each course paired with a delicious wine from York County’s own Hummingbird Ridge Winery, Central PA’s Newest Winery! This will be a fabulous dinner where you can discuss the wines, wine tasting, and winemaking with Hummingbird Ridge Winery winemaker! We are very honored to be partnering with such a distinguished and acclaimed restaurant as the Yorktowne and we look forward to seeing you there! Click on the following link for details: http://www.uncorkyork.com/index.asp?act=page&pag_id=81 

- Along with the Yorktowne Hotel wine dinner event, that same weekend (Nov. 19, 20, &21) is the Uncork York Wine Trail event “Wine Just Off The Vine”, where for just $10 you can sample the newest vintages at Wine Trail Wineries, along with food samples, a commemorative wine glass, and 10% discount on wine purchases. Click on the following link for details: http://www.uncorkyork.com/index.asp?act=event&evt_id=182

- October is “Ruby Is Back” month at Hummingbird Ridge Winery. In the 10 months since we opened, one wine has sold above all the others and has developed a large fanbase - Ruby Elixir!!! After several months off the shelves, Ruby is Back! For those new to Ruby, it is our playful red wine that begs to be taken to a party or anywhere there are good times and good friends. Stop in and have a taste.

- Also this month at the winery, wildlife photographer Melissa Earnshaw will be exhibiting her stunning photography. Stop by and see this fabulous exhibit!

- Recipe of the Month: This month's Recipe is a simple but flavorful way to prepare chicken - Garlic Riesling Chicken. 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (salt & pepper to taste), 1 Tblspn olive oil, 1 head garlic (cloves separated & peeled), 1/2 cup Hummingbird Ridge Semi-dry Riesling, 1/2 cup chicken broth

Season chicken with salt and pepper; In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil; Add chicken thighs and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place chicken in a slow cooker and add remaining ingredients. Cook on medium setting for 3.5 hours. Serve chicken with the garlic Riesling broth. Pair this with, of course, Hummingbird Ridge Semi-Dry Riesling. Enjoy!!!


- Winetasting Tip of the Month: We have had some questions from newer wine drinkers about reviewing the standard process for tasting wines in a critical manor. The following steps will allow you to critically evaluate wine:
Sight - hold the wine up to light, examine for clarity, brilliance, and depth of color; should not be cloudy; most commercial wines are filtered; white wines gain color as they age, red wines lose color and “brown” as they age.
Swirl - swirl the glass to expose wine to a larger surface area and release aromas. Smell - smell the wine; put your nose into the glass & inhale slowly and deeply; note the aromas; swirl again and smell again before drinking; wine flaw odors include Sulfur, Chemical, or Musty smells. Cork taint is a wet newspaper or musty smell.
Slurp - slurp some wine into your mouth, which aerates the wine and breaks up the molecules allowing the flavors and more aromas to be released.
Swish - swish the wine around in your mouth and allow the wine to coat every part of your mouth, and BEFORE you swallow the wine, close your eyes, focus your concentration on what you are tasting and note the flavors, sweetness, acidity, tartness, softness of the mouthfeel, and tannins (if it's a red wine). Is the wine light bodied or full-bodied (light or heavy on the tongue). Also note any unpleasant tastes.
Swallow - note the length of the finish (how long does the taste remain after you swallow).
Savor - think about your overall impression of the wine, were the components balanced, were there any "off 'tastes", would you drink this wine again, write notes.


- Many of you have suggested that we have more signs out so that people know where we are located. Well, we have listened to your suggestions and Hummingbird Ridge Winery will soon be on a billboard located along Interstate 83 Southbound, just after the Lewisberry Exit. Now that’s a Big Sign!

- Remember, we also sell wine by the glass. Stop by and relax in our Hummingbird Garden area with a glass of wine!

- Also, Be sure to ask for Hummingbird Ridge wines at the following fine York County eateries:
Silver Lake Inn, Lewisberry


Back Woods Grill, Etters


The Field House, Etters


Two Brothers, Etters


Culhane’s Steak House, New Cumberland


Hillside Cafe, Lewisberry

Please visit these fine establishments and enjoy a glass of Hummingbird Ridge wine!!!

- Thanks Again to all of you who have stopped in to see us and try our wine!!! Tell your friends about us!!!

- Visit us on the internet at http://www.hummingbirdridgewinery.com/  (official website), http://www.hummingbirdridgewinery.blogspot.com/ 
(our blog), and visit our new Facebook page and become a fan of Hummingbird Ridge Winery at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hummingbird-Ridge-Winery/261984513530

 
- Hummingbird Ridge Winery is a proud member of the Uncork York Wine Trail!!! Visit http://www.uncorkyork.com/  for more information.

HUMMINGBIRD RIDGE WINERY
"EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOR!!!"
OPEN FOR FREE TASTINGS SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS
FROM 11AM TO 6PM
735 KISE MILL RD (one-quarter mile from the Newberrytown Peddlers market & Susquehanna Speedway)
YORK HAVEN PA 17370
717-315-0209
Email: info@hummingbirdridgewinery.com