What's New at Clinton Vineyard

I recently ran into Phyllis Feder of Clinton Vineyards and she brought me up to speed on the new and exciting things happening at the vineyard.

Listen as she tells us all about all the new and exciting things happening at the Vineyard.

Wine and Politics a Pairing?

It is a pairing at Clinton Vineyards.  Last Wednesday Phyllis Feder of Clinton Vineyards released her 2012 Victory White.   This is the latest chapter in the Clinton Vineyards tradition of support for Bill and Hillary Clinton that dates back 23 years.

The first Victory White was released in 1992, inspired by Bill Clinton's election.  Then again in 1996 to celebrate his re-election and in 2008 to support Hillary in her quest to become the Democratic candidate for presidency.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 Clinton Vineyards released their 2012 Victory White in the hopes that Hillary with throw her hat into the ring.  As a part of the Victory White 2012 campaign, Phyllis will make a generous contribution to the Ready for Hillary Pac.

Victory White is 100% Seyval Blanc that is estate grown in Clinton Corners, New York.  It's crisp and refreshing with hints of green apple.  It does have a slight aftertaste, but by far a very good vintage and a double gold medal winner at the 2013 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition.

Clinton Vineyards was established in 19977 by Ben Feder, a New York book designer and artist who fell in love with the Hudson Valley.  He modeled the 100 acre Clinton Vineyards in the tradition of European vineyard estates and chose to specialize in producing white and sparkling wines.

In 1988 Ben's wife Phyllis joined him and together they created a line of Estate Bottled Wines.  Ben passed away in 2009 and today, Phyllis continues to maintain her husband's legacy.

Listen to the press reception below in Uncork Your Mind.
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Clinton Vineyards Disgorging & Dosage a One Man Job

I spent one morning this winter with Chris Stewart the winemaker at Clinton Vineyards.  He was performing the last step of the classic methode champenois or traditional method of sparkling wine production of their Seyval Naturel.

Before my visit the wine has gone through primary fermentation, malolactic fermentation, liqueur de triage was added and the second fermentation began.  Now a few weeks later it's time for the wine to be disgorged and the dosage is added and the bottle is topped off with additional champagne lost during disgoring.

Chris is a one man show and does all these processes by hand one case at a time, one bottle at a time.

The neck of the bottle is frozen and we begin with Chris opening the bottle and the dead yeast cells go flying out.  I'll let him explain the rest of the process.

Clinton Vineyards Jubilee

Disclaimer: I received this as a sample from Clinton Vineyards

New Years was upon us and this bottle didn't make it until the 31st.  We actually opened the bottle of Clinton Vineyards NV Jubilee a few days before New Years Eve. If you don't already know, I'm not a big bubbly person, but I think with a little practice my palate is loosening up to the bubbles.

As the bottle opened, I found the aroma a bit bready, but not overpowering. It soon lead way to aromas of green apples.

The sparkling wine was nice, crisp and dry.  It had a beautiful soft, creamy silky mouth feel with soft bubbles.  It was a little tart on the finish.

This sparkling is made with 100% Seyval Blanc grapes in the traditional method.  The wine sells for $35.

Hudson Valley Wine Awards

I had the opportunity to deliver two of the three Hudson Valley Wine awards this past week.  I was unable to get to BashaKill Vineyards in Wurtsboro.  Sorry Paul. Look for it in the mail soon!

I'll begin with Paul DeNinnino whose 2010 Black Bear Cabernet Franc won for Best in Show. Congrats Paul!

I stopped in at Clinton Vineyards to present them with the Valerie Eldridge Cup for Best Hudson Valley Wine. This awarded was for their Jubilee.

A short ride down the Dutchess Wine Trail path led me to Millbrook Vineyards & Winery who won the Hudson Valley Winery of the Year award.  After wandering around the winery I found Stacy who insisted we have John Graziano their winemaker pose for the picture.

Congratulations to all of you!  Happy Holidays!

Clinton Vineyards Wines meets Corsino Cakes

A sweet meeting it is.  Clinton Vineyards has asked Derek Corsino of Corsino Cakes to pair desserts with their wines for the upcoming Festival of Wine & Desserts, September 24 at Clinton Vineyards.

DJ as he's known by is an up an coming pastry chef.  Having appeared on the Food Network Challenge in August and will appear again in November.  He also provided cakes and pastries for the final kitchen set for Extreme Makeover Home Edition this past August.

So what is DJ baking for this pairing event?  Some wonderful and delectable desserts to go with some fabulous wines.

Lemon Raspberry mousse on a Scottish shortbread paired with a Kir Royale

Vanilla Peach Tartlette paired with Peach Gala

Hudson Valley Apple Tartlette with a little bit of Romance

Crustless Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a touch of dark chocolate ganache and reduced Desire sauce paired with Desire

Are you drooling yet?  The Festival of Wine & Desserts is Saturday, September 24 from 3pm - 6pm.  Tickets are $35.  To purchase tickets visit http://wineanddesserts.eventbrite.com 

Bottling Seyval

I got asked two weeks ago to help bottle Seyval Blanc at Clinton Vineyards.  I have never participated in a bottling before so I was excited to partake.

Chris (the manager and winemaker) had left me a message the night before and I swear he said to come at 9am instead of the agreed upon 10am.  So I showed up at 9am and was an hour early.  Chris was stressing out so I went for a walk up to the vineyard.

I've never walked up to the vineyard area before, so I didn't realize I would be met with a gate and lock.  I was walking around the vineyard and the barbed wire fence trying to figure out if I could fit through the fence.  I was going to go for it, but a bell went off in my head and I realized the fence had electric going to it.  I touched the fence to see and yup, there was a slight charge.  So no sneaking into the vineyard for me, just the picture at a distance.

When I returned to the winery it was almost time to get started.  Chris was calibrating the bottling machine, bottles were coming out of the boxes and cork was loaded into the corking machine.

My job for the day was the bottling machine.  Once the bottles were full, I had to take them off and line them up for the lady doing the corking.  I consider myself in decent shape.  I go to the gym, I use the upper body machines as well as the machines that work your legs.  Well I guess the movement of taking bottles off the bottling machine uses different muscles not touched by the machines at the gym.  After 4 hours of bottling my arms were a bit tired and sore.

We bottled 400+ cases of Clinton's 2010 Seyval Blanc.  I did get a small taste, and it was tasting pretty good!  Crisp with green apple and kiwi.  I think it will be released sometime next month.

Clinton Vineyards 2009 Tribute to "Ben Feder"

I thought I would let things calm down before I posted about Clinton Vineyards 2009 Tribute.   I have to admit, I tasted this at the winery the day it was bottled and I thought it was a very good wine.  I purchased 2 bottles and drank them with friends the day Chelsea Clinton got married.

I paired the wine with a goat cheese and leek tart..   The pairing went very well.  First the wine then the recipe.

The 2009 Clinton Vineyards Tribute is a Seyval Blanc.  Named TRIBUTE after Clinton Vineyards founder Ben Feder who passed away September 2009.  The color of this wine is typical of a Seyval Blanc.  Clear pale hint of yellow.

On the nose I found a bouquet of citrus and green apple.   The initial taste is crisp honeydew melon that leads into big citrus with a soft and silky mouth feel.  It ends with a long lemon finish.   When you taste this wine the crispness puts excitement into the air. This wine is very refreshing and a great summer wine!

Tribute is available at Clinton Vineyards tasting room and online.  It sells for $18.50 a bottle.  Here is a short video of the bottling of Tribute: (Leek tart follows)



Now the pairing - Goat Cheese and Leek Tart.  This was an all local leek tart.  The goat cheese was from Sprout Creek, the leeks from Soon Farms, the eggs were from Feather Ridge Farms. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the tart, but trust me it was excellent and paired very well with the Tribute.

Here is the recipe:
The Leeks: Prepare this first.  This can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge for 2 days.
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 large leeks - sliced - white and pale green parts only
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons of sherry or day old wine

Melt butter in pot over medium heat and add leeks, water, wine, and salt. Cook at low heat until tender about 25 minutes.  Uncover and let liquid evaporate.  Remove from heat.

The Tart:
You will need a 9 inch tart pan.  I cheated and used a prepared pie crust.  If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, I would make that and line the pie plate with the dough. Put foil over dough and add some dried beans and cook dough for about 15 - 20 minutes until crust is pail golden color.  Remove and toss beans and foil.

The Filling:

1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Prepared Leeks

Wisk milk, egg, egg yolk and salt in a medium bowl.  sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over bottom of pie crust.  Spread prepared leeks over cheese.  Sprinkle cheese over leeks.  Pour milk mixture over leeks and cheese.  Bake about 40 minutes at 375 until filling has puffed and is golden in spots.

Enjoy!

Phyllis Feder on Clinton Vineyards at Clinton Wedding

Note:  This post was scheduled to go out  July 20th.  But due to the sensitivity of this issue it was postponed until today. 

Phyllis Feder of Clinton Vineyards is bubbling over with pride.  Her Seyval Blanc "Tribute" has been chosen as a gift to the guest attending Chelsea Clinton's Wedding July 31, 2010 in Rhinebeck, NY. Phyllis is truly honored that "Tribute" which was named in honor of her late husband Ben Feder, was chosen for the Clinton guests.

This weekend I visited Phyllis and she told me she had been keeping this secret for 3 months.  Here is what she had to say about the Tribute and the honor of having her wine given to the guests Chelsea Clinton.



This honor also landed Clinton Vineyards in the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Congratulations Phyllis and Clinton Vineyards!

Clinton Vineyards Tribute

Hudson Valley loses a Wine Visionary

It's with great sadness I write this blog entry. Ben Feder, owner and winemaker of Clinton Vineyards passed away on September 24, 2009 after a battle with cancer.

Over the past two years I have gotten to know Ben along with his wife Phyllis. Ben was a charming, loving man who always had a smile on his face. It is that smile and upbeat personality that will be my memory of him.

Ben wasn't always a winemaker. In fact, he was a city boy, a graphic artist and book designer in New York City, by trade. In 1969 he purchased a rundown 100 acre dairy farm in Clinton Corners, NY. At first the cows and Ben didn't hit it off. Ben who was always intrigued by winemaking sought advice from winemaker Herman Wiemer, who at the time made wine for Walter S. Taylor at Bully Hill Vineyard. Herman's advice to Ben was to grow Seyval Blanc. Ben took Herman's advice and the cows left the pasture and the grapes were planted. In 1977 Ben had his first vintage.Ben who had previously been married twice before, married the love of his life, Phyllis Flood on June 23, 1989. They just celebrated their 20 year anniversary.

This past June the Hudson Valley Wine & Grape Association honored Ben with the "Hudson Valley Viritas Award" for his lifetime achievement for visionary leadership in Hudson Valley Winemaking.What an honor it was to see Ben so happy and surrounded by his friends and family.

My thoughts and prayers go out the Feder family. Ben will be missed, but his vision will live on.

Gone Fishing!

I spent the last few days outside Boston with great friends. We took in two fantastic concerts, but best of all we went fishing. Since my friend use to live the the Hudson Valley, it was appropriate that we start our day of adventure with some Hudson Valley Sparkling Wine.

We started the day with Mimosas made with Clinton Vineyards Sparkling Wine and went on the hunt for Tuna. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful, so we heading to find some Striped Bass. Paul and Sharon were successful. I was not.Sharon sent me home with the Striped Bass, a recipe and the weekend catch. I did alter the recipe a bit and paired it with a 2008 Millbrook Vineyards Tocai Friulano, Estate Bottled, Hudson River Region.

The Tocai had some citrus on the nose, with kiwi and grapefuit on the taste. Clean mineral finish. Of course a little wine for me and a little for the dish.

I have to be honest here. Some dinners suffer great tragedies. This was one of them. The garlic bread. I got sidetracked after putting it in the oven, the next thing I knew there was a strange burning smell. The fire alarm went off and we had to call the security company to tell them not to send the fire department. I am sure I was the laugh of the evening. That garlic bread would have been great dipped in the dish!

Here is the recipe I used and dinner was great despite the burned garlic bread. Thanks Sharon!

Striped Bass with Clams, Shrimp and Chorizo

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced fennel
6 ounces cooked chorizo, thinly sliced
1 tbs fresh chopped oregano
1/2 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless striped bass fillets
15 uncooked shrimp, peeled
10 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, fennel, chorizo, and oregano and saute until veggies have softened. Stir in wine and deglaze pan. Stir in garlic and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Arrange striped bass fillets over tomato mixture and season with pepper. Add shrimp nad clams and braise over medium-low heat until the clams have opened. About 10-12 minutes. Spoon into dish and serve.

Would taste great with a piece of garlic bread on the side:)

If you find yourself in Massachusetts, the Sharon B does fishing charters. They leave from Green Harbor, MA. You will be in great hands with Captain David DeCastro

HV Wine Dinner deadline June 4

The Hudson Valley Wine & Culinary Food Pairing Dinner - A celebration of Hudson Valley Wine will soon be here. June 12th is creeping up on us. All reservations must be made by June 4.

This is like planning a wedding. If you plan on attending reservations can be made at http://tinyurl.com/r5cbnq

Here is a look at the complete dinner menu

Hudson Valley Wine & Culinary Food Pairing Dinner Menu

Pork Chops and Champagne

The other day I had a dilemma. I had taken some pork chops out for dinner and didn't know what to do with them. What to do? I decided to get the help of my twitter friends. My friend Enobytes tweeted me the link to a recipe - Pork Chops in a Creamy Champagne Sauce with Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Bingo...I went for it.

Champagne..I am not a big Champagne drinker. I had two bottles in the house. A 2007 Whitecliff Sparkling Wine (made from Estate Chardonnay) and a Clinton Vineyards Jubilee. Clinton was the winner. Of course when you cook with wine or champagne..a little for the dish, a little for the cook.

The Jubilee was nice and crisp with a little hint of apples. That ought to go good with Pork Chops. To my surprise this dish was very easy to prepare and was ready in no time. I didn't even over cook the pork. It was very tasty. The champagne made a wonderful sauce. The mashed potatoes were great!
Here is the recipe:
4 red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
4 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to tate
1 tbs olive oil
6 ork loin chops
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 cup sparlking wine or dry Champagne
1 tbs flour
1 cup milk.

Potatoes: Place potatoes and garlic in a saucepan with water to cover. Boil and cook 8 minutes until fork tender. Drain and return to pan. Mash and add sour cream until smooth. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper.

Pork: Heat oil in large skillet ofer medium heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove pork. In the same pan add shallots and cook 2 minutes until soft. Add thyme and tarragon and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add sprakling wine and cook 1 minute. Whisk flour into milk and add to pan. Return pork to pan and simme 3-5 minutes until pork is cooked through and sauce thickened.

Enjoy!

Victory White by Clinton Vineyards

The year was 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States. Phyllis and Ben Feder, owners of Clinton Vineyards in celebration of the election, released the first vintage of "Victory White" . Victory White is 100% Seyval Blanc. The year President Clinton was re-elected they released the second vintage of "Victory White" that was 1996.

In the late spring, Clinton Vineyards will be releasing their third vintage "2008 Victory White" in celebration of Barack Obama's Presidency. This vintage will be made with 100% Seyval Blanc as well.

I am really becoming a fan of Seyval Blanc. It's crisp and fresh, leaves you with sense of enjoyment after a glass or bottle. Goes very well with shell fish, and is wonderful on a hot summers day. (As I say that, it's +2 degrees outside and I'm waiting for that hot summers day)

Contact Clinton Vineyards to reserve your 2008 Victory White. It's sure to be a sell out.

Clinton Vineyards

There is a wonderful article in the Daily Freeman about Clinton Vineyards.
http://tinyurl.com/7skxwp

How Phyllis and Ben Feder got their start. Their wine...I've had their Cassis, Seyval Blanc and Champagne and all are very nice.

Thanksgiving Wines

With Thanksgiving a few days away, now is the time to go to your local wine store and ask for Hudson Valley Wines. Here are some of my choices for the holiday:

Clinton Vineyards Seyval
Millbrook Unoaked Chardonnay
Whitecliff Vineyards Gamay Noir
Adair Vineyards Nouveau
Benmarl Winery Traminette

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Anniversary Clinton Vineyards

On June 14th Clinton Vineyards will be celebrating 30 years of winemaking. Phyllis and Ben Feder began Clinton Vineyards in 1976 and they specialize in producing white wine, champagne and make a wonderful cassis.

I had the opportunity to stop by their vineyard a few weeks ago and was blown away at the beautiful grounds. It's breath taking. While waiting to speak with Phyllis, I sat outside and relaxed just looking at the grounds and collecting my thoughts. I took a stroll over to the pond where there was a huge Koi swimming around. A beautiful place to relax with a bottle of wine and have a picnic.

They will be celebrating 30 years on June 14th and if you have no plans I suggest you take a ride out to their vineyard. The party starts at 3pm. There will be Champagne, Wine and Dessert Wine Tasting paired with wonderful food and desserts. There will be a live jazz band for your enjoyment. There is a cost....$35 per person. Reservations are required. Just give them a call at 845.266.5372 or email ben at benfeder65@aol.com.

They are located at 450 Schultzville Road in Clinton Corners, New York.

More info on the event can be found by clicking here. You can tell them the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess sent you.

Congratulations Phyllis and Ben