As I’m sure you’ve noticed its been one wacky winter and spring for New York this year, wacky weather that has caused many a grape grower and wine maker to lose sleep.

When March brought us warm unseasonal weather they started waking up from their winter dormancy. Unfortunately that warm weather did not stick around and before we could dig out our winter coats (that we all put away for the year because we were sure that winter was over) it was freezing cold again.

So keep your thoughts with the grapes as this cold weather and snow continues to impact New York. Hopefully with a little luck it’ll warm up and the grapes will be safely on their way to a strong 2012 growing season.

Supporting the grapes that grow our wines!

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards

I just got a sneak peak at the specials that we are planing to run Easter Sunday at The Bully Hill Restaurant, and man oh man am I hungry! The restaurant for the first time in it’s history will be open for a special Easter Brunch, Easter Sunday from 11-5.

So now that I’m itching to try these specials, it’s my turn to make you guys hungry too! Here’s what you can expect Easter Sunday.

Sweet French Toast: Made from two thick slices of bread swirled with raisins, cranberries, and cinnamon, finished with powdered sugar and whipped cream. Served with maple syrup, house potatoes, and choice of ham, bacon, or breakfast sausage with a children’s portion available.

Classic Belgian Waffle: A Belgian Waffle topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup. Served with house potatoes and choice of ham, bacon, or breakfast sausage with a children’s portion available.

Smoked Salmon: Thin slices of cured smoked salmon served on a halved whole toasted bagel, topped with whipped cream cheese, finished with capers, and fresh chopped dill.

Steak & Eggs: A grilled rib-eye steak served with two pan fried eggs and house potatoes.

Eggs Benedict Your Way

Petit Filet of Beef Tenderloin: Pan-seared beef tenderloin and a poached egg resting on a toasted English muffin and finished with grilled asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.

Almost Traditional: Pan-fried thick cut ham steak and a poached egg resting on a toasted English muffin, and finished with grilled asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.

Grilled Portabella: A grilled portabella mushroom cap topped with an oven roasted tomato and poached egg, finished with grilled asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.

Benedict Florentine: Sautéed spinach and oven roasted tomato topped with a poached egg, resting on a toasted English muffin, and finished with Hollandaise sauce.

Tripple S Pasta: Sautéed salmon, scallops, and shrimp tossed with a saffron sauce, served over fettuccine.

Center-Cut Rib-Eye Steak: Grilled to desired doneness, served with grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes.

Pan-Seared Salmon Fillet: A pan-seared salmon fillet served with sautéed spinach and Rissole potatoes.

Stuffed Breast of Chicken: An oven roasted breast of chicken stuffed with an assortment of wild mushrooms, served on a bed of angel-hair pasta tossed with fresh spinach and a light olive-oil.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin: A mango pineapple glazed pork tenderloin, served with grilled asparagus and Rissole potatoes.

Smokehouse Sampler: House smoked sliced brisket, pulled pork, and chicken wings served with French fries, coleslaw and grilled baguette slices.

Quite the menu right!? I hope you’re as hungry as I am and we hope to see you Easter Sunday. Don’t forget to call and make a reservation (607) 868-3610!

With Wine, Love, and Laughter,

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards

A couple weeks ago I posted a picture of some old posters we found while organizing the basement of the Bully Hill Gift Shop. Like most projects, it’s turned out to be a more time consuming adventure then originally planned but we’ve reached the finish line and discovered some really cool treasures from Bully Hill’s past in the process.

Some of my favorite artworks by Walter are the ones he painted of the Space Shuttles. If you stop by our tasting room, you’ll see half a dozen originals by Walter that were all painted on site as the Shuttles were launching. The coolest of his Space Shuttle artworks is definitely his “Over Paris, FR” piece. The preliminary sketches for which Walter did while flying in an F16 that was escorting the Space Shuttle Enterprise over Paris.

When he returned the finished artwork was turned into the label for Mothership Over Paris, a Champagne Rouge that Bully Hill employees still talk about to this day.

So while working in the basement I discovered a few rolled up and rubber banded posters that had seen better days. Eager to see what surprises hid beneath the rubber band, I unrolled the posters to discover a reprint of Walter’s “Over Paris, FR” artwork that had an accompanying poem about the flight. Check out the photos below and take a look!

With Wine, Love, and Laughter,

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards

Coming into work this morning was definitely an eerie sight. The hill was covered in fog, it was cloudy, and all you could hear was the sound of birds chirping in the vineyards. So I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pictures. If you take a look at the photo below you’ll see the fog still settled in over the lake.

Spring is in the air!

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards

Oh the weather outside is frightful…

But this fire is so delightful…

And since we’ve no place to go…

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

The last few days I’ve been cataloging and organizing all the posters and prints of Walter’s artwork that have been building up for the last couple decades in the basement of the gift shop. Aside from the project taking several days longer then I originally planed, I have discovered some really cool treasures from Bully Hill’s past that I thought I’d share with you. Check out the picture below for some posters of Chancelor Noir and Vidal Blanc from the seventies!

With Wine, Love, and Laughter,

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards

It was quite the race wasn’t it? Like rowdy college students rooting from the student section, we put on our colors and cheered for our hometown. We put up signs, we told our friends and family, we hit the streets, we voted. And after 31 stressful days of waiting, we watched for the results to come in.

Finally, mid-day Wednesday it hit the news, Hammondsport, NY along with Beaufort, NC was declared America’s Coolest Small Town of 2012 by Budget Travel Magazine. We were all very excited to hear the news at Bully Hill. So much of who we are comes from the spirt of Hammondsport and to have that spirit recognized from hundreds of applicant towns means quite a lot!

Leave a reply, we’d love to hear why you think Hammondsport is America’s Coolest Small Town!

We Are Hammondsport!

Justin @ Bully Hill Vineyards