Drink This: Heron Hill Winery 2020 Reserve Pinot Blanc

New winemaker Jordan Harris is well on his way to finding his footing in the Finger Lakes

Canadian-born winemaker Jordan Harris got to Heron Hill Winery ahead of the 2020 vintage and the winery has just released a handful of his first “reserve” white wines, including this Heron Hill Winery 2020 Reserve Pinot Blanc ($25).

Jordan ended up in the Finger Lakes by way of Virginia, where I first met him when he was the winemaker at Tarara Winery. I bring this up because one of the things I’m eternally fascinated by is winemakers not only changing wineries but completely changing regions.

Some of the varieties he’s working with are the same, but the growing conditions are completely different between Virginia and the Finger Lakes. And, particularly with an established winery like Heron Hill, there is a long history of wine and winemaking. I can only imagine what it’s like to walk in and try to figure out what has worked in the past and what needs to be changed.