Suhru Blog

Cooking with Suhru: Garden Pesto Gnocchi + Sauvignon Blanc

Late August brings warm days, soon to be cooler nights, and an abundance of fresh produce! One of our favorite summer traditions is harvesting basil from the garden to make homemade pesto. With my garden currently overflowing, this recipe has been on regular rotation.

The key to a good pesto (or a good wine for that matter) is good ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the end result. You can easily make pesto year round but garden or farm stand fresh basil makes the best pesto if you ask me! Throughout the month of August I try to make as much pesto as possible, filling my freezer with jars of pesto to last the entirety of the year.

I like to think of pesto as a building block. It is such a delicious staple to start a meal and works wonderfully in hot or cold pasta dishes, with sausage, as a veggie dip, spread on a sandwich, over roasted veggies and more! It's a very simple summer option but is a great starting point to build a wide variety of meals. With an abundance of fresh, home grown tomatoes and basil overflowing from our gardens, we at Suhru are sharing our go to summer pesto recipe served atop gnocchi and paired with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

Try the Recipe

What's Happening at Suhru: August 2022

I can't believe August is already here! In case you missed it, be sure to checkout the lastest on our Blog including an Update from Owner Susan Hearn detailing what she's been up to these past few weeks.

As you may have heard, we have had an exciting few weeks with a number of wonderful announcements including that our 2020 Teroldego won Best in Class at the 2022 New York Wine Classic while our 2021 Rosé recieved Best in Class at the 2022 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

And in case you missed it, we have a new Cooking with Suhru post! Fish tacos are a summer staple and we have a quick and easy mid week recipe to share! Our Assistant Winemaker, Brad, loves to fish, particularly for fluke. One of his favorite summer recipes is Blackened Fish Tacos, pair with a bottle of Dry Riesling and you can't go wrong!

It's been a busy July at Suhru but Summer isn't over yet and we have lots of great events planned at the Tasting House, so be sure to make a reservation and mark your calendars!

 

August Special Events:

• 8/4: Thursday Happy Hour & Live Music by Julia King, 4-7pm
• 8/4: Art Show with Melissa Hyatt, 4-7pm
• 8/6: Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House
• 8/7: Sundays at Suhru: Lobster Roll Sliders & Live Music from 1-4pm
• 8/11: Thursday Happy Hour & Live Music by Rob Europe, 4-7pm
• 8/13: Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House
• 8/14: Sundays at Suhru: Lobster Roll Sliders & Live Music from 1-4pm
• 8/18: Thursday Happy Hour & Live Music by Robin Sidor, 4-7pm
• 8/20: Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House
• 8/21: Sundays at Suhru: Lobster Roll Sliders & Live Music from 1-4pm
• 8/25: Thursday Happy Hour & Live Music by Dorian Consort (Classical Trio), 4-7pm
• 8/27: Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House
• 8/28: Sundays at Suhru: Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House
• 8/29: Wine Dinner at the Marshall in Manhattan, 7:30pm

A sneak peak at our Labor Day plans—we have Lobster Rolls Sliders Saturday and Sunday and Southold Bay Oysters serving up freshly shucked Long Island oysters from 1-5pm on Sunday!

We are currently hard at work planning a number of great wine events this Fall and Winter. If you have a suggestion on future events or a wine topic you'd like to see at Suhru Wines, let us know! Thank you again for your continued support and happy Summer!

What's Been Happening at Suhru

It's been a busy July at Suhru with Shelby and the team hosting lots of great events at the Tasting House, including weekly Thursday Happy Hour & Live Music from 4-7pm and Lobster Roll Sliders at the Tasting House every weekend all summer long!

Meanwhile, I have been busy putting some mileage on my car! I've been working across NY and NJ to expand our reach and make it easier to find Suhru wines across the tri-state area! Mid month I spent a few days in New Jersey with Joe, one of our sales reps focusing on the mid New Jersey region. I am happy to report you can now find Suhru Wines at: Vino Sandro Wine and Spirits, located at 1129 Inman Ave in Edison, NJ and Peapack Fine Wines, located at 159 Main Street in Peapack, NJ with more to come soon as restaurants and wine shops revamp their offerings for the Fall.

Another exciting new placement for us is The Marshall, located at 628 10th Ave in Manhattan. The Marshall is a really cozy, rustic-chic restaurant with a hyper local farm to table menu. Russ and I will be hosting a Winemakers Dinner there on Monday, August 29th. It’s a 7-course dinner paired with 7 of our wines (including a library wine) for $99/pp. I can’t wait to try these pairings, we hope you can join us!

We are also pleased to announce that you can now find Suhru Wines at Chateau 49, a wine bar at 924 2nd Ave in Manhattan and Eastside Cellars, located at 1743 1st Ave in Manhattan and more to come!

If you are going to be in Montauk the weekend of August 6th, stop by Finest Kind Wines & Liquors, located at 552 West Lake Dr in Montauk, where I will be hosting an in-store tasting from 4 – 7 pm. Stop by for a taste, to pick up some wine and for a chat!

You can also find me at bi-weekly Farmer's Markets in Setauket and Shelter Island this summer. I am really enjoying these two Farmer’s Markets and love having visits from Wine Club members, regulars of Suhru, and introducing our wines to new people and new friends. One of the benefits of working the markets is I get to do some shopping and load up with great foods while I’m there. Find me at the Three Village Market on Friday, August 12th and 26th. The market takes place on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society, located at 93 N Country Rd Setauket Friday afternoons from 3 – 7pm. On Saturday, August 13th and 27th you can find me at the Shelter Island Historical Society Farmer's Market, located at 16 S Ferry Rd from 9am – 12:30pm.

Check out the rest of our upcoming events on the Suhru Events Calendar!

Best in Class Rosé at the 2022 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

We are thrilled to announce that our 2021 Rosé received the Best in Class award at the 2022 Finger Lakes International Wine & Spirits Competition (FLIWC)!

FLIWC is one of the largest charitable wine and spirits competitions in the US. Internationally certified judges from around the globe converge in Rochester, NY each year to taste and evaluate thousands of internationally crafted wines and spirits.

All proceeds from the competition benefit Camp Good Days and Special Times, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families, whose lives have been touched by cancer and sickle cell anemia. At Suhru, we are very proud to support this cause and the important work done at Camp Good Days.

In addition to the wonderful recognition for our Rosé, our 2021 Pinot Grigio and 2021 Dry Riesling both took home Silver medals. In celebration of these exciting awards we are offering 10% Off on 6+ bottles of our three award winning wines—2021 Rosé, 2021 Pinot Grigio, and 2021 Dry Riesling. Enter discount code "GOODDAYS" at checkout to save an extra 10%.

Please Note: Discount code valid ONLINE ONLY through August 31, 2022. Discount cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Online orders can be placed for delivery or pickup at checkout. Shipping is available to 40+ states across the US. 

Learn More About our 2021 Rosé

Cooking with Suhru: Blackened Fluke Tacos + Dry Riesling

Summer brings many things—long days, warm weather, the opening of pools, time spent on the water, lazy days at the beach, and in my house endless talk about fishing and a fully stocked fish freezer!

Fluke season opens on Long Island in May with the peak of the season occurring in the beginning of July. Over the last few weeks Brad (Suhru's assistant winemaker and my husband) and I have spent quite a bit of time on the water fishing from kayaks, boats, and the beach which means we have lots of fluke to go around. There is no shortage of excellent ways to cook this delicious local fish, however one of our summer favorites is blackened fish tacos!

A few years ago while looking for spice rub recipes I stumbled across a recipe on EverydayMadeFresh.com that became the inspiration for the recipe below. When it comes to freshly caught fish I like clean, simple flavors that highlight the natural flavors of the fluke which is why I tend to keep the toppings pretty simple and scarce. If you are looking for additional flavors, shredded carrots and chopped green onions both make excellent additions to the cabbage slaw.

Fluke Taco Recipe

Best in Class at the 2022 New York Wine Classic

We are very excited to announce that our 2020 Teroldego received a 95 point score and Best in Class at the 2022 New York Wine Classic competition!

The New York Wine Classic celebrates a diverse selection of world-class wines from producers within New York State. Judging for this year’s competition included 694 entries from 101 wineries from across the state.

In addition to the wonderful review and top marks for our Teroldego, we are beyond excited to share the good news that our 2019 Cabernet Franc was awarded 94 points and a Gold Medal, showing among the best Cabernet Francs in New York! We also recieved silver medals for our 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (coming soon), 2021 Dry Riesling, 2019 Shiraz,  and 2019 Ember.

We could not be prouder of the hard work and long hours that our winemaker and winery team put in on all of our wines. It is their hard work, creativity, and dedication that allow Suhru Wines to continue to produce the high quality, innovative wines that rank among the best in New York and we all know and love!

What's Happening at Suhru this June

Hello Suhru family! You may notice that I am not in the Tasting House as often as I've been in the past, a few changes are happening at Suhru. We have an incredible staff, managed by Shelby, as well as our new Assistant Tasting Room Manager Shannon, which has allowed me to refocus my efforts recently. I will be focusing more of my time over the coming months and years on Wholesale Outreach and Farmer’s Markets. But don't worry, you will still see me at the Tasting House from time to time!

This summer you can find me at a number of Farmer's Markets, including the Three Village Farmer’s Market, located at 93 North Country Road in Setauket every other Friday from 3–7 pm and at the Havens Farmers Market at the Shelter Island Historical Society every other Saturday from 9am–12:30 pm. Checkout Sue's Farmer's Market schedule

They are both great markets with about 25 Vendors each with some awesome offerings. It’s been fun introducing our wines to a new audience farther afield from the Tasting House. I have been doing Farmer's Markets for Suhru since we first opened in 2008 and it has been so nice to get to connect with people at these new venues. Over the last few weeks several Wine Club Members have stopped by my table. It’s always nice to see a familiar face, so please stop by and say hello!

In addition to Farmer's Markets I have also been working more closely with our Distributor, Vias Imports, Ltd to expand the accessibility of Suhru Wines in wine shops and restaurants across New York and New Jersey. In addition to focusing on expanding placements on Long Island, I spent some time working with our sales rep Sarah in New York City earlier this month and will be working with Joe in New Jersey in July.

We are ever expanding the list of Where to Find our Wines on our website. However a few recent additions of late include: 

• Lucha Cubano, located at 87 E Main St in Downtown Riverhead, NY
• Sound Avenue Bistro, located at 3225 Sound Avenue in Riverhead, NY
• Blue Point Spirits, located at 226 Blue Point Avenue in Blue Point, NY
• Page at 63 Main, located at 63 Main Street in Sag Harbor, NY
• North Fork Wines and Spirits, located at 122 South Street in Greenport, NY
• Finest Kind Wines and Liquors, located at 552 W Lake Drive in Montauk

One of the things I do to support new Wine Shops is schedule in-store Tastings. I will be at Finest Kind Wines and Liquors – 552 W Lake Dr in Montauk, NY sampling our Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Riesling Rose and Cabernet Franc on Saturday June 25th from 4–7 pm. If you're in the Montauk area, please come and say hello!

If you'd like to see Suhru Wines in your local wine shop or favorite restaurant please ask them to carry it and let me know by sending an email at susan@suhruwines.com so I can follow up and schedule a tasting. Some of my best wholesale relationships have begun with a recommendation from one of our regular guests. I look forward to sharing more with you about where I’ve been and new placements next month. Cheers!

Cooking with Suhru: Pinot Grigio + Easy Shrimp Bake

Nothing says summer like shrimp on the BBQ! Pair it with a nice, chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio and you have quite the quintessential summer evening! 

I stumbled across this Delish.com recipe for Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets a few weeks ago and it has quickly become a staple in our household and one that is sure to make a splash this summer at a BBQ because it has all the wow factor with very little work! This delicious dinner is fast and easy for a mid-week meal and with no mess and quick and simple cleanup, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

I have long been a fan of the Cajun/Louisiana Crawfish Boil, and while not quite the same, this 30 minute recipe is a close second! But don't take my word for it, try it with a bottle of Pinot Grigio and prepare for an all around excellent evening!

Try the Recipe

Cooking with Suhru: Sauvignon Blanc + Goat Cheese Asparagus Pasta Salad

One of the (many) great things about living on the East End of Long Island is the incredible access to fresh, local produce throughout the Spring, Summer, and early Fall months! I have been patiently awaiting the arrival of local asparagus and now that Wickhams Farm Stand (across the street from the Suhru Tasting House) has asparagus on the stand nothing will stop me from eating it at least once a day!

Given my love for asparagus you can only imagine my delight upon stumbling across Lauren Lombardi's Farmers market pasta salad with Catapano goat cheese (another favorite!) recently featured in the May edition of Northforker!

Lauren's original recipe can be found on Northforker.com, however I have included her recipe with a few additions of my own below. I'll be serving this at all my upcoming outdoor and warm weather events, paired with a crisp, cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, I hope you enjoy!

Try the Recipe

Cooking with Suhru: Smoked Chicken & Cabernet Franc

It's a beautiful day for a smoked chicken and a glass of red! With the weather warming up, we are so excited to be able to pull out the smoker from the garage and smoke a dry rubbed chicken on the grill!

We do a lot of grilling in the warmer months and in the last few years have done a lot of our outdoor cooking on our smoker. Smokers are a great way to infuse extra flavor into grilled dishes and allow for more precision when cooking your meats. Last Thanksgiving we experimented with cooking a turkey on the smoker which kickstarted a quest to perfect the perfect smoked poultry (and started a new Thanksgiving tradition)!

A favorite has been smoked chicken. We use a classic dry rub and throughout the cooking process spritz it with apple cider vinegar. A smoker allows for quite a bit of experimentation so play around with the flavors, wood flavors, and cooking times till you find the one you like best, not a bad project for the warmer days ahead!

Pair this meal with a bottle of Cabernet Franc, some grilled veggies, and a little alfresco dining and you have quite the evening ahead of you!

Learn More about our Cabernet Franc