Rosen Vineyards in New Rochelle 10804 you ask? I love to give at the Holidays, and made wine back in the early ’90s. My thought was to make a nice wine with less sulphites just as they do in Italy, and delved into making a cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot…but it ended up being the worst wine….Oh well, I tried….It was fun stomping on the grapes, and using all of the fun equipment. Over the years, I would make raspberry liqueurs, peach wine, cherry brandy….. all given to my friends with my silly tongue-in-cheek labels.
I sold a home this year at 103 Mount Tom Road in New Rochelle, and the owner and I became friends. I noticed that she would have the most wonderful displays of a cherry liqueur on her counter in wonderful jars that looked both rustic and interesting. So, I asked her for the recipe…which was simple. She hails from Poland, and would buy the 100 proof alcohol from stores in Brooklyn… I opted out on that and bought a qood guality 80 proof vodka. She would then layer a large jar with cherries (some pitted, some not), and sugar… After three weeks or so of fermenting, a juice would take the place of the sugar, and then it was time to add the vodka, seal tightly, and let it ‘age’ in a cool dark place. Since I wanted to hand it out to my friends for this Holiday, I could only allow it 4-5 months of aging… I would have preferred a year….. but I still felt good in handing out my gifts to friends and customers alike! I do not even drink cherry liqueurs but it was just fun to make and then give!
Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday season.
New Rochelle is Great!