Heron Hill Winery owner enjoys challenges of growing in Finger Lakes

Heron Hill Winery is in the western hills rising up from the shore of Keuka Lake. From the road, it looks as if it should be overlooking an exclusive Napa Valley vineyard.

The tasting room was rated one of the "world's most spectacular" by Travel and Leisure magazine earlier this year. It could have something to do with the view of Keuka Lake that makes any shutterbug's trigger finger twitch.

When you meet John Ingle and hear his story, there seems to be a disconnect between the slick winery on the hill and the guy who owns it.

John and his wife, Jo, were hippies right out of the late 1960s who took an interest in organic farming and living off the land.

John — who grew up in Rochester — and Jo drove throughout the West as far as British Columbia, Canada, looking for farming opportunities. But in 1971 they settled for a piece of land and a summer cottage owned by John's parents on Canandaigua Lake.

John worked at a local vineyard after setting up house in the rustic cabin, which had no running water.

"Being outdoors, the sun and the air and being my own boss, physical labor, picking grapes and there was something about running down the row with a 40-pound box of grapes trying to catch the wagon. ... I said: 'This is great,'" John explains.

So they planted 12,000 grapevines, which today is the Ingle Vineyard and still John and Jo's home (a nice new home with running water).

"I didn't know dirt from soil," says John with a smile. "But we took a leap of faith."

It appears the faith paid off. But there were years of struggle to learn the business and adapt to the weather and the whims of the consumer market.

The winery is also progressive in marketing its award-winning specialties such as Rieslings, ice wines, Pinot noir and Eclipse blends. Heron Hill is on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social networks.

"We have all sorts of updates from the winery and the staff," said Kitty Oliver, marketing manager.

"We are definitely connecting with the consumer. It's been a really positive experience for Heron Hill."

John is really a farmer who raised a family on the vegetables grown in the family garden and the grapes grown in the vineyard. He has a passion for the land, for promoting Finger Lakes wine country and for the annual struggle to make it all work.

To him, the wet, cloudy and cool season is just another challenge, building character in his people and his wine.

"In California, the weather is so beautiful every day," he says. "Here it's — just like back in 2002, all of a sudden Riesling was getting very popular and what happens to us, it goes to 20 below and we lose our crop. What do you do, cry, stomp your feet? No, you get back on the horse and do it again."

"Part of the struggle is part of the thrill," he says. "If it was easy, it really wouldn't be that much fun."