Sheldrake Point Winery Winemaker Lillian Perry Hicks Talks Rose Soiree 2025
By Dan's Staff
Kicking off the Hamptons summer season and Dan’s Taste Summer Series lineup, Rosé Soirée will be held May 25 at Southampton Arts Center. Rosé Soirée is a tribute to the world’s finest rosés, including selections from around the world, Hamptons and the North Fork. Guests can indulge in exquisite bites prepared by Long Island’s top chefs while enjoying live music in a vibrant atmosphere.
Here, Sheldrake Point Winery winemaker Lillian Perry Hicks talks about achieving her winemaking dreams, her inspirations and what she’s serving at this year’s Dan’s Rosé Soirée Presented by Wilmington Trust.
Get tickets to Rosé Soirée and more Dan’s Taste events at DansTaste.com
Sheldrake Point Winery Winemaker Lillian Perry Hicks
How did you get into this line of work?
I moved to the Finger Lakes of New York to study chemistry and then started to daydream about winemaking.
What new wine trends are you seeing?
Low-alcohol, higher acidity, food-friendly wines. Perfectly in line with wines produced in my region of the Finger Lakes.
What is your favorite wine?
I first fell in love with Riesling… which drew me in with aromas of baked lemons but a palate with honey and slate. I’m currently obsessed with all forms of Cabernet Franc, especially those that express the florals of this elegant variety.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My mother, who became a medical doctor in the rural South in the ‘90s, has been a constant source of inspiration and empowerment. I’m incredibly motivated by wine as a means of expression, as an art, and its interplay with fine multicultural cuisine.
Who do you admire in the food/wine world and why?
Dave Breeden, Nova Cadamatre, Peter Bell, Julia Hoyle, Kelby Russell warrant as much respect and admiration from me as the harvest intern working diligently at my side in the mountains of Mendoza, Argentina, or in Marlborough, New Zealand. We might not even speak the same verbal language. But we both speak wine. And we both have something to teach the other.
What unique winemaking ritual do you practice?
I love to touch the grapes as often as possible. To take a sample from a red wine fermentation with my bare hands to feel the temperature changes from the top to the middle of the fermentation and the CO2 bubbles on my arms, to get a face-full of the fermentation aromas, maybe a sense of the yeast stage and health. I like to get personal with the wines as I make them.
What wines do you plan to serve at the event?
We hope to serve Sheldrake Point Winery’s 2024 Dry Rose’, 2024 Rose’ of Merlot, and 2023 Sparkling Cabernet Franc.
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