People find different ways to relieve stress. Some might sit down with a pint of ice cream to watch their favorite show. Others might opt for a glass of wine. Some might just be daring enough to grab both before heading to the couch.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Kerry Pierce dishes up a cup of Strawberry Chardonnay Cheesecake at Knapp Vineyards. Soon the vineyard will be selling the non-alcoholic ice cream by the pint.
Kerry Pierce dishes up a cup of Strawberry Chardonnay Cheesecake at Knapp Vineyards. Soon the vineyard will be selling the non-alcoholic ice cream by the pint.
Luckily, the makers of Glace de Vino ice cream have made it easier and combined the two into one delectable treat.
Many people might know the ice cream by the name of Finger Lakes Ice Cream, but owner Randy Freeman said he and Glace de Vino co-owner Scott Fitchens couldn't use Finger Lakes as a brand name when the product goes national in the near future.
Initially sold only through the Finger Lakes wine country, Freeman said they are currently in the process of getting the pints of the wine ice cream in grocery freezer aisles.
“We're making it national as I speak,” Freeman said. “We're making new containers, and we'll be launching it from here to California.”
The product was first available along the wine trails last spring, Freeman said.
“I just thought of it one day. I thought I would try it,” he said. “People love ice cream, and people love wine.”
By cooking the wine into a sauce first, it loses its alcohol content and becomes a food product that Freeman said is then swirled into the ice cream.
Kerry Pierce, administrative assistant at Knapp Winery compared it to cooking with wine - used for flavor, but alcohol is not an issue.
In a scoop of Strawberry Chardonnay Cheesecake the taste is not overwhelming but the two flavors complement each other favorably. There is a hint of wine to it for the connoisseurs, but its smooth, creamy, sweet appeal will keep ice cream lovers headed back to the freezer.
“A lot of times, somebody will say, ‘Well I don't like wine,'” Freeman said. “I'll tell them to just try it. (Then I'll) ask what they think, and they'll tell me 'I love it.'”
Knapp Winery has been selling Finger Lakes Ice Cream since July, Pierce said, noting that especially in the warmer weather it has sold well.
For Freeman, the response to his wine ice cream idea has exceeded his expectations and taken off quicker than he imagined.
“Once somebody tries it they realize it's the best (ice cream) they've had in their life.” Freeman said. “I hear that from 99 of 100 people I talk to.”
Freeman and crew took their creations to the state fair this year, where, he said, for 12 days he received non-stop business and interest from customers, and he made multiple TV appearances on local news stations wanting to know more about the new ice cream line.
The flavors are a result of Freeman and Fitchens tinkering with combinations.
“We just kind of pick and choose and play with it,” Freeman said.
Thus far, there are four flavors that will be marketed under the Glace de Vino name. Chocolate Amaretto Cream Sherry, Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon, Strawberry Cream Chardonnay and Raspberry Merlot Cheesecake (who said you shouldn't serve red wine chilled?) are the first options consumers will have to choose from once it is distributed to retail vendors.
Glace de Vino is expected to be a bit higher than the average ice cream on the shelf, but Freeman attributed it to the higher-quality ingredients. He expects the price to be roughly around $5.99 per pint.
Freeman said even after marketing the ice cream nationally, it will still be available at wineries around the Finger Lakes, which will provide the perfect treat for the designated driver.
Staff writer Laura Boyce can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 236 or at laura.boyce@lee.net
Many people might know the ice cream by the name of Finger Lakes Ice Cream, but owner Randy Freeman said he and Glace de Vino co-owner Scott Fitchens couldn't use Finger Lakes as a brand name when the product goes national in the near future.
Initially sold only through the Finger Lakes wine country, Freeman said they are currently in the process of getting the pints of the wine ice cream in grocery freezer aisles.
“We're making it national as I speak,” Freeman said. “We're making new containers, and we'll be launching it from here to California.”
The product was first available along the wine trails last spring, Freeman said.
“I just thought of it one day. I thought I would try it,” he said. “People love ice cream, and people love wine.”
By cooking the wine into a sauce first, it loses its alcohol content and becomes a food product that Freeman said is then swirled into the ice cream.
Kerry Pierce, administrative assistant at Knapp Winery compared it to cooking with wine - used for flavor, but alcohol is not an issue.
In a scoop of Strawberry Chardonnay Cheesecake the taste is not overwhelming but the two flavors complement each other favorably. There is a hint of wine to it for the connoisseurs, but its smooth, creamy, sweet appeal will keep ice cream lovers headed back to the freezer.
“A lot of times, somebody will say, ‘Well I don't like wine,'” Freeman said. “I'll tell them to just try it. (Then I'll) ask what they think, and they'll tell me 'I love it.'”
Knapp Winery has been selling Finger Lakes Ice Cream since July, Pierce said, noting that especially in the warmer weather it has sold well.
For Freeman, the response to his wine ice cream idea has exceeded his expectations and taken off quicker than he imagined.
“Once somebody tries it they realize it's the best (ice cream) they've had in their life.” Freeman said. “I hear that from 99 of 100 people I talk to.”
Freeman and crew took their creations to the state fair this year, where, he said, for 12 days he received non-stop business and interest from customers, and he made multiple TV appearances on local news stations wanting to know more about the new ice cream line.
The flavors are a result of Freeman and Fitchens tinkering with combinations.
“We just kind of pick and choose and play with it,” Freeman said.
Thus far, there are four flavors that will be marketed under the Glace de Vino name. Chocolate Amaretto Cream Sherry, Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon, Strawberry Cream Chardonnay and Raspberry Merlot Cheesecake (who said you shouldn't serve red wine chilled?) are the first options consumers will have to choose from once it is distributed to retail vendors.
Glace de Vino is expected to be a bit higher than the average ice cream on the shelf, but Freeman attributed it to the higher-quality ingredients. He expects the price to be roughly around $5.99 per pint.
Freeman said even after marketing the ice cream nationally, it will still be available at wineries around the Finger Lakes, which will provide the perfect treat for the designated driver.
Staff writer Laura Boyce can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 236 or at laura.boyce@lee.net
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