Celebrating the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest 2023 participating wineries

Eric Bachli of Clinton Corners began his professional career as a bio-engineer, working for Pfizer and Boston Scientific, before segueing into brewing, distilling and wine-making. Le Moné, his current passion, is a wine-based lemon liqueur that can be enjoyed straight or in delicious combination to create margaritas, spritzes and other lemony delights. The concoction is based on a New York hybrid grape called Traminette, which has a lemon-lime aroma and ferments in a fairly dry manner, making it not overly sweet, and is fortified with a splash of California brandy, which warms things up, and a bit of Meyer lemon distillate for some bright tartness. Any sweetness and tequila-like notes are provided by a splash of blue weber agave.

As a result, Le Moné is a lighter, livelier, low alcohol apéritif that brings depth and sophistication to a familiar lemon profile, while remaining low in calories and sugar. It can be served up neat, lightened up with soda water or sparkling wine, or mixed into a bar-quality cocktail with one’s favorite spirit. Not at all bitter or cloying, Le Moné’s approachable citrus and perfect balance makes it the apéritif you can drink any time.

The product is generally sold on line at https://drinklemone.com, but will be available in a booth at this year’s Hudson Valley Wine Festival. The Le Moné team includes a renowned brew-master and distiller in a family of citrus farmers, a sommelier who’s worked in some of New York’s finest restaurants, and other beverage professionals who’ve partnered with a wine-maker with more than 30 years of experience. To create Le Moné was a balancing act that took over a full year to complete. The journey started at the vineyard: Bachli and company teamed up with a family-owned vineyard in the Finger Lakes region, with whom they’d been cultivating a relationship for years.  

Presented by WineRacks.com, The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival will take place on September 9th and September 10th at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, N.Y., which will be transformed into a foodie paradise featuring some of the best wines and culinary treats that the Hudson Valley and beyond have to offer.