By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

To build on the success of the first of our "New York Beverage Artisan Dinners" at Luce & Hawkins, we knew we wanted to do a wine dinner — but not just any wine dinner.

And, I think we're doing something pretty different — by featuring a Finger Lakes winemaker and his wines.

Tom Higgins, co-owner and winemaker at Heart & Hands Wine Company on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes is traveling to the North Fork on July 11 to share five of his pinot noir-based wines as we enjoy a four-course meal prepared by Chef Keith Luce.

This very well may be the first-ever Finger Lakes wine dinner in Long Island wine country.

If you're not familiar with Heart & Hands Wine Company, you've probably not been a NYCR reader for very long and you probably haven't read Finger Lakes editor Evan Dawson's book yet either (why not by the way?).

Simply stated, Higgins is making some of the most exciting pinot noir-based wines in the state, if not the entire East Coast. Heart & Hands is small, producing fewer than 2,000 cases per year, and while Higgins does make some (very good) riesling, the pinots are the stars of the portfolio and make the winery a real jewel in the region.

Dinner will start at 7 p.m. on July 11 and will offer a rare opportunity to taste these wines on Long Island, and we're thankful that Higgins has been enthusiastic about taking part in our dinner series. He'll be pouring his 2009 Brut Rose, 2009 Pinot Noir, two 2008 single-vineyard pinot noirs and a 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir.

Seats are $75 (including tax and gratuity) and we only have 40 seats available for this dinner — which I expect to sell out fairly quickly.

If you'd like to join us, please email me asap to reserve your spot.