Big E big deal for NY winemakers

New York winemakers didn't have to go far to bring home a batch of medals in the 3rd annual Big E Gold Medal Wine Competition, part of the annual exposition held in Springfield, MA.

The top New York results:

DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS

• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Dry Riesling
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Summer Delight

GOLD MEDALS

• Glenora Wine Cellars 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Lucas Vineyards 2007 Vignoles
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Concord
• Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
• Hunt Country Vineyards 2007 Late Harvest Vignoles

SILVER MEDALS

• Palmer Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 Gewurztraminer
• Dr. Konstantin Frank NV Semi-Dry Riesling
• Knapp Winery 2006 Chardonnay
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay
• Glenora Wine Cellars NV Cayuga White
• Knapp Winery 2006 Vignoles
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Bramble Berry
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Niagara
• Torrey Ridge Winery NV Catawba
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards NV White Cat

BRONZE MEDALS

• Knapp Winery 2005 Merlot
• Lucas Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc
• Knapp Winery 2006 Sangiovese
• Palmer Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2006 Syrah
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2007 Riesling
• Hunt Country Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris
• Knapp Winery 2006 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2007 Pinot Blanc
• Lucas Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling
• Torrey Ridge Winery 2006 Lemberger
• Glenora Wine Cellars NV Alpine White
• Knapp Winery 2006 Cayuga White
• Lucas Vineyards 2007 Seyval Blanc
• Hunt Country Vineyards 2006 Cayuga White
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards White Stag
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Red Cat
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabin Fever
• Knapp Winery Kat Knapp Pink Catawba
• Baldwin Vineyards Raspberry
• Prospero Winery 2006 Pinot Grigio

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• Dowd's Guides

Photo grab bag: Waterford, NY

William M. Dowd photos

The pleasure boat "Bandwagon" emerges from under the Union Bridge on New York's Hudson River. In the background is Waterford, the oldest incorporated village in the United States.

It sits in the southeastern corner of historic Saratoga County, across the river from the city of Troy, and is located in the Town of Waterford at the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, and the junction of the Erie and Champlain canals. It is the home of the “Waterford Flight,” the highest set of lift locks in the world.

Broad Street, which runs through the center of the village, has a variety of antique shops and dining spots.

One of the monuments in Soldiers & Sailors Park

In honor of an iconic swimmer

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ON THE WEB
• The Village of Waterford
• Waterford Tugboat Roundup
• Champlain Canal Tours
• Erie Canal
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Egrets and herons and geese, oh my

The quick rustling in the cattail reeds and marsh grass at the edge of the pond put me on alert. The sudden beating of powerful wings and a loud, clacking kuck kuck kuck sound startled me nevertheless.

"What is it, a wood duck?'' asked my companion, whose view of the bird was blocked by the thick stand of trees it flew into.

"No, the neck's too long,'' I said, maneuvering for a better look.

The insistent kuck kuck kuck continued, the bird obviously trying to lure us away from a nest it thought we might disturb. That's when it raised the shaggy crest on its dark head, a sharp contrast to its white throat, chestnut-colored neck and bluish-green back.

Ah, ha. A green heron.

No wonder I love playing golf.

The site of this none-too-frequent sighting was the Brunswick Greens Golf Club, a little upstate topographic gem just outside Troy, NY, not far from the Hudson River. But, it didn't have to be. As a gypsy golfer who plays only sporadically and belongs to no particular club, I've been privy to observing wildlife on numerous courses in the area.

Given my particular level of play -- sub-par in the truest sense of the phrase -- I've also had many opportunities to go thrashing about in woods, ponds, swamps and undergrowth in search of an errant ball. It's amazing how many snakes, rabbits and chipmunks a clumsy golfer can flush out of hiding, along with the occasional skunk.

But there is nothing like simply watching, without disturbing, golf course wildlife.

On the day I saw the green heron, my buddy and I sat sipping cool drinks after a round of destroying golf balls but not our self confidence.

As our gaze swept over the rise and fall of the course, taking in the views of lush green grass and stands of paper birch, dense pines and maples, towering red oaks and fernlike black walnut, a majestic white bird swooped low over a pond barely 50 yards from us.

It touched down like a feather, its brilliant white plumage and long, thin black legs in sharp contrast to the manicured emerald grass. It was a great egret, often mistaken for the snowy egret but differentiated by its black feet compared to what bird watchers refer to as the snowy's "golden slippers.''

The slender, stately creature extended its neck toward the water, then gently stepped into the pond, causing barely a ripple. The hunt for food was on as nature maintained its eternal rhythm despite the staccato tsss tsss tsss of an oscillating sprinkler and the occasional cries of golfers alternately cursing and cheering their shots.

These solitary waders are in sharp contrast to that most prolific of wild birds, the Canada goose.

You don't have to be on a golf course to spot the muscular 12-15 pound honkers that drop off the Atlantic Flyway migratory path to winter here, but it is on those courses they display a particularly belligerent attitude, helped along by their strength of numbers.

I recall one early autumn afternoon I was leisurely tracking down an errant 3-iron shot near a large pond.

Off in the distance I heard a soft, thrumming sound. As I zeroed in on its source, I realized it was a wave of Canada geese maneuvering for a pond landing.

Fluttering wings extended above them, they were aiming straight down. As they hit the surface the slapping sound of webbed feet on water was like a muffled orchestra percussion section, supplying the meter for this aerial ballet.

No sooner had they landed and paddled to one end of the pond, a second wave came in. Then a third. And, finally, a smaller fourth wave of stragglers that had formed up overhead as the stronger flyers took care of business down below.

It was an elegant, inspiring sight that stopped all the golfers in their tracks to watch as the rays of the late afternoon sun bounced off the smooth feathers and rippled water, adding accents to the tableau.

The euphoria such unexpected simple pleasures can inspire was, however, short lived. By the time I found my ball, most of the geese had exited the pond in search of food and had surrounded the ball.

As I stood knee-deep in honkers, unable to swing my club too far for fear of striking one of them and prompting retribution from the notoriously grumpy birds, I wondered if the experience was worth the trouble.

But the day I saw the green heron brought back memories of so many such outings that I knew, of course, it really was no trouble at all.

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ON THE WEB
All About Birds
About Birding/Wild Birds
Official Birds of All States
Wildbirds.com
Ornithology: The Science of Birds
North American Birds Photo Gallery

Lake Placid/Olympic Region has its own style

William M. Dowd photos

A white sand beach glistens on the shore of Mirror Lake.

Lake Placid village is on Mirror Lake.

Saranac Lake village is on Lake Flower.

Tupper Lake village is on Raquette Pond.

If all that doesn't evoke the image of a region of New York State that does things its own way, you haven't been paying attention.

Welcome to the Lake Placid area, or the Olympic Region, or the heart of the Adirondack Park. Whatever you choose to call it, it is an area with its own special character and attractions.

Just an easy 2½ hours north of Albany, the state capital, it's a straight shot up I-87, the Adirondack Northway, then hang a left for less than 30 miles to end up in downtown Lake Placid.

The area is one of only three in the entire world that has hosted the Winter Olympic games more than once. (St. Moritz and Innsbruck are the others.)

It will forever be known as home to the 1932 and 1980 Games, the latter probably the final time a community so small ever will host the gigantic undertaking that has financially ruined many a more prosperous place.

But the transient population actually is highest in the summer months when, for example, the numbers in the immediate Lake Placid area go from 3,000 hearty year-rounders who brave the lack of jobs and the excess of cold weather to 10,000 or more looking for a relaxed pace.

Everything from leisurely strolls through idyllic downtowns to more vigorous hikes, climbs and cycling activities attract the crowds to the heart of the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park, which contains one-fifth of all the land in the state and is the largest park in the country.

Olympic ski jump towers loom above the woods.

Some of the attraction stems from leftover Olympic venues -- you can take a professionally handled sled down a bobsled run during the summer; skate at both indoor and outdoor spots in warm weather where shivering Olympians once competed; go up to the soaring ski-jump towers via chairlift or elevator to get a bird's-eye view of the area; ski the imposing slopes of Whiteface Mountain.

All depending on the season, of course.

But, long before there was the Olympics here, there were the High Peaks, 46 of the Adirondack mountains that present a special and varied challenge to climbers. They range from the formal, groomed snowshoe and cross-country ski trails in the Mount Van Hoevenberg Cross-Country Center in Route 73, to the less-formal but well-marked hiking trails, and informal spots that vigorous individualists like to use for rock-climbing, boating and camping.

A typically busy day in downtown Lake Placid.

Lake Placid is the only village of any real size. It likes to brag that visitors don't need to make the hour's drive to Plattsburgh to get their mall shopping fix, but they do.

While the village has a few name-brand stores (Starbucks, Izod, Ben & Jerry) it has mostly locally owned craft shops, antique dealers, bookstores (two are next to each other, just five doors down from the public library), real estate agencies, restaurants and lodgings.

However, it has come a long way since it was called the Plains of Abraham, moving into the big time in 1811 when the Elba Iron & Steel Manufacturing Co. was founded and swelled the population to 300. After that it was a mere 89 years until it became an incorporated village, and just another 32 to become an Olympic town.

THINGS TO DO

• Main golf courses: Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club, Lake Placid, (877) 570-5891; Whiteface Club & Resort, Lake Placid, (518) 523-2551; Saranac Inn Golf & Country Club, Saranac Lake, (518) 891-1402. Go here for others.

• Olympic Regional Development Authority, Lake Placid: Seasonal activity listings for summer (mountain biking, bobsled rides, gondola, skating, figure skating, hiking, etc.) and winter (cross-country skiing, skating, biathlete lessons, skiing, luge, etc.)

• Performing Arts (plays, dance, concerts): Pendragon Theatre, 15 Brandy Brook Avenue, Saranac Lake, (518) 891-1854; Lake Placid Center for the Arts, 17 Algonquin Drive, Lake Placid, (518) 523-2512.

• Adirondack Museum, Routes 28 & 30, Blue Mountain Lake, (518) 352-7311: Open daily from May 23-Oct. 19, closed Sept. 5 and 19. Family-oriented facility that mixes exhibits with special events (barn raising, whimsy and play, harvest festival, rustic fair).

• Lake Placid Horse Shows, Route 73, North Elba, (518) 523-9625: The two-week equestrian competition is scheduled for June 24-July 6 this year on the sprawling grounds just outside the village. Also scheduled: jumping events, shows and children's events.

• The Wild Center: Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, Tupper Lake, (518) 359-7800: A 31-acre complex offers live exhibits, hiking and exploring venues. With naturalist guides or self-guided treks. Family oriented.

PLACES TO EAT

• Charlie's, 2543 Main St, Lake Placid, (523-9886): Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner indoors or on the lakeview deck. Particularly good fusion cuisine on the dinner menu, and a nice Adirondack-style cocktail lounge called T-Bar.

• Blue Moon Cafe, 55 Main St., Saranac Lake (891-1310): Comfy local spot for a snack, breakfast or lunch. Very reasonable prices.

• Milano North, 2490 Main St., Lake Placid, 523-3003: A 110-seat bistro patterned on the original Milano in Newton Plaza in the Albany suburb of Latham, this one is located above a Starbucks and an antiques shop. Good grilled Italian specialties, plus children's menu, and outdoor patio dining.

• Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, 813 Mirror Lake Drive, Lake Placid, 523-3818: The brewpub is upstairs and has a deck overlooking the lake. Downstairs is P.J. O'Neill's, an Irish-style pub. The pub, which gets its beers from the company brewing facility near Plattsburgh, is popular for locals and visitors alike and serves a wide range of craft beers.

PLACES TO STAY

• Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, 2559 Main St., Lake Placid, 523-3353: If you're environmentally aware, you'll be right at home at this iconic hotel that recently unveiled many changes that make it a true sustainable "green" experience: allergen-free rooms, recycled building materials, It's among a small handful of facilities in North America that hold the Audubon Societies' 4-Green-Leaf Eco Rating. From its comfy rooms to its white-sand lakeside beach and a 3,000-square-foot green roof that insulates the facility and acts as a storm water management system that catches pollutants as they drain off the roof, this is a clever hotel.

• Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa, 77 Mirror Lake Drive, Lake Placid, 523-2544: When you stroll on the long brick village sidewalk, you may be excused if you think you'll never get to the end of this sprawling inn. It includes a few lakeside buildings but 95 percent of it sits on a rise that allows an unimpeded water view. It has won about every luxury hotel honor available and advance bookings are strongly suggested.

Note: For listings of more than 300 regional lodging possibilities, go here.

A dilapidated barn adds to this rustic Olympic region scene.

Visitors spend a tranquil moment in a Lake Placid village pocket park.

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ON THE WEB
• Land of Plenty
• Raising the bar in Lake Placid
• Dowd's Guides

Raising the bar in Lake Placid

April Dowd photo

Cocktails guru Tony Abou-Ganim (left) and drinks writer Bill Dowd work out behind the bar during a Lake Placid workshop this week.
LAKE PLACID, NY -- Tony Abou-Ganim, the celebrity mixologist who helped the cocktail culture return nationwide with a rush over the past decade or so, was in fine form during an hour-long cocktail-making workshop at T-Bar on Thursday night.

T-Bar, a ritzy Adirondack-style cocktail lounge within chef Charlie Levitz's eponymous Charlie's restaurant on Main Street, was briefly turned into the kind of classroom no one wants to avoid.

Abou-Ganim splits much of his time between Las Vegas and New York -- he's a partner in the recently-opened Manhattan spot Bar Milano -- but pops up all over the country for trade shows, training events and special occasions. He'd just appeared at the annual Santé magazine industry trade show in Manchester, VT, and was returning to a place where he'd personally trained Levin's bartending staff a year ago in the fine points of cocktail making.

This workshop preceded a cocktail-pairing dinner prepared by Charlie's head chef Lendell Eaddy and Levitz, who oversees the Charlie's kitchen but spends much of his time at his other Lake Placid restaurant, Chair 6, and with his extensive catering operations.

During the show-and-tell, Abou-Ganim invited several onlookers to step behind the bar to help him make some basic drinks -- Cosmopolitans, Marqueritas, Martinis. He also challenged yours truly to a "Manhattan throwdown" since both of us are fans of the historic drink. I, in fact, consider it a food group.

He laid down the ground rules: The same recipe had to be followed — bourbon (we both liked the sweetness of Maker’s Mark), Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, Angostura Bitters and a maraschino cherry. The catch was that Abou-Ganim preferred to shake his concoction over fresh ice — which I normally do for a straight-up cocktail — while insisting I stir mine with ice to properly chill each drink.

He shook.

I stirred.

We poured.

The audience voted on the cocktail with the most alluring appearance.

Modesty prohibits revealing the voters results. Let's just say I won't ask for a recount.

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• Lake Placid and the Adirondacks
• The Olympic Region
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