New Finger Lakes Cheese Trail Tour set

New York State already has wine trails, a whiskey trail, a beer trail, a beverage trail that straddles those categories, an apple trail and now it can boast the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail.

The new organization consists of more than a dozen cheese houses, and its first major attention-getting activity is the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail Tour.

"What goes more naturally with wine than cheese?" says Larry Wilcox, an organizer of the tour. "New York’s dairy farmers produce very good quality and quantity. You pair those cheeses with the food and wine of the region, and it’s really wonderful.”\"

Each stop will offer visitors free samples of the house specialties, such as Gouda, goat’s milk, Colby, cheese curds and more, plus tours of the facilities and, in some cases, a chance to see cheesemaking in action.

Tours are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, October 9, and noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Ooctober 10. The Trail also has scheduled a holiday shopping event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, December 11.

Participating farms are:

• Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Company, 5491 Bergen Road, off State Route 79, Mecklenberg. (607) 387-3108.
• Keeley’s Cheese Company, 539 Route 34B, King Ferry. (315) 730-6872.
• Finger Lakes Dexter Cheese Creamery, 1853 Black Rock Road, King Ferry. (315) 364-3581.
• Muranda Cheese, 3075 Route 96S, Waterloo. (315) 539-1103.
• Lively Run Goat Dairy, 8878 County Road 142, Interlaken. (607) 532-4647.
• Northland Sheep Dairy, cheese sold only at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market. (607) 849-4442.
• Sidehill Acres Goat Farm, 79 Spencer Road (Route 96), Candor. (607) 659-4121.
• Engelbert Farms, 192 Sunnyside Road, Nichols. (607) 699-3775.
• Wake Robin Farm, 125 Brutus Road, Jordan. (315) 689-0034.
• Sunset View Creamery, 4970 County Road 14, Odessa. (607) 594-2095.

A map of the tour is available on on its Facebook page. Search for "Finger Lakes Cheese Trail."

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Warwick Valley creates an apple trail

WARWICK, NY -- The area's half-dozen fruit orchards have joined forces to create the Warwick Valley Apple Trail. Its existence will be to promote and market the region's fruit producing efforts.

The charter members are Apple Ridge (formerly known as Jessup Road), Applewood, Masker, Ochs, Pennings and Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery. The six grow more than 50 apple varieties on more than 700 hundred acres in the Town of Warwick.

The Apple Trail designation was created under New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Farm, Apple, and Cuisine Trail Designation Program.

In addition to apples, the orchards along the trail offer fruit liqueurs, apple pies, pears, peaches, cider doughnuts, cider, hard cider, pumpkins, wagon rides, jams, ice cream, wines, and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

"We really don’t compete with each other," said Jason Grizzanti co-owner of Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery. "Each orchard has different strengths. We hope that with the formation of the Warwick Valley Apple Trail, we can highlight each orchard and help further solidify Warwick as an agricultural destination.”

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Poll: Finger Lakes world's most beautiful

If you're looking to spend some downtime this fall in the "world's most beautiful wine region," get a Finger Lakes roadmap.

The region has gained that title in Budget Travel magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards. It is featured in the October issue, which went on sale at newsstands this week.

“We are tremendously honored to be named world’s most beautiful wine region by the Budget Travel readers,” said Morgen McLaughlin, president of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association. “To be recognized by our visitors speaks highly for Finger Lakes Wine Country.”

About 164,000 votes were cast in the online poll that covered categories ranging from favorite apps to top island getaway. Finger Lakes Wine County and the North Fork of Long Island received 1,978, or 34% of the 5,887 votes in their category. California came in second with 1,477, or 25% votes in the category.

The Finger Lakes region also was named a top value destination, receiving 472 (28%)  of the 1,671 votes in the category. The Dominican Republic topped the category with 501 (29%).

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‘Eat, Drink Local’ extravaganza in NYC

NEW YORK — In the world of real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” In the world of food and drink, it’s “local, local, local.”

That push is behind “Eat, Drink Local,” the theme and title of an 11-day promotion in the city reminding consumers of the wines and foods coming form their own state.

It will run from Sunday, September 26, through Thursday, October 6, with wineries from Long Island, the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes joining nearly 100 restaurants to push the message. Most of the participating wineries also will have a presence at greenmarkets during that period.

“Eat, Drink Local” is a joint venture among the various Edible magazines in the city, GrowNYC (greenmarket), the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and Wine & Food Associates.

The program will include a series of seminars, tastings and fund-raising events, beginning with an Amish-style heirloom vegetable auction at Sotheby’s on Thursday, September 23, HARVEST auction at Wolffer Estate Winery on Long Island on Saturday, September 25; the October 4 Festival of the 11 Ingredients at Chelsea Market; and the annual “Taste of Greenmarket” on October 6.

You can get details on all the program’s events online.

Naples Grape Fest turning 20

NAPLES, NY — The 20th annual Naples Grape Festival is looming, with the September 25-26 event expected to once again swell the village’s population from about 1,000 to 100,000.

The village, located in the Bristol Mountains at the south end of Canandaigua Lake, is no newcomer to the world of wine. It has been home to Widmer Wine Cellars since 1888. Widmer was some to Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards several months ago.

The Grape Festival’s high point is the annual competition for honors as the World’s Greatest Grape Pie. The pies, indigenous to this part of the Finger Lakes, were created in the 1950s, credited to longtime local resident Irene Bouchard. Joseph’s Wayside Market sponsors the contest. (Entry details here.)

In addition, 13 wineries will be offering tastes of their wares in the wine tent. Local products from various food producers and craftspersons also will be available, along with live music.

The event is mostly free; a $10 admission fee is charged for entry to the wine tasting tent. The venue is the Naples High School grounds and the Memorial Town Hall across the street. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine.
Participating wineries:

• White Springs Farm and Estate Winery
• 1000 Island Wineries
• Arbor Hill
• Cascata Winery at The Professor’s Place
• Knapp Vineyards
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
• Eagle Crest Vineyards
• Glenora Winery
• Atwater Vineyards
• Imagine Moore Winery
• Miles Wine Cellars
• Wagner Vineyards
• Hunt Country Vineyards

Syracuse beer mecca shutting down

SYRACUSE, NY — The expansion of the Landmark Theatre is coming at the expense of a famous Armory Square drinking spot.

Clark’s Ale House, which last year was included in All About Beer magazine’s global list of the “top 125 places to have a beer before you die,” will be closing after next Saturday, September 25. Owner Ray Clark says the decision comes because the theater, which houses the bar at 122 West Jefferson Street, needs the space for its planned expansion project even though Clark’s lease has another two years to go.

In a written statement, Clark explained, “I and my crew would love to keep serving Syracuse ‘til the end of Clark’s legitimate legal lease — 8-22-12 — but I must do the right thing and not fight the troubled Landmark Theatre and let them go ahead with their massive expansion, as it should be good for Syracuse.” He said he has no immediate plans.

Clark’s has no music, no TV sets, but its English-style atmosphere offers darts, board games and the like. Among the accolades it has garnered in its 18-year existence:

• 2 of a possible 2 stars and inclusion among the top 100 beer bars in the U.S. by American Demographics Magazine.

• No. 16 rating out of 1,700 beer bars in the U.S. twice by the Beer Travelers Guide.

• 4 of a possible 4 stars from the Beer Lovers Guide to the USA.
• One of the top 200 beer bars in the U.S. and one of the top 15 in the Northeast by Draft Magazine in 2009.
• One of the top 150 beer bars in the U.S. by Draft Magazine this year.

The $16 million renovation of the Landmark Theatre is expected to begin soon, and take about a year. The auditorium and stage will be closed to events until the fall of 2011, although its ornate lobby will remain open for special events. The goal is enlarging the facility to allow the presentation of Broadway-type shows. Seating will remain just shy of 3,000.

City Winery to hold Beer Week bash

NEW YORK — The next big thing in a seemingly endless parade of beer fests this summer, and into early autumn, will be the NYC Brewer’s Choice event, to be held at … a winery.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, September 30, in conjunction with the city’s Craft Beer Week events, will be held at City Winery, 155 Varick Street. It will encompass food and beer pairings as well as formal discussions, with at least 15 brewers representing their own select, rare and small-batch beers.

Featured brewers will include:

Keynote speaker Greg Hall of Goose Island
Kelly Taylor of Kelso Breweries
Phil Markowski of Southampton Breweries
Shane Welch of Sixpoint Brewery
Patrick Rue of The Bruery
D.J. Swanson of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Phil Leinart of Brewery Ommegang
Ben Granger of Bier Kraft), on homebrew pairing
Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery)
Scott Vaccaro of Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Jeff O’Neal of Ithaca Brewing
Sam Merritt of Civilization of Beer, on beer sommelier pairing
Brian O’Reilly of SlyFox Brewing
Richard Norgrove of Bear Republic
David Katleski of Empire Brewing Company
Ray McNeill of McNeill’s Brewery
Dan Paquette of Pretty Things Beer
Jeremy Cowan of HE’BREW Beer
Shelton Brothers Imports

Food selections will be provided by Sigmund Pretzels, Brooklyn Larder, Jimmy’s No. 43, Jacques Torres Chocolate, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Salumeria Bellese, High Plains Bison and others.

General admission will include unlimited food and beer tastings in a walk-around setting. VIP six-person tables, the only seating at the event, are available. There will be no table service. Reservations are available online.

Wine & brew fest coming up in Catskills

HUNTER, NY -- The Catskills in autumn are a riot of colorful foliage, so when you add lengthy lineups of wineries and brewers offering taste of their products, you have a tempting combination.

The Hunter Mountain Wine & Brew Fest will include live entertainment, a farmers' market and specialty food and craft vendors. The September 25-26 event is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. An estimated 20 wineries and breweries are expected to be on hand.

Admission is $20, which covers wine sampling and 10 beer samples. Tickets: By phone at (800) 486-8376 or online. Admission to the grounds without sampling is free. Beers also will be sold in the main bar area and satellite stations at $6 for a 16-ounce size.

Wineries joining apples and crafts festival

CASTLETON, NY -- Its billed as the 22nd annual Apple Festival & Crafts Fair, but don't fret if you like wine with your crafts. The October 9-10 event, hosted by Goold Orchards, will include a number of New York wineries.

The host facility's own Brookview Station Winery component will be joined by two other Hudson River Region farm wineries -- the Hudson-Chatham Winery of Ghent, Columbia County, and Cascade Mountain Winery of Amenia, Dutchess County -- as well as Finger Lakes operations Hunt Country Winery of Branchport and Catherine Valley Winery of Burdett.

Live entertainment, examples of the arts, crafts, and agriculture of the Capital Region, Pride of New York and Uncork NY food vendors will be involved, along with a haunted house and other attractions for kids.

Tickets for the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain-or-shine event are $8 for those over 12, no charge for kids under 12. Advance ticket packages are four for $28. Tastings in the Wine Tent are $8, which includes a souvenir wine glass. The tent will open at 10 a.m.

Goold Orchards is located at 1297 Brookview Station Road, in this Rensselaer County town. Phone: (518) 732-7317.

'NYS of Mind' outside the Big Apple

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- Long Islander Billy Joel wrote a song about it, and the New York Wine & Culinary Center is celebrating it. "New York State of Mind," the Finger Lakes facility's biggest event of the year, is set for Friday, September 17.

It is a celebration of the foods and drinks produced by artisans from all parts of the state, complemented by an auction and live music, all as a 6:30 to 11 p.m. fundraiser in support of youth programs at the NYWCC. Rooms are available at Inn in the Lake, next to the center, at special rates for event attendees. Details: (800) 228-2801. Admission is $150 per person. At last count, there were just 24 spots available.

Winery sponsors include:

Swedish Hill Winery
Goose Watch Winery
Wolffer Estate Vineyard
Casa Larga Vineyards & Winery
Sheldrake Point Vineyard
Macari Vineyards Winery
Leonard Oakes Estate Winery, Inc.
Fox Run Vineyards
Lakewood Vineyards
Billsboro Winery
Paumanok Vineyards
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars
Chateau Lafayette Reneau
Rooster Hill Vineyards
Ventosa Vineyards
Baldwin Vineyards
Shinn Estate Vineyards
Prejean Winery
Red Tail Ridge Winery

Sunday food truck fest on Governors Island

GOVERNORS ISLAND, NY -- New York merchants are nothing if not inventive. Think about all those street food and beverage vendors, or the people who ply the same sort of treats from trucks. It's the latter who will be taking center stage this Sunday with the annual "Parked: Food Truck Fest."

This year the venue has moved from Brooklyn to Colonel's Row here on Governors Island, with free ferry transportation leaving from the Barry Maritime Building at 10 South Street, adjacent to the State Island Ferry facility in lower Manhattan. Ferries also leave from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Go here for transportation details.

The event, which will have a slew of food trucks as well as a craft beer created especially for the occasion, will run from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free; you pay as you go to eat and drink. The rain date is September 26.

Last year, the event drew more than 3,000 people. This year it's a good opportunity to get a look around the island even if you're not looking to spend a buck. But, the organizers certainly hope you do.

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