'Taste of Two Forks' a wine and food gala

BRIDGEHAMPTON, Long Island -- Anyone who wants to sample the wares of 30 wineries and 40 restaurants at one venue might consider heading for "Dan’s Taste of Two Forks," a Saturday, July 16, soiree to be hosted by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Rosanna Scotto will be the emcee, introducing such show biz guests as Mark Feuerstein of TV's "Royal Pains" series that is set in The Hamptons.

Among participating wineries:

• Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard
• Bedell Cellars
• Channing Daughters
• Comtesse Therese
• Duck Walk
• Gramercy Vineyards
• Jamesport Vineyards
• Long Island Meadery
• Long Island Merlot Alliance
• Martha Clara Vineyards
• Mattebella Vineyards
• One Woman Vineyards
• Osprey's Dominion
• Palmer Vineyards
• Pellegrini
• Pindar
• Raphael
• Scarola Vineyards
• Sherwood House
• Sparkling Pointe
• Suhru Wines
• Wölffer Estate

The full list of restaurants, chefs and local purveyors is available online. In addition, tickets may be purchased online. Tickets will include a complimentary VIP Pass for two to artMRKT Hamptons! It includes admission all weekend long to the art fair featuring 35 galleries from across the the country. It is located around the corner from Sayre Park, on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society. Sayre Park itself is located at 154 Snake Hollow Road.

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ON THE WEB

• LI Wine Country map
• Bridgehampton Historical Society
• Dowd's Guides home page

NYS Fair crowns Keuka Spring Vineyard

SYRACUSE -- In the final official tally of medal winners in the New York State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, no one could top Keuka Spring Vineyards.

The Finger Lakes winery's Miller's Cove Red took "Best Red" and "Best of Show" honors.

Lucas Vineyards' 2009 Semi-Dry Riesling receiving the "June Phillips Award" for "Best Riesling" as well as "Best White Wine."

Other "Best of" honors:

Dessert: Goose Watch Classic Cream Sherry
Distilled Spirit: Montezuma Bee Vodka
Sparkling: Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose
Rose: Goose Watch Cabernet Franc Rose
Fruit: Hazlitt Brambleberry

Additional Double Gold medals -- by unanimous vote of the tasting panel: Chateau LaFayette Reneau Seyval Chardonnay, Glenora 2010 Vidal Iced, Thirsty Owl 2010 Riesling, Martha Clara 2007 Estate Reserve Merlot and Swedish Hill 2010 25th Anniversary Reserve Vignoles.

Gold medals -- majority vote of the panel: Brotherhood 2010 Dry Riesling, Casa Larga 2009 Riesling, Hunt Country 2010 Seyval Blanc, Glenora 2010 Dry Riesling, Hazlitt White Stag, 2009 Gewurztraminer and 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Heron Hill 2007 Eclipse, JD Wine Cellars Free Flight and Marquette, Keuka Spring 2009 Seyval Chardonnay and 2010 Riesling, Lucas 30th Anniversary Extra Dry and Butterfly, Knapp 2010 Dry Riesling, 2010 Riesling and 2010 Estate Bottled Vignoles, Swedish Hill 2010 Dry Riesling, Thirsty Owl 2010 Diamond, 2010 Snow Owl and 2010 Vidal Blanc, Ventosa 2009 Ventosa Vineyards Tocaice, 2010 Ventosa Vineyards Riesling and 2008 Ventosa Vineyards Pinot Noir, Wagner 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling and 2008 Vidal Ice, and Young Sommer 2009 Cherry Breeze.

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ON THE WEB

• The Great NYS Fair: Aug. 25-Sept.5
• Dowd's Guides home page.

Lesser-known NYers take SF big gold

SAN FRANCISCO -- Some less-than-familiar New York State names took gold medals in the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Coyote Moon Vineyards, located in the Thousand Islands, and Eagle Crest Vineyards of Hemlock Lake scored heavily in a field of more than 4,000 international entries.

Coyote Moon won Double Golds -- a unanimous vote of the tasting panel -- for its 2010 River Time White and its 2009 River Run Rose, and Golds -- a majority vote of the panelists -- for its 2010 Brianna and its 2010 Concord Fire Boat Red.

Eagle Crest earned a Double Gold for its Cayuga-based On-no-lee, and Golds for its 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling and its 2010 Niagara.

Merritt Estate also joined the New York parade with a Double Gold for its Bella Ice Wine.

Other New York single Golds:

• Fulkerson Winery 2009 Riesling-Traminette, 2008 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine.
• Goose Watch 2010 Diamond, 2010 Melody.
• Hazlitt 1856 Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc.
• Keuka Lake Vineyards 2009 Riesling Falling Man Vineyard.
• Keuka Spring 2010 Vignoles and Clara's red.
• Penguin Bay Percussion.
• Red Tail Ridge 2010 Semi-Sweet Riesling.
• Swedish Hill 2009 Reserve Chardonnay and 2010 25th Anniversary Vignoles.
• Whitecliff Vineyards 2010 Traminette.

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NY wine 'superstore' coming to Riverhead

A section of the Tanger Outlet Mall.

RIVERHEAD, Long Island, NY -- New York-only wine stores are not unique, but they are few and far between and, for the most part, quite small. Jim Silver, general manager of Peconic Bay Winery, plans to change that.

Silver is developing Empire State Cellars, described as a New York wine superstore, for the Tanger Outlet Mall here (a section of it is shown at right). He will feature wines from many New York regions -- Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Thousand Islands, Lake Erie and Niagara.

"What New York lacks is a certain unity in the way we market ourselves," Silver said in an interview with North Fork Patch.com. "I think this store is a small contribution, helping the way we market ourselves at least in the wine industry."

A wine store at the Tanger Outlet Mall has never been attempted, at the Riverhead location or any other Tanger Outlet location, according to Silver. He acknowledged that an outlet mall may seem like an unlikely place to find a wine store but said that "folks at Tanger are really enjoying the experiment themselves. ...

"I looked at the demographics of the Tanger customer, and they coincide beautifully with wine buyers. Outlet shoppers are nearly 80% women and between 70 and 80% of wine purchases are made by women," Silver explained. "Also, if you look at the income demographics for outlet mall shoppers, they are much higher than you might expect and that makes a lot of sense for a wine shop as well because typically we’re talking about a higher level income demographic."

Silver is aiming for an early August opening. The store will be located near the food court and the Ralph Lauren store.

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Mobile martinis and merlot in the park

Pera photo.

NEW YORK -- What is yellow, serves Turkish-style tacos, offers 190 different wines and has four wheels?

The Pera Turkish Taco Truck, of course, which I believe is the first food truck in New York to be licensed to sell beer, wine and cocktails.

The one-year license requires that all such beverages must be consumed in an enclosed seating area outside the space formerly occupied by the late, lamented Tavern on the Green in Central Park, where the truck is parked.

The taco truck is owned by Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, 303 Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

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ON THE WEB

• Complete Guide to Central Park
• Dowd's Guides home page

The (modest) return of NY hops

• From the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard

Steve Miller wants to make hops, a key ingredient in beer, a cash crop in New York State once again.

And with the re-emergence of hops, he wants to make New York State beer as big a tourist attraction as New York State wine has become in the last 35 years.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County hired Miller as the state’s first hops specialist this year.

"My role is to work with the growers to get the information they need to produce a quality product and make money at it," he said. "I don’t work with growers just in Madison County, I work with all of New York State.

"On the West Coast, you’re looking at 29,000 acres of hops. In New York, it’s 50 acres," Miller added. "Less than 10 acres are in Madison County" -- once a nationally recognized hop center.

[Go here for the full story.]

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Buffalo Bills alums ready to train

All aboard the Vineyard Express.

LOCKPORT, NY -- Under terms of the National Football League lockout, players are not allowed to train at team facilities. But, the Buffalo Bills Alumni Association will be training this Sunday -- at the Spring Lake Winery.

The ex-players will be attending and helping host the "Ride, Wine and Dine Vineyard Express Excursion" from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.


The event will consist of a train ride through the Niagara County countryside, a complimentary continental breakfast, a tour of the Medina Railroad Museum, wine tasting at the Tuscan-style stone winery with lunch on the grill, a celebrity guest speaker, live music, walking, hiking, winery tours and demonstrations, silent auction and basket raffle.

Former Bills player Lou Piccone, who helped organize the event with the Varallo family, said “It’s always nice to help out and support our many friends in Niagara County.”

The event is open to the general public although space is limited. Details and registration: (716) 439-5253 or online.

Spring Lake Winery is located on the Niagara Escarpment at 7373 Rochester Road (Route 31).

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Beer/food/wine fest at Martha Clara Vineyards

Official event logo.

RIVERHEAD, Long Island, NY -- Craft beer, wine and food make a nice smorgasbord. Put them together with live music and the right setting and you have the 5th annual North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, hosted by the picturesque Martha Clara Vineyards at 6025 Sound Avenue.

More than 50 craft breweries from across the country will have their products available, along with local wines and barbecue food prepared by Maple Tree BBQ.

The event will feature local beers from Blue Point Brewing Co., Greenport Harbor Brewing Co., and Great South Bay Brewery. It will take place rain or shine, with multiple tents available to shelter attendees, breweries, wineries and special vendors. Weather permitting; the middle of the field will have tables and chairs for your comfort and enjoyment. A barbecue sandwich and side dish are included with each paid admission.

The festival will help raise funds for the Kent Animal Shelter and the Terry Farrell Fire Fighters Fund. It will offer two sessions -- a VIP session from 1 to 6 p.m. and general admission session from 2 to 6 p.m. Details are available online. Organizers emphasize that once tickets are sold, no additional admissions will be permitted. Attendees must be 21 or older.

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Hunt Country Vineyards hits the big 3-0

Art Hunt in the early days.

BRANCHPORT, NY -- The spate of new and planned wineries around New York has been getting most of the media attention of late, but there's history being celebrated as well.

Hunt Country Vineyards received its farm winery license 30 years ago this year, and the Yates County operation has a full schedule of events to mark the milestone.

Says founder Art Hunt, writing on his website:

"In 1981, we had already been selling grape juice to home winemakers for several years, so we knew a little about winemaking. Terry Simons, who became our first winemaker, and I each took two three-day commercial winemaking courses and a two-day wine analysis lab course. Armed with that extensive knowledge, all that was available on the East Coast at the time, we followed our instructions carefully. We settled and racked, cold-stabilized and filtered and tasted.

"With the help of family and several of our friends, especially Roger and Vicky Dick, we bottled, corked and labeled the wine. It was an adventure for sure. We had a new Friedrick 6 spout filler purchased from Philip Wagner of Boordy Vineyards in Maryland. He was the father of the farm winery movement in the East and a mentor to a great many of us.

"We had a hand corker which taxed our endurance by the end of the day. We purchased an ancient cast iron labeler vintage 1904 from Tom Hayes, an Episcopal minister who found a higher calling in the grapes. It whirred, clanked and squalked and weighed about 800 pounds and was a true Rube Goldberg. With some tinkering, we were able to get it to work fairly well and it was amazing to watch. It is now in the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport."

Among the anniversary events:

• Grape Jam: Rock the Vineyards concert
• Anniversary winemaker’s dinner
• Anniversary wine list pricing
• New wine tastings beginning July 1 -- chocolate and wine tasting, Wine Tasting 101 half-hour introduction to wine tasting basics
• Tasting room improvements
• Guided winery tours

Details of the events and offerings are available online.

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UB wine-in-markets poll flips Siena's

BUFFALO, NY -- A survey of wine drinkers conducted by the University at Buffalo School of Management has found that 54% say they are opposed to a proposal to allow supermarkets to sell wine.

That survey, released today, is the flip side of a recent Siena Research Institute Poll at Siena College in Albany County that found that 59% of respondents favored the proposal.

By comparison with Siena's 819-respondent survey, UB surveyed more than 5,000 households.

The survey also was more detailed than Siena's in how questions were asked. Siena's question was part of a larger package of legislative initiatives, while UB's asked numerous questions on the wine sales topic. Some results:

• 54% of respondents said they are opposed to wine sales in supermarkets.
• 42% of those opposing such sales cited "negative impact on small businesses" as their reason.
• 87% of those who favored the proposal did so because of shopping convenience.
• 10% of those in favor cited potential for reduced prices.

According to the co-authors of the study, Jain, Ram Bezawada and Gary Pickering, survey participants included both men (38%) and women (62%) representing all age, income and education groups. Jain and Bezawada are co-directors of the school's Research Group in Integrated Marketing (RIM). Pickering is a professor of biological sciences and psychology/wine science at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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Yates County getting yet another winery

Site is near intersection at left.

STARKEY, NY -- Yates County claims it already grows more grapes than any other county in the U.S., and crams 13 wineries into its boundaries.

Get set to make that 14.

Plans have been filed for an 8,500-square-foot wine and beer tasting facility north of Glenora Wine Cellars near the intersection of Route 14 and Dundee-Glenora Road, overlooking Seneca Lake.

The developer is BWF Holdings of Geneva. It has applied for a financial incentive package through the Finger Lakes Economic Development Center for the $3 million project.

If it comes to fruition, it would be the second winery built in Starkey within the past year. The other is Magnus Ridge Winery, scheduled to soon open several miles south, near Rock Stream.

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The rise of North Creek is sinking fast

A quiet day in North Creek.

• From the Glens Falls Post-Star

NORTH CREEK, NY -- What two years ago was an air of unrelenting optimism on Main Street has turned acrid, as some North Creek businesses are closing while others struggle to survive.

A boom and bust cycle has dominated North Creek's business district for decades, and local officials and entrepreneurs worry that the downward trend is under way once again.

"I get scared," said Laurie Prescott Arnheiter, owner of the Hudson River Trading Co., on Monday. "I wake up in the morning hoping for something good to happen."

Downtown North Creek experienced an influx of new business beginning in 2008. Some 16 startups opened their doors in the last two years alone. The prospects of the then-planned Interconnect, linking Gore Mountain with a town park, and the proposed $250 million resort on adjacent property by Front Street Mountain Development gave would-be business owners a reason for optimism.

But the Front Street project has seen little progress. ... (B)usinesses are struggling and closing.

[Go here for the full story.]

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Bedell Cellars adds VIP table service

Bedell Cellars' main building.

CUTCHOGUE, Long Island, NY -- Wineries are always on the lookout for new services that might draw visitors to their facilities.

I recently reported on Millbrook Vineyards' round-trip van service between the Poughkeepsie train station and its complex. Now, in the category of innovation, Bedell Cellars is offering personalized VIP table service on its outdoor pavilion for patrons who wish to taste wines at a table with a dedicated server.

Guided by the waitstaff, guests select special wine tasting flights and regional cheese plates, prepared by the Village Cheese Shop of Mattituck, to sample. On Saturdays, fresh local oysters from North Fork Oysters in Jamesport also will be offered.

The maximum group size for table service is 12. Reservations are recommended, although walk-in guests may be seated as space allows. A tasting costs $18, and includes a variety of wien flights from which to choose.
Bedell Cellars was founded by Kip and Susan Bedell in 1980. In 2000, it was purchased by Michael Lynne, co-chairman and co-CEO of New Line Cinema. He had purchased Corey Creek Vineyards a year earlier, and in 2001 added Wells Road Vineyard to his Bedell North Fork LLC company.

The Bedell tasting room recently was named one of the top 25 tasting rooms in America by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

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Strawberry season an infuser's delight

Summertime is, as I have written before, a wonderful time for those of us who enjoy infusing vodka.

Basil, thyme, dill, lavendar, tarragon and all those other savory herbs are available for months to help us create new drink expressions. Fruits, on the other hand ...

Locally seasonal fruits seldom are around for long. Strawberries, one of my favorite flavors for so many dishes and drinks, have just come into season from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point and everywhere in between. But, according to the New York State Berry Growers Association, the locally-grown berries generally will only be around for a month.

Farmers markets or farm stands are a great place to select strawberries since growers have a very short window of opportunity to make any money off them. If you want to use the berries in vodka infusion, the steps are quite simple:

1. Wash and de-stem the berries under cold running water.
2. Quarter the berries, and slightly crush them with a wooden muddling tool.
3. Put approximately one-third cup of the macerated berries in a 750ml bottle of vodka. (You may have to force yourself to consumer a few sips of the vodka to make room for the fruit, but that's the price one pays.)
4. Recap the bottle and place in a cool, dark place for 10 days. Be sure to gently shake the concoction a few times every few days until the infusion process is complete.
5. Once the infusion is done, place the bottle in the freezer until the liquid becomes thick and syrupy. This allows you to use little to no ice in any cocktail -- or even when drinking it straight -- and, thus, avoid diluting your drink.

For tips on other infusions, go here.

For information on berry farms nearest your home, go here.

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NY gets 11 'Best of' in LA test

New York State wines had a bang-up time at the recent Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition: 11 Best of Class (plus Gold) awards, 11 additional Gold, 34 Silver, and 24 Bronze medals.

This year's competition included entries from more than 3,000 wineries from the U.S. and 16 other countries. The competition for the first time had a number score included in its Gold Medal awards, 90 or above based on a collection of judges' ratings.

Best of Class -- and, of course, Gold:

• Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2010 Diamond (96)
• Merritt Estate Winery Bella Rosa (95)
• Fulkerson Winery 2009 Riesling-Traminette (94)
• Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Estate Riesling (94)
• Coyote Moon Vinyeards 2010 Brianna (94)
• Sparkling Pointe 2001 Brut Seduction (94)
• Swedish Hill 2009 Dry Riesling (94)
• Chateau Frank Blanc de Blanc (93)
• Coyote Moon Vineyards 2010 Twisted Sister (92)
• Swedish Hill 2010 Cayuga (92)
• Sherwood House Vineyards 2008 Estate Chardonnay (91)

Gold Medals:

• Belhurst Estate Winery 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling (94)
• Thirsty Owl 2009 Dry Riesling (94)
• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Dry Riesling (94)
• Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling (93)
• Swedish Hill Winery 2009 Vidal (93)Thirsty Owl 2010 Vidal (93)
• Belhurst Estate Winery 2010 Dry Riesling (93)
• Swedish Hill Winery 2010 Dry Riesling (91)
• Swedish Hill Winery Doobie Blues (91)

Critics Challenge:

Platinum -- Dr. Konstantin Frank 2009 Rkatsiteli, Lucas Vineyards 2009 Dry Riesling, Sherwood House Vineyards 2008 Estate Chardonnay, Sparkling Pointe 2007 Brut, and Topaz Imperial.

Gold -- Dr. Frank 2009 Gewurztraminer, Hazlitt 1852 Merlot, Lucas 2010 Dry Riesling, 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling, and 2009 Semi-Dry Riesling, Sparkling Pointe 2001 Brut Seduction; and Wagner Vineyards 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling.

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Thirsty Owl agains takes 'Golden Nose'

CANANDAIGUA -- The Thirsty Owl Wine Company won the Finger Lakes Resling Championship by a ... well, AT the 5th Golden Nose competition, held at the New York Wine & Culinary Center here.

The honor was part of the consumer-driven event and was the second year in a row Thirsty Owl won the award, this time over 58 other entries. More than 200 wines representing more than 20 varieties from 34 Finger Lakes wineries were entered this year.

Thirsty Owl is located on the western side of Caygua Lake.

Awards are based on blind tastings by 22 consumer judges who were schooled in the fundamentals of wine judging prior to the event, assisted by eight Finger Lakes wine industry professionals. Panels of 4-5 judges determined initial awards, and "best of class" designations were decided. Double Gold honors indicate a unanimous vote of the panel. Gold honors denote a majority vote.

This year's event was organized by Shannon Brock, NYWCF wine coordinator, and Teresa Knapp of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.

The other awards:

Best of Class

• Sparkling Wine -- Goose Watch NV Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
• Vinifera White -- Sheldrake Point 2010 Gewurtztraminer
• Vinifera Red -- Wagner Vineyards 2007 Meritage
• Dessert Wine -- Anthony Road 2008 Riesling Trockenbeeren
• Hybrid Grape Wine -- Villa Bellangelo 2010 Moscato
• Native Grape Wine -- Americana Vineyards NV Crystal Lake

Double Gold Medals

• Anthony Road Wine Company 2008 Riesling Trockenbeeren
• Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Dry Riesling
• Goose Watch Winery NV Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
• Goose Watch Winery NV Classic Cream Sherry
• Knapp Winery 2010 Vignoles
• Lucas Vineyards 2009 Semi-dry Riesling
• Penguin Bay Winery 2010 Semi-Sweet Riesling
• Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2010 Gewurztraminer
• Swedish Hill Winery 2010 Dry Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery NV Doobie Blues
• Thirsty Owl Wine Co. 2010 Diamond
• Villa Bellangelo 2010 Semi-Sparkling Moscato

Gold Medals

• Americana Vineyards NV Crystal Lake
• Billsboro Winery 2010 Pinot Gris
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2010 Iced Vidal Blanc
• Goose Watch Winery 2010 Melody
• Lakewood Vineyards 2009 Lemberger
• Lime Berry Winery NV Riesling
• Lucas Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc
• Red Newt Cellars 2009 “Circle” Label Riesling
• Sheldrake Point Vineyard 2009 Dry Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery NV Blue Waters Riesling
• Swedish Hill Winery 2009 Reserve Chardonnay
• Swedish Hill Winery 2009 Valvin Muscat
• Swedish Hill Winery NV Viking Red
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2010 Riesling
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company 2010 Vidal Blanc
• Ventosa Vineyards NV Vino Rosso
• Wagner Vineyards 2008 Dry Riesling
• Wagner Vineyards 2007 Meritage
• Wagner Vineyards 2008 Vidal Blanc Ice

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Elvis sighting at winery

MACEDON -- Long Acre Farms, also home of JD Wine Cellars, has a seasonal enterprise known as the Sweet Cone Shop. Great ice creams. The just-announced newest flavor is what caught my eye by the tastebuds (???).

It's "Sweet Elvis," created by flavor contest winner Mia Sohns. She had Presley's favorite sandwich -- grilled peanut butter and banana -- when she created it. The concoction is banana ice cream with peanut butter cups and a peanut butter swirl.

The other new Dar's Delights 2011 flavors include:

• Twisted Turtle: Butter pecan ice cream, chocolate flakes, chocolate swirl.
• S'more: Graham cracker ice cream, marshmallow swirl, chocolate flakes.
• Java Chocolate Chunk: Coffee ice cream, chocolate chunks, chocolate swirl.

Wine-wise, JD will host its first winemakers dinner, next Friday, June 17. Guest chefs Zachary Sharlow and Stephanie Berg will be preparing a five-course meal paired with JD wines. Details are to be posted on the website.

JD/Long Acre is located at 1342 Eddy Road in this Wayne County community. Phone: (315) 986-4202.

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Finger Lakes/Brooklyn pickling connection

The Mackenzie boys at Finger Lakes Distilling like to branch out. In addition to their numerous spirits, they have been working with Brooklyn Brine to create a line of food products sold at their Schuyler County facility.

The first product was Whiskey Sour Pickles. Now, the two companies have teamed up to create Whiskey Barrel Sauerkraut.

Brooklyn Brine, which creates a variety of products using produce from New York State growers, ferments hand-cut cabbage with lemons and spices in Finger Lakes Distilling oak whiskey barrels. The finished product has gone on sale at the distillery gift shop for $9. The products also are available at Brooklyn Brine's online store.

Grottenthaler

Finger Lakes Distilling, located in the town of Burdett, is owned by Brian McKenzie and Thomas Earl McKenzie -- related only through business.

In addition to the new food product, they also announced they have named Glenn Grottenthaler "tasting room captain." He has been working at the tasting bar since it opened in July of last year and is leading the tasting room team.

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Canadian brewer enters U.S. market

BALDWINSVILLE, NY — A Nova Scotia brewery that has been around for 191 years finally has entered the United States, via New York.

Alexander Keith’s is sending its brews to more than 20 U.S. markets — Nova Scotia Style Lager, Nova Scotia Style Pale Ale and Nova Scotia Style Brown Ale.

They are brewed with traditional two-row malt. The pale ale also includes a fruity, spicy, citrusy hop nose.

Alexander Keith’s was founded in Nova Scotia in 1820 by a native of Scotland. The brewery is operated under Graham Kendall, brewmaster emeritus.

The three new beers are brewed in this community, just northwest of Syracuse on the eastern shore of Onondaga Lake. The original beers continue to be brewed in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Ontario.

The new brews will be available in New York and the New England states as well as in California, Arizona, Colorado, Washington DC, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland. Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.

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Millbrook starting RR-to-winery service

MILLBROOK, NY -- Wine trains are all the rage in some states. Not so much in New York. However, Millbrook Winery plans to inaugurate a service this weekend called the Vineyard Express.

The Dutchess County facility will provide round-trip van transportation between the Amtrak/Metro North hub station in Poughkeepsie, several stops south of Rensselaer/Albany, and the winery. Riders will have lunch with wine, then a wine tasting and will be given a gift bag.

The cost is $75 per person. Reservations are required, by calling (845) 677-8383, ext. 11, or by going online. Amtrak tickets also are available online.

Current varietals grown at Millbrook, located at 26 Wing Road, are Chardonnay (13 acres) Pinot Noir (5 acres), Cabernet Franc (7 acres), and Tocai Friulano (5 acres). Winemaker John Graziano has been in charge of the operation since Millbrook was founded in 1984.

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'Taste of Syracuse' is under way

Vendor ladles out a sampling.

SYRACUSE, NY -- The "Taste of Syracuse" that opened the summer festival season today will continue on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

More than 120 Central New York restaurants, specialty food vendors and assorted other local businesses are showcasing their products. Food vendors offer tastes of their wares for $1 tickets with other menu items available from $2 to $10 per serving.

Parking is available in several lots around the Clinton Square area and at street parking meters. The Washington Street garage at Washington Street and the West Street Arterial are offering free parking all day Saturday.

This year, the event has fewer New York State wineries participating because organizers decided to go with one vendor and let that operation choose which wines are being poured.

The lineup of participating restaurants:

Beneventos
Limp Lizard
Zonies
Asti Caffe & Trattoria
Zebbs
Dinosaur BBQ
Casey's Deli
Enzo's Pizza
Dominick's
The Mission
Bonefish
Peppino's Restaurant
Spaghetti Warehouse
Pizza Hut/Wing Street
Thai Flavor
Kirbys
JJ's
Syracuse Billiards and Sports Pub
Caribbean King
Eva's
Mai Lan
Sakana-ya
Lao Village
King David
Applebees
Charlies
Alto Cinco
Kiki's
Sweet Basil Thai House
Michael Angelo's
B'ville Diner
Juanita's
Arby's
AppeThaizing
Las Delicias
Jerk Hut
Twin Trees
Yum Yum Bakery
Hammi's BBQ
Tony's
Cam's Pizza
Heid's

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Belgian Beer Festival set for NYC

NEW YORK -- To many beer fans, Belgium is the motherland of brewing. For them, and others interested in the genre, the inaugural Belgian Beer Festival will be a go-to event.

Get Real NY, an event production company, will present the two-day festival on Friday and Saturday, July 8-9, at the historic Altman Building.

It will include all-you-care-to-consume Belgian-style brews and homebrews, live music, interactive tasting panels and Belgian food. It will feature more than 100 brews from domestic and foreign craft breweries at home and abroad -- Lambics, Sours, Trappists, Dubbels, Tripels, Quads and Gueuze.

General admission is $85, which includes a souvenir glass, unlimited tasting pours, a fest beer guide, unlimited food sampling, live music and tasting panels. VIP tickets at $115 will include that plus one-hour early access to the festival, admission to a VIP tasting room featuring several rare and hard-to-find beers and access to brewery tasting panels and discussions.

The beer and food lineup will be continually updated on the festival website. The Altman building, located at 135 West 18th Street, is a special events space that long housed the now-defunct B. Altman department store.

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New Bronx breweries importing their beer

A vintage post card.

BRONX, NY -- Scotch aficionados, known for being among the snobbiest drinkers, have nothing on beer überfans. Among the latter, the search always is on for new, craft brews.

Thus, the buzz in beer circles that a pair of beers from New York City's Bronx borough -- where Rheingold, its last surviving brewery, closed in the '60s -- will be in select bars this summer has been growing.

Given the expansion in the number of small brewers around the state, the impending emergence of items from the Bronx Brewery and the Jonas Bronck's Beer Company sounds fascinating. But, there is a catch the average beer drinker may not know about. Neither company is brewing its beer in the Bronx.

The Bronx Brewery is making its beer at the Cottrell Brewing Company in Pawcatuck, CT. And, Jonas Bronck's is brewing by contract with an undisclosed Upstate brewery. Both plan to eventually actually make their beer in the Bronx.

For those lacking a knowledge of the Bronx, the borough was named for Jonas Bronck (1600–1643), a Scandinavian immigrant to the Dutch colony of New Netherland. He sailed up the East River in June 1639 on a ship called De Brant Van Troyen (The Fire of Troy) and acquired a piece of land from the Weckquaesgeek Indians. That land was known as Bronck's Land, then Broncksland, then Bronck's and, finally, the spelling morphed into Bronx.

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Wine tasting/networking at Albany Institute

Vanderlyn's 'Still Life: Fruit in a Classical Setting'

ALBANY -- If you like some chat with your wine, the Albany Institute of History & Art has an event that might be of interest.

"Swirl IV: A Networking and Wine Tasting Experience," will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at the Institute.

Included in the event will be a sommelier's presentation, an international line of wines for sampling, hors d'oeuvres, chocolates, live music and a silent auction.

Tickets are $50 each, available at the Institute, 125 Washington Avenue, or by calling (518) 847-2180.

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