Expanded distillery courses set at Warwick Valley

Co-owners Jason Grizzanti (left), Jeremy Kidde.

WARWICK -- The distillery segment of Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is catching on with the pubic.

In fact, in addition to its fourth distillery demonstration and tasting series scheduled for February, Warwick has added an intermediate course in March for those who have taken the introductory series.

Every Saturday in February, master distiller Jason Grizzanti will walk the group through the distillery setup, explaining the process of making spirits, followed by a tasting session and lunch.

Every Saturday in March, Grizzanti will hold will an intermediate course that includes hands-on activities plus a guided whiskey tasting.

The introductory course fee is $50, the intermediate course fee $60, or admission to both can be purchased for $100, using coupon code DEMOPROMO during checkout. The intermediate course is limited to 15 people.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, which makes fruit brandies and liqueurs under the American Fruits brand, is located at 114 Little York Road in Warwick, Orange County. Phone: (845) 258-4858.

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides home page

EagleFest returning to Northern Westchester

A scene from 2011 EagleFest.
(Teatown Lake Reservation photo)

• From The Daily Peekskill

CROTON, NY - Nature lovers from across the Hudson Valley will have a chance to see our national symbol up close next weekend when Teatown Lake Reservation's EagleFest returns.

The event will be held Saturday, February 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Croton Point Park as well as additional viewing locations including for the first time for Riverfront Green in Peekskill.

Attendees can enjoy an abundance of activities from guided and independent eagle viewing to raptor shows, bus tours, storytelling, engaging children’s programs and activities, bird walks and displays from over 30 local organizations.

Teatown consultant Lydia S. Howie said the reservation has been holding the events for the past eight years. The return of bald eagles to the area was a great conservation success story, she said.

"It was only back in the '70s that the eagles were almost extinct and then a mating pair of eagles was brought in and those eagles kept breeding and now there are eagles all throughout the Hudson Valley," Howie said. "There are about 80 eagles living in the area."

[Go here for the full story.]

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ON THE WEB
• Teatown Lake Reservation webpage
• Dowd's Guides home page

Hudson River toll bridges hiking fee

• From the Associated Press

HIGHLAND, NY — Motorists who travel over the five Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority will have to fork over more money for tolls starting on Monday.

[Go here for the full story.]

New effort to ban 3 chemicals in LI water

• From the East Hampton Star

With three million Long Islanders dependent on a single underground aquifer for drinking water, and the annual use of millions of pounds of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, local environmental groups have asked the State Department of Environmental Conservation to immediately ban the three most frequently found chemicals -- atrazine, metalaxyl and imidacloprid -- from use on the Island.

In a January press release from the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, one of the organizations that has called for the ban, these chemicals are said to have been linked to cancer and kidney and liver damage, in addition to having negative effects on the environment and shellfish populations. The National Resources Defense Council recommends that consumers use certified filters to remove volatile organic compounds from their water until the chemicals are phased out.

Other groups that have asked for the ban include ...

[Go here for the full story.]

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ON THE WEB
• Long Island Sounds Water quality Monitoring
• Dowd's Guides home page

Winter Carnival may be on thin ice

LAKE GEORGE -- The annual Lake George Winter Carnival may have something a little different this year. Events elsewhere.

This unusually mild winter means safe ice has not yet formed on the ice, so organizers of the month-long festival are working on alternate site plans for some events.

The motorcycle and ATV races on the ice are major draws of the Winter Carnival, which runs every Saturday and Sunday in February. If the ice isn't safe, the races may be moved to another frozen body of water  such as Echo Lake in nearby Warrensburg.

All events at Shepard Park in the village still are scheduled as planned. You can see the full schedule of events as it stands now by going here.

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ON THE WEB
• A Winter Carnival photo gallery
• Dowd's Guides home page

Fueling up with beer at Sunoco stores

Sunoco is in the process of expanding its "Craft Beer Exchange" program at its APlus convenience stores across the state.

I first reported on the program last summer back when it began as a pilot program in the Buffalo market. (Details here.) Now, it has been expanded to the Albany, Syracuse and Rochester markets.

It offers a rotating selection of up to 12 craft beers available to-go in 64-ounce growlers. Customers also can create their own six-packs from a range of 12-ounce single bottles for $9.99. Selections change seasonally and include beers from such microbreweries as Long Trail, Ithaca, Victory, Flying Bison, Troegs, Red Hook, Smuttynose and Brooklyn.

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ON THE WEB
• Sunoco Tap List by Location
• Dowd's Guides home page

'Between the Lakes Wine & Food Day' planned

Here's a good bet for a nice day in the Finger Lakes: The "Between The Lakes Wine & Food Day," set for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 28.

The event, which will be held at 27 wineries located on the west side of Cayuga Lake and east side of Seneca Lake, will feature local wines and foods, with tasting room fees still in effect but samples of anything from stews, soups, dips, and desserts are free with the tastings.

If you need additional information, call (800) 869-9271.

Participating wineries:

• Americana Vineyards
• Atwater Estate Vineyards
• Bellwether Hard Cider
• Buttonwood Grove
• Cayuga Ridge Winery
• Chateau Lafayette Reneau
• Cobblestone Farm Winery & Vineyard
• Damiani Winery
• Goose Watch Winery
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
• Hosmer Vineyards
• Kings Garden Vineyards
• Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant
• Lakeshore Winery
• Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars
• Lucas Vineyards
• Montezuma Winery
• Penguin Bay Winery
• Red Newt Cellars
• Sheldrake Point Vineyards
• Standing Stone Vineyards
• Swedish Hill Winery
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company
• Three Brothers Wineries & Estates
• Ventosa Vineyards
• Wagner Vineyards
• Zugibe Vineyards

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ON THE WEB
• Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism
• Dowd's Guides home page

NYC targeted for state wine campaign

Astor Center, site of March 12 grand tasting.

NEW YORK -- The New York Wine & Grape Foundation began putting extra effort into promoting New York wines in the Big Apple last year. This year will be no different.

A new campaign called "New York Drinks New York" will be held through the first quarter of this year, centered on New York City. The multi-pronged campaign is for wine trade, media, and consumers, intended to set the stage for a long-term effort to raise awareness about the quality of New York wines.

The program of activities will include "cellar visits" by media and trade representatives to the Hudson River Region, the Finger Lakes, and Long Island; a multi-day market visit to New York City by the 38 participating wineries; in-store tastings at city retailers; an advertising campaign; and a dedicated website going live February 1. The Foundation also will introduce a new logo specifically designed for the initiative. The signature event will be a grand tasting at Astor Center in Manhattan on March 12, featuring wines from the 38 participating wineries.

The calendar of activities:

• January 22: Cellar visit to Hudson River Region (trade and media)
• January 29-31: Cellar visit to the Finger Lakes (trade and media)
• February 19-21: Cellar visit to the Finger Lakes (trade and media)
• February 26-27: Cellar visit to Long Island (trade and media)
• March 8-10: In-store tastings at participating retailers (general public)
• March 12: Grand tasting of New York wines at Astor Center (trade, media, and general public)

"We're not urging New Yorkers to buy New York wines because they're local, but because they're high-quality products at reasonable prices" said Jim Trezise, president of the Foundation, "but the added benefit of buying really good, affordable New York wine is that these consumers are also supporting their own state economy."

All New York wineries were invited to participate. Those that decided to do so, by region:

Finger Lakes -- Anthony Road Winery, Atwater Estate Vineyards, Chateau LaFayette Reneau, Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Eagle Crest Vineyards, Fox Run Vineyards, Glenora Wine Cellars, Heron Hill Winery, Hosmer Winery, Inspire Moore Winery, King Ferry Winery, Knapp Vineyards & Winery, Lakewood Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Pleasant Valley Wine Company/Great Western Winery, Red Newt Cellars, Sheldrake Point Winery, Standing Stone Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery, Thirsty Owl Wine Company, and Wagner Vineyards.

Long Island -- Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Bedell Cellars, Channing Daughters, Macari Vineyards, Martha Clara Vineyards, Palmer Vineyards, Paumanok Vineyards, Raphael Vineyard, and Wolffer Estate Vineyard.

Hudson River Region -- Benmarl Winery, Brotherhood Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Millbrook Winery, and Stoutridge Vineyard.

Niagara Region -- Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and Spring Lake Winery.

Thousand Islands -- Thousand Islands Winery.

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ON THE WEB
• New York Drinks New York(goes live February 1)
• Dowd's Guides home page

HV wines finally getting more respect

Hudson Valley wineries can be forgiven for often thinking of themselves as the Rodney Dangerfield of New York's producers. But, in the last couple of years the region's offerings have been getting a little more respect.

The latest comes from the fact that, for the first time ever, the influential magazine Wine Enthusiast has coordinated a tasting of some of the Valley's best wines. The wines scored high on the magazine’s 100-point scale, with 20 of them hitting the 84- to 89-point range consistently across six producers. This is the first major tasting of the region by any major news organization.

The Hudson Valley is one of the oldest producing wine regions in the U.S., and New York is the nation's third overall producer of wine. In recent years, new wineries, new money and new people have helped raise the overall level to some degree. As I noticed when I judged in the Hudson Valley Wine Competition back in September, some of the highest level Valley wines can hold their own against the more well-known Finger Lakes and North Fork products, and the mid-range quality wines are growing in number.

“We are thrilled with the results,” said Carlo DeVito, president of the 26-winery Hudson Valley Wine Country trade group and co-owner of the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Columbia County.

“The Hudson Valley is a great example of some of the excellent wines New York State produces. Our passion and commitment to making quality wines has been recognized. We think this highlights what we’ve been doing here. The Hudson Valley is making wines that can compete anywhere.”

Here is a rundown of the scoring, by winery:

TOUSEY WINERY

86, Tousey Winery 2010 Pinot Noir 2010, $20
85, Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc, $22
84, Tousey 2010 Chardonnay 2010, $16

MILLBROOK VINEYARD & WINERY

89, Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Pinot Noir, $18
88, Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Chardonnay, $16
87, Millbrook 2007 Proprietor's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc, $29
87, Millbrook 2009 Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay, $20
86, Millbrook 2008 Cabernet Franc, $20

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

87, Hudson-Chatham 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir, $20
86, Hudson-Chatham 2010 Cabernet Franc, $17
86, Hudson-Chatham 2010 Old Vines Baco Noir, $22
86, Hudson-Chatham 2008 Empire Reserve Baco Noir, $22
85, Hudson-Chatham 2009 Old Vines Masson Place Vineyard Pulteney Farm Baco Noir, $20
84, Hudson-Chatham 2010 Field Stone Baco Noir, $30

OAK SUMMIT VINEYARD

88, Oak Summit Vineyard Pinot Noir, $35
85, Oak Summit Vineyard Chardonnay Hudson, $28

BROTHERHOOD

85, Brotherhood Pinot Noir, $16
85, Brotherhood Grand Monarque Champagne, $25
84, Brotherhood Blanc de Blancs, $11

WHITECLIFF VINEYARD & WINERY

88, Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Reserve Chardonnay, $17
87, Whitecliff Vineyard Cabernet Franc, $20
86, Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Traminette, $16

PALAIA VINEYARDS

84, Palaia Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc, $19

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ON THE WEB
• Hudson Valley Wine Country
• Dowd's Guides home page

A visual tour of Long Island wine country

Jason Rich created this Long Island, NY, montage. He notes, "This presentation was created as I was doing research for The Insider's Guide to Long Island, a full-length travel guide ... published ... by Globe Pequot Press."

Go here for more information, or check out Jason's travel blog.

CIA winter dining series to begin

HYDE PARK -- The annual winter dining series at the Culinary Institute of America is about to begin.

The lunch and dinner schedule, known as "Food Is Art," will have its first lunch on January 19 and its first dinner on January 12. The full schedule, menus and reservation information are available by download from the CIA website.

Each meal event will feature a fixed menu, with wines and other beverages paired with each course.

Guests are likely to share the experience with other guests seated at the same table. CIA staffers will be presenters at each meal.

The Institute is located at 1946 Campus Drive (Route 9) in Hyde Park.

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ON THE WEB
• CIA home page
• Dowd's Guides home page

Robibero joins Shawangunk Wine Trail

In the Robibero tasting room.

NEW PALTZ -- The revitalization of the onetime Rivendell Winery has taken another step forward.

The facility, now called the Robibero Family Vineyard, has become the 12th member of the Shawangunk Wine Trail, a network of wineries located throughout the Hudson Valley.

Harry and Carole Robibero purchased the 42-acre site in 2003. The Rivendell Winery already was in operation on the premises, but in 2007 it moved elsewhere, giving the Robiberos the opportunity to begin business on their own.

Robibeo has scheduled a February 11-12 tasting event called "Sweet & Sinful Revenge" to mark Valentine's Day. I'm not sure where the "revenge" part comes in, unless it is taken from the saying "Living well is the best revenge."

In any event, the program includes tasting chocolates, cupcakes and wines in various combinations, while presenters will discuss trhe history of the grapes used in those wines, as well as the art of pairing foods and wines.

Tickets are $15 each, payable the day of the event although the reservation deadline is February 9. Seatings are scheduled for 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. each day. Reservations may be made by e-mail, at Robibero, 714 Albany Post Road near this Ulster County community, or by phone: (845) 255-9463.

Other member of the Shawangunk Wine Trail:

Adair, Applewood, Baldwin, Benmarl, Brimstone Hill, Brotherhood, Glorie Farm, Palaia, Stoutridge, Warwick Valley and Whitecliff.

North Country wine trail on the grow

The wine trail coverage area.

SACKETS HARBOR -- The Thousand Islands-Seaway Wine Trail may be one of the least-known trails in New York, but it is growing in several ways.

In its six years of existence, the 78-mile long trail has become one of the top tourist attractions in Jefferson County. It has plans to add at least one more this year.

Presently, five wineries and a tasting room for Hunt Country Vineyards, a Finger Lakes winery, are on the Trail. The members are the Thousand Islands Winery, Coyote Moon, Otter Creek Winery, Tug Hill Vineyards and Yellow Barn Winery.

The River Myst Winery in Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County, is expected to be added to the Trail this year.

The region's first such facility was Thousand Islands Winery, located just outide Alexandria Bay. Owner Steve Conaway said in an interview with YNN, "We were the first to get started in the area. The wine trail got going once we got started. We have about 17 different varieties and all of them have won awards in various competitions. The Thousand Islands Winery right now is producing about 60,000 gallons, so we are a pretty large producer. We're distributing to about 300 stores."

For a relatively small trail, its joint activities are big. That's because it works with numerous food producers and craft vendors to bring a wide spectrum of possibilities to visitors. For example, its "Holiday Wine, Food & Craft Fair" last November included all five member wineries, the Ashley Lynne Winery from the Lake Ontario area, eight food makers/vendors and 21 crafters.

Trail and/or individual winery schedules for 2012 call for special events around most holidays -- Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas, etc.

In addition, some of the wineries have branched out into other products -- Casa Papa pasta sauce and a barbecue sauce made with its Twisted Sister wine at Coyote Moon; soft drinks such as Black Sheep root beer and grape soda at Otter Creek; a bookstore featuring the works of local authors at Yellow Barn.

Another thing that has helped the Trail quickly catch on is the availability of a tour bus service -- Clarence Henry Coach -- that allows tourists to skip the driving. The company reports that its buses are running at full capacity on the Trail.

The mailing address for the Thousand Islands-Seaway Wine Trail is P.O. Box 353, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685. Phone: (315) 222-6633.

Contact information for the member wineries:

Coyote Moon Vineyards
17371 East Line Road (County Route 3)
Clayton, NY 13624
(315) 686-5600

Otter Creek Winery
33109 Rudes Road
Philadelphia, NY 13673
(315) 642-0622

Thousand Islands Winery
43298 Seaway Avenue, Suite 1
Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
(315) 482-9306

Tug Hill Vineyards
4051 Yancey Road
Lowville, NY 13367
(315) 376-4336

Yellow Barn Winery
18876 County Route 66
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 782-1824