ALL THINGS NEW YORK

Expanded distillery courses set at Warwick Valley

2012-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

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.

ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides home page

EagleFest returning to Northern Westchester

2012-01-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

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.]

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

Hudson River toll bridges hiking fee

2012-01-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

• 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

2012-01-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

• 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.]

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

Winter Carnival may be on thin ice

2012-01-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

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.

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

Fueling up with beer at Sunoco stores

2012-01-19T13:25:00.001-08:00

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.

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

'Between the Lakes Wine & Food Day' planned

2012-01-13T10:31:00.001-08:00

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

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

NYC targeted for state wine campaign

2012-01-09T11:23:00.001-08:00

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.

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

HV wines finally getting more respect

2012-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

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

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

A visual tour of Long Island wine country

2012-01-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

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

2012-01-04T14:07:00.001-08:00

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.

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

Robibero joins Shawangunk Wine Trail

2012-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

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

Tavern On the Green to go casual

2011-12-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

The once-swanky Tavern complex.

• From DNAinfo.com

NEW YORK -- Move over white tablecloths, casual dining is officially coming to the formerly fancy Tavern on the Green.

The city kicked off the public process of finding a new operator for the storied Central Park eatery, once one of New York's most well-known restaurants and a popular tourist attraction.

In a request for proposals released Thursday, the Parks Department said it wants a casual restaurant, outdoor cafe and bar at the Tavern site, which once served pricey prime rib beneath chandeliers.

The famous name will stay the same, but the new incarnation of Tavern on the Green will be a "moderately priced" neighborhood dining destination, according to the 37-page RFP outlining the city's vision for the restaurant, which sits just inside Central Park, at Central Park West and West 67th Street.

[Go here for the full story.]

ON THE WEB
• NY Restaurant and Dining Guide
• Dowd's Guides home page

Madison County's first winery expanding

2011-12-27T13:50:00.000-08:00


Architect's rendering of the new structure.

CAZENOVIA -- Madison County's first winery, Owera Vineyards, is projected to raise its profile by the summer of 2012.

Ben Reilley, director of operations, is planning a 6,000 square-foot production facility to stand alongside the field by next summer.

Owera's vineyard consists of four acres of Minnesota cold hearty varietals Frontenac Gris and Marquette, first planted in 2008.

Reilley also is thinking beyond the bounds of Owera. With nearby Critz Farms producing its first hard cider this year and Empire Brewing evaluating a site near Routes 20 and 13 for a 60,000-barrel facility that would open next fall, the germ of a new Cazenovia-area beverage trail is being discussed.

Owera Vineyards is located at 5276 East Lake Road. Phone (315) 815-5026.

ON THE WEB
• All about Madison County
• New York Wine Trails
• Dowd's Guides home page

State wineries on ever-growing trend

2011-12-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

The number of wineries in New York State has hit 316, with six more licenses pending. In addition, there are 54 satellite stores with two more pending.

That's the year-end tally, according to the New York State Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF).

"Most impressive, the 20 new wineries are spread across 15 different counties from Chautauqua in the Lake Erie region to Suffolk on Long Island and even King's (Brooklyn)," said Jim Trezise, NYWGF president.

The newcomers, by country alphabetically:

The Apple Station Winery (Cayuga)
21 Brix Winery (Chautauqua)
North Star Vineyard (Clinton)
Venditti Vineyards (Jefferson)
Red Hook Winery (King's)
Harvest Moon Cidery (Madison)
A Gust of Sun (Niagara)
Midnight Run Wine Cellars (Niagara)
Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery (Niagara)
Raymor Estate Cellars (Ontario)
Saratoga Lake Winery (Saratoga)
Kymar Farm Winery & Distillery (Schoharie)
Eremita Winery (Seneca)
Deep Root Vineyard (Steuben)
Lime Berry Winery (Steuben)
Mattebella Vineyards (Suffolk)
Woodstock Winery (Ulster)
Monello (Yates)
New Vines Bed & Breakfast (Yates)
Point of the Bluff Vineyard (Yates)

The new satellite stores, by country alphabetically:

The Champlain Wine Company (Clinton)
Swedish Hill Winery (Saratoga)
Sheldrake Point Vineyard (Schuyler)
Empire State Cellars, Riverhead (Suffolk)
Harbes Family Farm & Vineyard (Suffolk)
The Winemaker Studio by Anthony Nappa Wines (Suffolk)
Magnus Ridge Winery (Yates)

"A 2011 law intiated by the state Department of Agriculture & Markets ... has made it simpler for farm wineries to open satellite stores, so I expect even more to open in 2012," Trezise said.

"From 2001 to 2011, 198 new wineries have opened, far more than in the previous 180 years, and in just seven years -- from 2005 to 2011 -- the 152 new wineries exceeded the total from the prior 20 years, essentially quadrupling the growth rate.

"Each new winery means new investment, new jobs, new tourists, and new taxes for the State of New York, which already benefits from more than $3.76 billion annually of economic activity generated by our industry.

"The challenge now is to "grow the market" at a greater rate than winery growth so that the new wineries aren't cannibalizing the market share -- tourists and sales -- of the pioneering wineries that got everything started in the first place."

ON THE WEB
• New York Wine Trails
• Dowd's Guides home page

Queens casino complex opens additional floors

2011-12-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

• From the Queens Tribune

A decade after casino gambling was authorized at Aqueduct Racetrack, 14 months after ground broke on the site, and seven weeks after the first bets were placed in the 2,280 VLTs on the casino's first floor, the second and third floors of the complex, including two restaurants and 70,000 square feet of event space, has opened to the public.

[Go here for the full story.]

ON THE WEB
• New York's Casinos
• Dowd's Guides home page

1st Saratoga Beer Week set for February

2011-12-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Restaurant weeks are nothing new in this area, but the first-ever Saratoga Beer Week now is vying for the spotlight.

The event, actually only three days long, is scheduled for February 23-25, at the City Center downtown and several other venues, presented by Saratoga.com.

Spread over three days will be seminars, tastings of beers, "rare" beers and foods, meet the brewer events, karaoke, a pub crawl and other events. Ticket information and schedules are available online.

ON THE WEB
• New York Beer Trails
• Dowd's Guides home page

New tasting room features No. Country wines

2011-12-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

Inside the new tasting room.

PLATTSBURGH, NY -- The Champlain Wine Company, a year-round tasting room, has been opened downtown.

It specializes in North Country wines and is the sole retail outlet for the North Star Vineyard, a 4,000-vine winery located in Mooers, Clinton County.

Colin Read and Natalie Peck planted their first vines at their Mooers farm in 2008 and now have 4,000 coldhardy vines under cultivation. They are European-American hybrids that will withstand our cold winters and short summers with long days and plentiful sunlight, and are particularly disease resistant. In October this year, they had their first harvest of a variety called Marquette.

Vesco Ridge Vineyards under snow.

Among others wines also featured at their new tasting room are those from another Clinton County winery, Vesco Ridge Vineyards, a small operation in West Chazy that produces about 1,000 gallons annually. It is owned by Dan and Nancy Vesco who took it from hobby to business in a five-year period.

The tasting room is located at 8 City Hall Place. Phone: (518) 564-0064. It is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Wine bottle prices range from $8.99 to $17.99. Wine tastings are $3 per person and include samples of five wines and a souvenir glass.

Where (some of) your tax dollars are going

2011-12-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

The recipients of grants from New York's "Open for Business" program hve been announced. For the most part, the local media is concentrating on what money is being sent to its reading/viewing/listening areas, but broader look shows the scope of the grants.

Since I deal with food and drink, I culled from the list the following grants for enterprises in those fields.

One of the more interesting is three-quarters of a million dollars for a new brewery in Schoharie County. The largest item on my excerpt list is $29.5 million for a new food distribution facility at the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx.

Herewith the excwrpt list, using wording taken from the grant applications.

Chautauqua County:

$200,000, Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association, Grape Discovery Center, final The The Center will educate visitors about the historic development of the region and the role grape growing played in the region's cultural landscape and communities. The plan proposes 19 exhibit panels in the display room and 14 exhibit displays, free standing and wall mounted, for the reception/gift shop space, as well as exterior exhibits and an orientation pavilion."

Erie County:

$14,400, Buffalo Blends Inc., industry specific equipment training. Will provide on-the-job-training to 12 long-term unemployed workers in the operation of an agglomerator/instantizer required for processing hot cocoa mix.

Niagara County:

$2 million, Niagara County Community College, hospitality and tourism center renovation of 90,000 square feet, including equipment for a world class center for training in hospitality, tourism and culinary arts along with an incubator and small business center to support growth of new tourism/culinary businesses.

Niagara and Orleans counties:

$30,000, Niagara Wine Trail. Purchase and installation of signs on designated Niagara Wine Trail route. Project also includes marketing and training.

Monroe County:

$50,000, Foodlink Inc. Training for 24 unemployed Rochester workers in Value Added Processing to prepare them for a career in the food processing industry.

Finger Lakes Region (multi-counties):

$200,000, Greater Rochester Enterprise, economic gardening. To initiate an
internal regional harvesting and economic gardening program for the nine Finger
Lakes counties.

Yates County:

$401,010, Mabrouka Properties II LLC, international food. Involves the purchase and
re-opening of a former foods facility. Mabrouka will purchase and install equipment necessary to support a large food manufacturing business. Activities will include receipt and storage of bulk shipments of raw material foods (olive oil, olives, capers, sardines, other specialty foods, wines, liqueurs and other raw materials) much of which will be imported from overseas.

Cayuga County:

$4,022,845, Cayuga Marketing LLC, DDiMAI training. Existing association of dairy producers will create a new company and construct a 106,000 square foot milk and dairy ingredients processing facility. New products will displace foreign imports, create new export opportunities, and increase profitability.

Madison County

$994,000, Owera Vineyards. Establishment of a new winery and community farm on 58 acres, including new construction, purchase of machinery and equipment, and site improvements to support wine production, tastings, farm and winery tours, and other
events to promote regional tourism and agribusiness.

$250,239, New York Beef Farmers Cooperative. Assist in the start-up of Cooperative’s operations in Madison County, creating 10 jobs, of which 60% will be made available to low-to-moderate income individuals.

Onondaga County:

$394,000, Southside Food Cooperative Project. Construction of a new 3,500 square foot facility to support creation of a new urban food cooperative to provide fresh and healthy food from local/regional farmers and distributors as needed and service an existing "food desert" on the City of Syracuse's South Side.

Fulton County:

$750,000, Fage USA Dairy. Assist in the expansion of Fage USA Dairy (Fage Yogurt) in the City of Johnstown, creating 100 jobs, of which 90% will be made available to
low-to-moderate income individuals.

Otsego County:

$140,000, Brouwerij Belame Ltd. Brewery Ommegang. Brewery located in Cooperstown is in the early stages of a 6-year $16,000,000+ expansion of the current facilities. This expansion involves the use of multiple architects to design new buildings, expand the current brewing and beer packaging operation, as well as construct a new water and waste treatment facility. The expansion of the brewery will include a
restaurant and an expanded store. These will add to the 30,000+ tourists that the brewery already draws annually. The restaurant will be serving local foods and promoting the local farmers. The current store sells local cheeses and condiments in addition to beer. The expanded store plans to provide a larger variety of locally produced products in addition to the beers produced on site.

Schoharie County:

$750,000, Cobleskill Brewery. Independently owned spin-off of Butternuts Beer and Ale, Inc. of Garrattsville will open a contract brewing manufacturing plant at the
site to be acquired from Schoharie County. The site is the long vacant industrial development park in Cobleskill. The contract brewing company will open with a capacity of 25,000 barrels per year and expand within five years to 100,000 barrels. Excess space in the industrial park will be offered to local for-profit and not-for-profit entities until the brewery can assume full occupancy of this 460,000 square foot building.

Greene County:

$280,000, New York Spring Water. Assist i the expansion of NY Spring Water, creating 23 new jobs, 91% of which will be made available to low-to-=moderate income individuals.

Putnam County:

$150,000, Hudson Valley Produce Farms LLC, HVP Farms. Establishment of hydroponic greenhouse generating fresh produce for local community and New York City market.

Bronx:

$29.5 million, Hunts Point Produce Market. Proposes a modern food distribution facility. The produce market occupies 105 acres within the Hunts Point Food
Distribution Center where more than 115 food wholesaling and processing firms generate more than $3 billion in sales annually. However, the inadequate and obsolete facilities have diminished the market’s ability to provide the community with affordable quality produce. The newly funded facility will incorporate
innovative green infrastructure practices for managing storm water and increase total storage capacity by 20%, allowing the wholesalers to eliminate temporary storage, expand their businesses, and improve air and food quality for residents and workers.

Suffolk County:

$500,000, EBCAL Agriculture Enterprise Park. Development of agri-business storage and processing capacity for local farmers on the East End of Long Island.

$1,469,429, United Baking Company, Uncle Wally's. This project includes the purchase of new equipment and renovations on existing equipment and buildings to increase
productivity. The company plans on acquiring a new building and purchasing a new oven line in the future.

Wine-dessert pairing sampler at winery

2011-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Clearing the way for winery expansion.

GHENT -- Pairing wines and desserts can get a bit tricky, particularly if you only do it during the holidays.The folks at Hudson-Chatham Winery are planning to help out a bit by holding a pairing-tasting event from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday at the Columbia County facility.

LOAF bakery of Hudson will be at the winery, offering samples and selling their cookies, pies and breads. The winery also will be offering a large selection of cheeses as well as its own wines to pair with the nibbles.

Incidentally, an expansion project has begun at the winery after all the necessary approvals were received. As shown in the photo above, farm manager Ralph Cooley clears the ground and cuts into a hill near the barn to prepare the way.

“A new crush pad, an extension of our barn by about 25 feet, and a new building to house sherry and port will complete the project, hopefully by the end of December,” says Dominique DeVito, co-owner of the winery with husband Carlo.

The winery is located at 1900 State Route 66, roughly midway between Chatham and Hudson. Phone: (519) 392-9463.

ON THE WEB
• LOAF Bakery of Hudson
• Dowd's Guides home page

Book signings for whiskey anthology

2011-12-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

Here's a thought for an easy holiday gift. Pick up copies of my new book, "Barrels & Drams: The History of Whisk(e)y In Jiggers and Shots," just released by the New York publisher Sterling Epicure.

The suggested retail price for the hardcover book is $18.95. You can get a copy, often at a discounted price, via such online sites as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and others, but buying it in person and getting an autograph might be more fun.

For those in the Capital Region of New York, here are two scheduled signings:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, December 15, at The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland.
• 11 a.m. Saturday, December17, at Market Block Books, 290 River Street in Troy.

Bill Dowd

I selected, edited and co-wrote this collection of essays from numerous writers famous in the field, from F. Paul Pacult to David Wondrich, and such multi-field notables as Tom Wolfe to Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Okrent of The New York Times.

Through them you will discover the spread of whiskey throughout the world and how it helped build countries. Read profiles of some of the most famous giants of the industry as Jack Daniel, George Smith and the Beam family.

Plus, go behind the scenes of Prohibition to check out the legendary gangsters, small-time rumrunners, and a famous NASCAR champion who made his mark as a moonshine runner. And, you'll get insiders' looks at legitimate whiskey-making in such diverse spots as Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., South Africa, India and Japan, as well as how the infamous Whiskey Ring scandal almost brought down a U.S. presidency.

Ithaca wine center changes hours, cuts staff

2011-12-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

Visitors in the tasting room.

ITHACA -- Things already are changing at the year-old Finger Lakes Wine Center.

The faciity, which opened November 6, 2010, at 237 South Cayuga Street, set itself the task of helping promote local wine tourism. While continuing that mission, it is changing its hours, increasing the number of board members but, unfortunately, reducing the size of its staff.

The facility has had 12,000 visitors for its tastings and educational programs, as well as to use its event space.

According to a statement from the board, interim help is being provided by board members and their respective organizations and board members are recruiting volunteers to assist with events. Hirings will be considered in 2012.

The 3,000-square-foot center now is open at noon Wednesdays through Sundays, and closes at 9 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 p.m. Sundays. It had been open Tuesdays through Sundays until 7 p.m.

Its wine bar remains open on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., with live music from 6 to 8. Other information about the Ithaca facility is available online. Phone: (607) 882-9633.

By the way, don't confuse this Finger Lakes Wine Center with an identically-named facility at the Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens in Canandaigua. Such is life in New York's wine world.

New Ithaca winery creates port-style wines

2011-12-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

This video from Newswatch 16 profiles Ports of New York.

ITHACA -- Wineries usually are located out in the country, close to their grape supplies and water source. Occasionally, however, even in the Finger Lakes a winemaker has a more metropolitan point of view.

One example is the fairly new Ports of New York, opened in May by winemaker Frédéric Bouché as a tiny in-town winery located on Taber Street in an industrial section of this small city,

Two expressions of Bouché's work.

Bouché, who comes from a generations-long line of French winemakers, specializes in traditional-style European port wines. They are sold under the brand name Meleau, which Bouché explains comes from the Latin "mel" (the root for honey) and the French "eau" (spirit), and is pronounced "mellow."

His wines have 7 to 8% residual sugar, which puts them into the semi-dry classification. They are made from New York State grape varietals such as Muscat Ottonel, Vignole, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, along with brandy and a touch of fermented honey.

Creating such wines is a tricky and laborious process, so they don't come cheap. A 500ml bottle goes for $40, and a 50ml sampler for $6.

ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides main page
• Port wine on Wikipedia

A rare positive note in battered Prattsville

2011-11-26T14:04:00.001-08:00

TU photo by Phillip Kamrass

• The headline succinctly tells the tale: "Tavern's reopening raises spirits." And, the photo (left) of Kenny Cox hanging up his liquor license is an upbeat one. In Prattsville, the Greene County town that was virtually wiped out by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in late summer, there have been few such positive signs since the disaster. Now, Albany Times Union reporter Scott Waldman has come up with a nice story on how a town landmark has bounced back. Here's how it begins:

PRATTSVILLE -- Not even the Schoharie Creek can wash the Pabst Blue Ribbon out of town.

The Prattsville Tavern Restaurant is open for business again and so is Friday night in a place that has been stuck on Monday morning for three months.

Most people here have not stopped working since the flood brought by Tropical Storm Irene carried trucks and propane tanks down Main Street. At night, it has been so quiet it's as if the Greene County town just got folded into the dark mountain hills.

Even Kenny Cox, the owner, wondered if this day would ever come. Some customers who lost their homes and their jobs left town and will never return. Then some of the regulars came back to the Tavern Restaurant and helped rip out the bar, the wall, the floorboards, the floor joists. They worked for Coors Light and the opportunity to make something normal again.

As Cox talked on a recent day, a man stopped across the street to drop off a Dumpster into which someone will throw the pieces of a home. The man jogged across Main Street to press his face against the front window of the Tavern Restaurant, to see how it was coming along. People do it all day, Cox said.

"I hope it means a lot," he said. "I hope it shows that there are people here who want to stay."

[Go here for the complete story and photos.]

ON THE WEB
• Prattsville Recovery Information
• Dowd's Guides main page

NYS wines successful in Missouri competition

2011-11-26T13:25:00.001-08:00

KANSAS CITY, MO -- New York State winemakers won 87 awards at the recent Jefferson Cup competition held here.

Here's the rundown, thanks to Jim Trezise of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation.

• Jefferson Cup Awards went to Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Hazlitt White Cat and White Stag; and Swedish Hill Winery 2010 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Vignoles.

• Jefferson Cup Nominees (similar to Double Gold in other competitions) included Chateau Frank 2006 Finger Lakes Blanc de Blancs; Chateau LaFayette Reneau Seyval-Chardonnay and 2010 Finger Lakes Pinot Noir Blanc; Inspire Moore 2010 Wisdom; and Swedish Hill Viking Red.

• Medals of Excellence (equivalent to a Gold Medal) were awarded to Chateau Frank 2005 Finger Lakes Brut and 2006 Blanc de Noirs; Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2010 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Riesling and 2009 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay; Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Finger Lakes Pinot Gris, 2010 Finger Lakes Gruner Veltliner, and 2009 Finger Lakes Reserve Gewurtztraminer; Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Glenora Wine Cellars 2003 Finger Lakes Brut, 2010 Finger Lakes Meritage, and 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Goose Watch Winery Cream Sherry and 2010 Finger Lakes Diamond; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2008 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc, 2008 Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bramble Berry; Hunt Country 2010 Finger Lakes Cayuga and Cream Sherry; Inspire Moore 2010 Finger Lakes Change and 2010 Finger Lakes Love; Knapp Winery 2010 Estate Grown Vidal Ice Wine; Lakewood Vineyards 2010 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling; Lamoreaux Landing 2010 Finger Lakes Yellow Dog Vineyard Riesling, 2010 Finger Lakes Red Oak Vineyard Riesling, 2010 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry, and 2008 Finger Lakes Chardonnay; Swedish Hill 2010 Finger Lakes Riesling, and Viking White.

Tribeca gets a touch of the Catskills

2011-11-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

Inside Kutsher's Tribeca main dining room.

NEW YORK -- The last time I spent an extended vacation in my own state was more years ago than I like to remember. It was at Kutsher's Country Club, a Monticello resort in the "Jewish Alps," as the Catskill Mountains often were affectionately called in those days.

While I am not Jewish, I grew up in a predominantly-Jewish community in Long Island, so it seemed like old home week to go there.

Over the years, the Catskills' bloom faded as newer generations chose to vacation elsewhere, and most of the iconic resorts and country clubs in the area shut down. Kutsher's, however, refurbished, rearranged and resuscitated itself and remains a strong business.

But, New Yorkers no longer have to drive up to Kutsher's because Kutsher's has come to them.

Kutsher's Tribeca, which was scheduled to open tonight at 186 Franklin Street, is described as "a fresh take on the 1960s canteen" serving a "uniquely modern" Jewish American "Catskills cuisine."

Mark Spangenthal, who worked the kitchen at the now-defunct Tribeca Screening Room, is the chef. He has come up with some truly iconic Catskills offerings such as mushroom and ricotta kreplach, grilled Romanian steak and flanken style short ribs.

Specialty $12 cocktails include Bug Juice, a name taken from kids' summer camps (vodka, house-made fruit punch, grapefruit butters, spash of soda over frozen punch cubes); Bungalow Bunny, a nod to the getaway bungalows many families rented (gin, muddled lime and mint, blueberry-lime cordial and smoked bitters) and the Route 17, acknowledging the Catskills' main highway (tequila, orange liqueur, lemon syrup and grapefruit bitters with an absinthe rinse).

The beverage offerings, however, do not include a single New York offering on the wines-by-the-glass menu, although the non-alcoholic drinks list includes the iconic Egg Cream and a range of natural "homemade" sodas.

You can get a look at the full menu by clicking here. Kutsher's Tribeca is dinner only at the moment, but soon will add lunch service. Phone: (212) 431-0606.

Refurbished Bear Mountain Inn re-opens

2011-11-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

The inn and the geese that love it.

BEAR MOUNTAIN -- After six-year closure, the iconic Bear Mountain Inn is back in business.

The inn, which operated for nearly a century, has been closed since 2005 for a $15 million facelift.

The three-story stone-and-timber facility is located in the Bear Mountain State Park, and consists of the Overlook Lodge four stone cottages, although it had been heavily used as a conference and banquet hotel.

The catering service and high-ed restaurant dining will not be operational until at least spring, but the hotel itself is set to open by the new year, with rates from $189 to $500 a night.

ON THE WEB
• Bear Mountain State Park
• Dowd's Guides main page

Finger Lakes Distilling beats the weather

2011-11-11T14:20:00.001-08:00

Some wineries and distilleries around the state still are repairing damage from early-fall storms. Some, such as the brand-new Hillrock Estates Distillery in Ancram, Columbia County, had to push back the start of their whiskey-making for a few weeks while power companies repaired power losses in that area and that of nearby western Connecticut.

Meanwhile, things were quite different around Seneca Lake.

"Fortunately for our ongoing construction, we avoided the first storm to hit the Northeast," said Brian McKenzie, president of Finger Lakes Distilling. "Our new warehouse/production building is moving along very quickly. It is exciting to see and is much needed as we struggle to find space to operate in our existing production area.

"Our construction crew isn't the only group hard at work," he added. "Our staff continues to host visitors in the tasting room while bottling current and new products downstairs during their free time."

Among the new products is FLD's first batch of McKenzie Pure Pot Still Whiskey, scheduled for release the day after Thanksgiving, November 25. Also, a new batch of Riesling grappa, pear brandy -- now at 80 proof, in a new etched bottle -- and grape liqueur will be out soon.

Here's a look at the step-by-step progress of the expansion project:

ON THE WEB
• Finger Lakes Travel
• Dowd's Guides home page

'Road Trip Experience' in Cayuga County

2011-11-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Visitors gather lakeside at Long Point Winery.

Fresh local cuisine.

Merchants and facilities in the Cayuga County area of Upstate New York have come up with an interesting marketing push to promote tourism -- a fusion of wine tasting, dining and leisure experiences reminiscent of bygone times.

Visitors to this slice of the Finger Lakes region can be involved in a wide range of wine and culinary events and experiences being promoted as an "American Road Trip Experience."

Here is a checklist of of recommended sites:

✔ Where to Wine Taste:

Heart & Hands Wine Company offers a hands-on winemaking opportunity during the harvest season. Participants discover winemaking activities including picking fruit, sorting grapes, daily punchdowns, lab analysis, pressing grapes and equipment cleaning. Their limited production, currently under 1,500 cases, allows for an intense focus on quality. Committed to producing cool climate wines which authentically express the character of the Finger Lakes, Heart & Hands Wine Company is located in a serene setting overlooking the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake.

Bet the Farm features a farm winery, regional wine shop and gourmet market. Their wines are sold alongside a premier selection of other Finger Lakes wines at their shop in the village of Aurora. In addition to wine, they offer gourmet foods produced throughout the state.

King Ferry Winery -focuses on Chardonnay and Riesling varieties. It offers "Taste the Artistry," a series of of Treleaven wines in the company of works by local artists in the Tasting Room gallery and gift shop.

Long Point Winery winemaker Gary Barletta focuses his attention on dry reds such as Merlot and Syrah. Wife Rosemary serves up her specialty sandwiches in Amelia's Deli. Located just off scenic State Route 90 the winery overlooka Cayuga Lake.

Insider Winery Tips:

• Most wineries have a small tasting fee which often is refunded with a purchase of wine.

• Cheeses can be found between wine tastings along the Cayuga Scenic Byway. Go to the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail website for details.

• Escorted wine tours are a safe way to indulge while letting someone else do the driving. You can get information on rates and hours from Big D's Limo Service in Auburn, Experience! The Finger Lakes in Ithaca, or Quality Wine Tours in Pittsford.

✔ Where to Eat:

Aurora Inn -- Seasonal American cuisine made with fresh regional products and paired with a large list of Finger Lakes wine. Indoor dining room as well as lakeside dining.
on their spacious veranda, perfect for taking in Finger Lakes sunsets.

Moro’s Table -- Finger Lakes ingredients are used to create American-style cuisine.

Pumpkin Hill Bistro -- Comfort food "with a twist" in a unpretentious atmosphere. Cayuga Lake wines can be paired with the dishes, and diners can take advantage of the antiques and gifts at the Country Store.

✔ Where to Pick & Buy Local:

Long Point Orchard -- Fruit enthusiasts can pick their locally grown produce or purchase it from the farm stand located at 2007 State Rte 90 in Aurora. Closed on Mondays.

Grisamore Farms -- Featuring an array of fruit crops from strawberries to sweet cherries to blueberries. Want to bypass the picking process? The farm store is located in a 19th Century dairy barn and equipped with an array of delectable items for sale.

The Produce Place -- Specializing in fresh, local produce as it ripens -- sweet corn, tomatoes, etc. -- plus pies and custards.

King Ferry Farmer's Market -- This pop-up marketplace located just off of Route 90 sells farmstead cheese, organic flour, organic vegetables, plants and flowers, fiber art, pottery and jewelry among many other locally grown and produced items.

✔ Where to Stay:

Aurora Inn, set on the shores of Cayuga Lake in a heritage village, has a pedigree dating to 1833. The original Finger Lakes inn, built in Federal style with red brick and wide columned balconies, has been restored as a bed and breakfast.

E.B. Morgan House, formerly the home of Colonel Edwin Barber Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times and American Express. The house offers seven guest rooms, living spaces, porches that overlook the lake and lawns and a collection of original modern art.

Dill’s Run Bed & Breakfast and Vineyard is located on the east side of Cayuga Lake on State Route 90 in the Town of Ledyard. The Italianate Victorian house was built in the late 1830s and has recently been restored. It sits on a 15-acre plot four miles north of Aurora. It also has a vineyard that produces grapes for its own wines.

Cayuga Marina and Campground is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake, a short distance from Lock One, Seneca Canal, and the Montezuma Wildlife Preserve. Good for an overnight, weekend or week-long stay for outdoor sports enthusiasts and those who just appreciate the countryside and lakeside atmosphere. Seasonal guest accommodations and marina services for patrons.

ON THE WEB
• Cayuga County Tourism
• Finger Lakes Travel
• Dowd's Guides home page

Capital Region hit by tsunami of beer, ale

2011-11-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Graphic by William M. Dowd

ALBANY -– There are, to be sure, some fine wine collections at restaurants in the city -- Yono’s/dp, The Ginger Man and 677 Prime, for example. But make no mistake, this is a beer-centric city and getting more-so all the time.

The latest beer joint announcement concerns The Merry Monk, a bar/restaurant featuring Belgian beer. It is projected to open within the next few weeks at North Pearl and Sheridan downtown. It will offer 16 drafts and a lineup of bottled brews. It succeeds the very short-lived Corner Bar.

This no doubt will lead to even more beer-pairing dinners on the schedule, already in a dizzying number of establishments from watering holes to lah-di-dah establishments.

True, beer has always been popular in Albany -- not unusual for a college town -- but the establishment of such grownup watering holes as Wolff’s Biergarten certainly helped create the current frenzied level of activity. Wolff's success with consumers undoubtedly helped sparked the creation of such other spots as Stout at 904 Broadway, The Barrel Saloon at 942 Broadway, The Olde English Pub & Pantry in the Quackenbush House at Clinton and Broadway, and the City Beer Hall in the former Lodge’s (and, later, Ballinger’s) restaurant at Howard and Lodge streets.

Also this year, there was a brief panic among drinkers when Mahar’s, the local beer mecca, closed briefly after a missed deadline cost it a delay in its license renewal. Many toasts when it re-opened got everyone calmed down.

Beer has gotten so popular that DeCrescente Distributing, the Mechanicville firm that is the leading Upstate beer supplier, has turned one of its websites into what the company says is “the ultimate mobile phone and internet search engine, designed to meet the newest needs of today’s beer consumer.”

A few other developments in the city this year:

• While it pursues a full liquor license, the new Capital City Gastropub at 261 New Scotland Avenue is relying on its beer list to make its mark. It has added a formal bar since its September opening, offering 12 draft brews and 20 bottled beers.

• The recent Albany Craft Beer Festival at The Armory sold out for the second straight year.

This news roundup doesn’t even count such new beer-centric establishments or programs in nearby parts of the Capital Region. Some examples:

• In Schenectady, the Van Dyke Restaurant & Lounge returned to brewing under new ownership that apparently has stabilized the establishment after years of being on a financial roller-coaster. The beer brand name: Mad Jack.

• The annual Conkling Hall fundraiser in Rensselaerville out in the Helderbergs this year added a homebrewers’ competition to its traditional chili competition.

• Power’s Irish Pub just opened at 130 Meyer Road in Clifton Park (former home of the Old Dater Tavern), offering 18 drafts.

• The Broadway Brew Pub & Grill in Troy opened with a beer-centric menu.

• Brown's Brewing Company in Troy hired chef Luca Brunelle to rework its menu and create more beer-based foods.

• In August, The Proctors entertainment complex in Schenectady lifted the curtain on the new Proctors Brews & Blues festival.

• A new Mugs & Martinis Club has been instituted at the upscale Prime at Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs.

• The initial Capital Region Craft Brewers Festival was so successful the first year, it was held again this year at Bruno Stadium in Troy.

• The in-development Martell Brothers Brew Pub project is going through the permitting process in Saratoga Springs.

• The Saratoga Race Course held its “Battle of the Brews” tasting and competition for the 14th consecutive year.

• In Columbia County, we saw the inaugural “Blues, Brews & BBQ” event as a companion activity to the first Hudson Music Festival in August.

• In Saratoga County, the Waterford Historical Museum and Cultural Center initiated its first homebrewers' competition.

• In Glens Falls, the Davidson Brothers Brewery renovated its restaurant to meet public demand that has made the spot such a success.

• In the same city, the Glens Falls Brewfest was held for the second year to great public acclaim.

So, while sales statistics in most countries say beer is falling slightly out of favor with consumers, the Capital Region continues to drink to a different drummer.

ON THE WEB
• The Beer Institute
• Dowd's Guides home page

Striking liquid gold in Columbia County

2011-11-08T17:11:00.000-08:00


Distiller Tim Welly adjusts a valve on the new still at Hillrock Estates Distillery.

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM M. DOWD

ANCRAM -- The newest distillery in New York State ran off its first batch of whiskey today, a single malt made from grain grown on Hillrock Farms, home of what will become Hillrock Estates Distillery spirits.

With master distiller Dave Pickerell guiding the operation, he and Hillrock owner Jeff Baker and distiller Tim Welly tweaked the new Pickerell-designed still to achieve the desired alcohol level that quickly resulted in a run of full-flavored white spirit that will be put into new wood barrels later in the week, thus beginning the maturation process.

As I wandered about, photographing the day's activities, I couldn't help but compare the tableau to one several weeks ago when Pickerell headed up a distilling session I attended at George Washington's rebuilt Mount Vernon, VA, distillery.

As I observed then, in the circa-1799 distillery "The air was a thick stew of humidity, dust motes, cool water, fruit flies and the occasional spark from kindling wood being stoked in the brick ovens below the copper pot stills."

Distillery owner Jeff Baker checks the process.

Here, in a state-of-the-art facility that came to fruition in less than a year from concept to equipment installation, a lonely honeybee was the only intruder.

A cool breeze wafted through the pastel-walled interior, mixing with the sweet familiar smell of fermenting grain; hoses, gaskets and metal fermentation tanks smacking of modern technology; gleaming copper and polished brass shining on the two-story still and the adjacent mash tun made to order at the Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, KY.

"Jeff told me he wanted the best design he could get," Pickerell explained, "then when it was finished he said 'Now make it pretty.' I think we did."

Despite the modern technological rendering of an age-old process, it still has all the appearances of wizardry and magic when the clear distillate trickles from the still into the receiving container.

"It is a kind of magic, isn't it?" said Pickerell. "I like to tell people I'm a modern alchemist. I turn grain into gold."

Dave Pickerell adds milled grain to the mash tun.

The distillery was the dream of Baker, an executive managing director of Savills LLC, a New York City real estate investment banking firm. In a 25-year career, he completed more than $12 billion in transactions for such clients as Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Price Waterhouse.

Baker obviously thinks big in all things.

He purchased this 100-acre Columbia County farm, and a nearby 100-acre plot, a decade ago and has been biding his time as the land rebounded from chemicals used by prior owners.

He now has an eye on having his farm certified organic, part of his support of the farm-to-table movement that has taken hold in the Hudson Valley.

He had a colonial-style house dismantled and transported from Washington County to be reassembled on a hilltop here.

He is planning to make the distillery visitor-friendly in the foreseeable future, with the ability to host 40-person dinners, as well as offering an outdoor patio, a tasting room, and an interior replete with colonial-style lamps such as those he already has suspended over the new still.

"I'm not sure exactly when we'll open to the public," Baker said, "but we're not too far away from completing the interior rooms."

Go here for a photo album of the day's scenes.

An adjacent malt house is under construction and should be completed by about year's end. That will allow Hillrock to handle its own grain malting rather than having it done off-premises as is the current arrangement. Once that is done, it will mean a fully on-premises field-to-bottle operation.

Welly, who had been cellar master at Millbrook Winery in Dutchess County before joining Hillrock this year, is head of operations and the distiller now, with Pickerell as the consultant. He's a veteran of the restaurant and wine industry in sales, distribution and as a buyer. As part of the transition to distilling, he has been working under Pickerell and right up to the last minute today was busily making notes on a yellow legal pad seldom far from his reach.

Pickerell, an industry superstar and former Maker's Mark master distiller, has a busy consulting business with craft distilleries around the country, juggling 20 of them right now. The former Army officer and West Point faculty member is the managing member and senior consultant with Oak View Consulting in Mt. Washington, KY.

ON THE WEB
• Artisan Craft Distilling
• Dowd's Guides home page

Beer & Wine Fest at Holiday Valley resort

2011-11-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

ELLICOTTVILLE, NY -- Holiday Valley isn't waiting for snow to get its "winter" season rolling. The ski resort will hold its 8th annual Holiday Valley Beer & Wine Festival this Friday and Saturday.

More than 2,000 people attended last year's event at the Cattarragus County site. This year's is being co-sponsored by the resort, the Ellicottville Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewing Company.

From 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 30 local, U.S. and international craft brewers plus 13 wineries from New York, California and abroad will pour samples of their products for enthusiasts.

Pre-event tickets are $40 per person. A variety of brewfest foods will be served throughout the event and each ticket includes a $5 food credit.

A $100 VIP pass entitles the bearer to a two-hour exclusive beer tasting adventure with rare and specialty top U.S. craft brews and Belgian beers and specialty wines in the Brewer’s Loft at the Yodeler Lodge. They will be accompanied by a selection of special hors d’oeuvres paired with the beer and wine offerings.

A beer tasting dinner on Friday night will feature a German Octoberfest brewhouse meal and beers to complement the food. The head brewers from both Southern Tier and Ellicottville Brewing will guide diners through the dishes and the beers. Cost for the dinner is $65 per person.

Reservations may be obtained by calling (716) 699-2010. Lodging packages including festival tickets are available at the Inn at Holiday Valley, the Tamarack Club and Holiday Valley Rental Properties.

ON THE WEB
• The Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County
• Dowd's Guides home page

Whatever Andrew wants ...

2011-11-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

OK, it's official. Wine sales in the state's supermarkets is an idea that is effectively dead. At least during the current administration.

Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday said he is against the idea that has been pushed during at least the last three state budget-creation periods. Anyone who has been watching Cuomo II's record of getting what he wants knows chances of anything he doesn't support coming to fruition have two chances -- slim and none.

He did not include the possibility in this year's budget even though he was looking for new revenues and new reductions; respected wine industry estimates project a $300 million increase in business if such a law were passed.

The Last Store On Main Street, a lobbying group made up of some wineries and lots of retail stores and liquor stores, has been against the idea from day one. In typical histrionic fashion, group founder Jeff Saunders released a statement lauding Cuomo's stance, pushing the idea that "Big Box" stores are the prime movers behine the wine-in-markets idea and -- get this one:

"The Governor knows that this dangerous idea would kill thousands of jobs by putting Mom-and-Pop shops across upstate New York out of business, while increasing underage drinking in communities across New York by putting high-alcohol content wine in every deli, minimart, gas station, bodega and corner store that now sells beer."

Whew! Who knew the evils of wine reached that far.

ON THE WEB
• New York Wine Trails
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Queens promotion to push LI wines, foods

2011-10-31T16:13:00.001-07:00

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY -- While some industry organizations such as the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and Long Island Wine Council make continul efforts to promote island wines to the public, smaller enterprises shouldn't be overlooked.

Take the quarterly magazine Edible Queens, for example. Editor and Publisher Leah McLaughlin has organized the inaugural "Queens Uncorked," intended to promote the cuisine of Queens and the wines of Long Island.

The event is set for Wednesday of this week, when consumers can purchase $40 tickets from more than 20 borough restaurants and 16 Long Island vineyards and wineries. A portion of the proceeds will go to an estimated 30 local greenmarket farmers who lost crops to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

"It’s really about meeting local food artisans, meeting our local wine makers and facilitating connections to help strengthen the economy across the region, McLaughlin said. "There’s an incredible wine region in the backyard of the Queens borough.”

She said she hopes the event will encourage more restaurants and stores to stock wine from the North Fork and South Fork. It was modeled after "Uncorked Brooklyn," an event created by the sister publication Edible Brooklyn.

ON THE WEB
• Discover Queens
• Dowd's Guides home page

NYS wine project targeting NYC

2011-10-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Wine Bohemia

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is re-targeting a major consumer market -- New York. City, that is.

The initial phase of the program will be concentrated in the first three months of 2012 as a launching pad for additional activities in the future.

The trade organization, headquartered in Canandaigua deep in the Finger Lakes, hashired First Press Public Relations in Manhattan to create and coordinate the multi-faceted program, which will involve initial market research, cellar visits to the main wine regions by New York City media and trade representatives, a multi-day market visit to New York City by participating wineries, media outreach and advertising, and a dedicated web site for New York wines in New York City, according to Jim Trezise, NYWGF president.

"New York wines are poised to be a bigger part of New York City's renowned culinary landscape, and First Press's experience, talent, and savvy will propel us in that direction," he said.

Trezise noted that over the past several years, the quality of New York State wines has improved dramatically, with many now routinely receiving scores of 90 or above in major wine consumer magazines and winning top awards in international competitions. Still, they remain vastly underrepresented in their major home state market, which also happens to be the world's most competitive.

"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," Trezise said. "But the added benefit of buying really good, affordable New York wines is that these consumers are also supporting their own state economy."

Thirty-eight New York wineries from various regions will participate in the promotion. The program was open to all 308 wineries in the state. The regional breakdown:

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 Vineyards, 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 Valley -- 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.

Sullivan Co. winery going underground

2011-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

WURTSBORO, NY -- Bashakill Vineyards, the Sullivan County winery that won "Best in Show" honors in the recent Hudson Valley Wine Competition, is going underground.

That's no reference to hiding. Rather, it's the implementation of a project owner Paul Deninno has had in mind for a while.

He's constructing a wine cave that measures 9 by 16 feet, with a 40-foot depth. That will be room enough for a tasting bar as well as 20 to 25 barrels.

Deninno plans to age some of his red wines in the cave, which should be an interesting evolution for the likes of his Black Bear Cabernet Franc that won a double gold and best red wine honors, as well as top show honors, in the aforementioned test I helped judge.

Bashakill is located at 1131 South Road, Wurtsboro. Phone: (845) 888-5858.

Harvest Fests on success November weekends

2011-10-19T10:06:00.001-07:00

The two Pride of New York Harvest Fests are fast approaching.

The older of the two, the Capital Region version, this year will move from its Albany County roots to the City Center in Saratoga Springs for a November 12-13 weekend run. It previously had been held at The Desmond in Colonie and the Empire State Plaza in Albany.

The other is scheduled for the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes, near Syracuse, for the weekend of November 5-6.

Both Harvest Fests will feature New York-made products, including wines, beers, ciders and a wide range of foodstuffs for sampling, particularly New York-made cheeses, smoked meats, preserves and other items.

Tickets are available online for both the Syracuse event and the Saratoga Springs event.

Troy Chowder Fest fare conjures tastes of beer

2011-10-15T12:36:00.001-07:00

PHOTO BY BILL DOWD

TROY -- After sampling two dozen different entries as a judge in the 6th annual Troy Chowder Fest competition this afternoon, my thoughts turned to beverages. Only natural, considering food and drink are my mainstay topics.

But, what does one imbibe with such a wide variety of creations -- from classic New England clam chowders to such exotica as Guinness scented hickory smoked corn and ancho chilis chowder, jerk chicken, autumn pear and smoked Reuben chowders, varieties that drew several thousand people to the riverside event behind Brown's Brewing despite overcast, rainy skies?

Beer, of course, and that thought comes to mind not only because we were doing the judging inside the brewpub's Revolution Hall event space. Yes, a bold pinot noir, or a tangy malbec or even a citrus-tinged seyval blanc might work if you insist on wine. But, only beer has the tasty edge, the cleansing carbonation to cut through all the creams and hot peppers and mixed spices the chefs used to concoct their chowders. Even if you're not a regular beer drinker -- which seems to be a growing number of the population, according to all sales statistics -- beer will do the trick.

There may be something to the theory that because beer was the drink of the common man and chowder originated as a meal cooked by the lower economic classes, our DNA's palate is hard-wired to pair the two.

Fish chowders were the ancestors of clam chowder. Some of the chowders I sampled today were topped with a bit of puff pastry or a crisp crouton, mimicking the practice of our early settlers who usually broke ship's biscuits into their seafood chowders to help thicken them.

The Oxford English Dictionary says the very word "chowder" can be traced to fishing villages along the coast of France, as well as in southwestern England and Brittany which flank the English Channel. It was the practice in the 16th and 17th centuries to have a large cauldron -- a "chaudiere" -- ready to cook some of the catch when the fishing boats returned to port and celebrations ensued.

There may have been some in the festival crowd here today who were there to escape financial worries for a few hours, but they no doubt were in the minority. That is very unlike the populace of such places as Brighton, England, in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Chowder-centric revelry probably was helpful in letting the locals forget for the moment the miserable economic and hygiene conditions in which many of them lived. Writing in 1860 in "Brighton As It Is," one J.G. Bishop described the hardscrabble fishing village this way:

"The houses of the poor in Brighton, which are situated in narrow streets and courts, are for the most part ill-ventilated, badly drained, if at all. The numbers which are huddled together in them render decency and decorum next to impossible. Many of them being built with inferior bricks and mortar made of sea-sand are wretchedly damp so that even the walls are covered with lichens, and the miserable tenants, unable to endure the depression of spirits which is the necessary result, try to drown their uneasy sensations in the neighbouring beer shops."

So, count your blessings, cook your chowder and chill your beer. All in all, I’m sure we’d rather be here than in Brighton.

ON THE WEB:

• 180 Trusted Chowder Recipes
• Dowd's Guides home page

Chautauqua Co. winery becomes NY's 308th

2011-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, NY -- Olde Chautauqua Farms, founded in the 1960s, has grown tremendously over its half-century history. From its initial 12 acres, it has grown to a 300-acre grape farm.

Now the Lake Erie region enterprise has expanded again with the opening of 21 Brix Winery, its offshoot and New York State's 308th winery.

Mike and Marion Jordan and their sons Bryan Jordan and Kristopher Kane -- the winemaker -- are behind the winery and its new tasting room.

Kane has done some harvest time work with the Stuart Wine Company in Australia, and for the past six years has been the winemaker at Presque Isle Wine Cellars in North East, PA.

21 Brix is located on Route 20 between Westfield and Brocton in this Chautauqua County community. The official address is 6654 West Main Road. Phone: (716) 792-2749.

ON THE WEB
• Lake Erie Wine Country
• Dowd's Guides home page

'Barrels & Drams' whiskey anthology on sale

2011-10-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

My new book, "Barrels & Drams: The History of Whisk(e)y In Jiggers and Shots," is on the market.

(A hint for holiday shoppers -- The retail price is $18.95, but you can get a variety of discounts online, for example from Amazon.com.)

The book is a collection I co-wrote and edited, with essays from numerous writers famous in the field, from F. Paul Pacult to David Wondrich to Tom Wolfe.

You'll discover the spread of whiskey throughout the world and how it helped build countries. Read profiles of some of the most famous giants of the industry as Jack Daniel, George Smith and the Beam family.

Plus, go behind the scenes of Prohibition to check out the legendary gangsters, small-time rum-runners, a famous NASCAR champion who made his mark as a moonshine runner. And, you'll get insiders' looks at legitimate whiskey-making in such diverse spots as Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., South Africa, India and Japan.

NY wine marketing push under way

2011-10-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

A promotional poster.

The last time we heard much about The Last Store On Main Street, it was vigorously opposing any and all attempts to allow wine sales in the state’s grocery stores.

Now, the statewide coalition of some wineries, unions, distributors and other small businesses is back for a third year of promoting the purchase of New York State wines.

“New York wineries make great wines that can compete with any in the world, but too many New Yorkers look elsewhere when shopping or ordering wine,” said Jeff Saunders, coalition founder and president of the Retailers Alliance.

His comments echo that of many in the New York wine industry. Anyone who thinks they’re not on target hasn’t studied many restaurant wine list in the state where New York wines are few and far between.

The marketing push is aimed at the fall and holiday seasons, and will run through October and November with retailers across the state participating in the “Fall in Love with New York Wines” promotional program. Depending on the participant, it will include in-store tastings, special pricing on New York wines and other related offerings.

Peconic Bay opening NY-only wine store

2011-10-01T11:33:00.001-07:00

RIVERHEAD, Long Island -- Here's an update on an earlier report. An October 21 opening date has been set for Peconic Bay Winery's retail store at the Tanger Outlets here.

The store, named Empire State Cellars, is a 3,000-square-foot merchant store and tasting room. In addition to wines from Peconic Bay, the stock will include about 15,000 bottles from about 200 other New York wineries.

Peconic Bay Winery is one of the few North Fork vineyards to open a second location, a move allowed under state agricultural law that allows wineries to have up to five satellite locations. Pindar Vineyards opened a second tasting room and retail store in Port Jefferson, called Pindar Wine Shop, about 25 years ago.

Tastings will be offered daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Tanger Outlets are located at 200 Tanger Mall Drive, just off Main Street (Route 25).

Here's the latest NY gold rush roundup

2011-10-01T10:57:00.001-07:00

Here are the latest success stories for New York wines in competitions.

• New York wineries won six gold, five silver and seven bronze medals in the recent Denver International Wine Competition, where Coyote Moon Vineyards also won a gold and Best Label Series Design for its packaging. Gold medals went to Chateau Frank 2005 Blanc de Blancs; Dr. Frank 2010 Muscat Ottonel and 2009 Gewurztraminer; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2010 Riesling and 2010 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, and Sheldrake Point Vineyards Apple Wine.

• At the Tasters Guild Wine Lovers' Consumer Wine Judging, Chateau Lafayette Reneau got double gold for its 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling. Gold medals went to Belhurst Estate Winery 2010 Dry Riesling, Carrie Blush and 2009 Merlot; Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Blancs; Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2010 Late Harvest Riesling; Dr. Frank 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling; Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards White Stag and Wagner Vineyards 2007 Meritage, 2008 Vidal Ice Wine, 2008 Cabernet Franc, and Sparkling Riesling.

• In the Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition, Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2010 Finger Lakes Gewurztraminer took both Best Gewurztraminer and Best of Show White Wine.

Thanks to Jim Trezise of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation for rounding up the event results.

Catskills tavern braves the rubble

2011-09-22T13:25:00.001-07:00

• From The New York Times

PRATTSVILLE -- This small town, tucked along the banks of a creek in the Catskill Mountains, was ravaged by Tropical Storm Irene.

Main Street was practically washed away, and many of its 650 residents were forced to take shelter at area missions.Yet one thing has not changed: Happy hour at the Prattsville Tavern is still going strong.

The catch? There is no bartender these days, and no bar. Still, the tavern has become a sort of port in the storm, providing not only shelter on its top floor for several regulars who lost their homes, but also a place for residents to drink and return to something that resembles a routine.

[Go here for the full story.]

A place where time goes on and on and ...

2011-09-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

Did the summer seem to fly by?

Did this month get away from you before you knew it?If you have problems like this, you may want to consider visiting the Rochester area. I

t's a very special place, where time seems to just go on and on and on.

Don't believe it? Check out the circled headline from one of the area's suburban newspapers. ➨

Grants to fight illegal college drinking

2011-09-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

ALBANY -- Drinking among underage college students has been pinpointed by numerous academic and public agencies as a major problem.

As a result, Arlene González-Sánchez, commissioner of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), today said federal grants totaling $100,000 will go to five statewide prevention providers to address the problem.

"The consequences of alcohol use on and around college campuses are serious and often life threatening," González-Sánchez said. "Creating a change in the drinking culture on college campuses requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach. This funding will foster development of a college community coalition consisting of prevention professionals, college faculty, including public safety staff, community groups and law enforcement to prevent underage drinking among college students. Working together, we can best protect our future generations and help them achieve their greatest aspirations in life."

OASAS and the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) will be presenting at the opening plenary of the New York Alcohol Policy Summit on October 6 in Syracuse. The summit is hosted by the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance in partnership with the New York State Public Health Association, and Council on Addictions of New York State.

SLA Commissioner Dennis Rosen said, "As the consequences of underage drinking are too often tragic, keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors is a priority for the State Liquor Authority. We will continue conducting these underage decoy operations across the state and irresponsible licensees will be held accountable when their actions threaten public health and safety."

In August, the SLA conducted more than 200 targeted compliance checks in the largest sting operation in the agency's history. It targeted specific convenience stores and neighborhoods found to have a high activity of selling to minors.

The investigators sent underage volunteer decoys into 212 licensed groceries in all five New York City boroughs. In total, the decoys were able to purchase alcohol at 123 of the premises. In July, the SLA conducted a similar operation in Western New York, sending decoys to 124 grocery stores and charging 41 licensees with selling to a minor. These large scale decoy operations will continue throughout the state.

The funding was awarded to not-for-profit OASAS-funded prevention providers who partner with colleges and law enforcement agencies to enforce underage drinking laws and coordinate community responses to reduce and eliminate youth alcohol access. Each prevention provider will receive up to $20,000 over the next year.

The awardees are required to do at least one law enforcement activity and be required to submit a quarterly report indicating their activities and expenditures. Other allowable activities may include: sobriety checkpoints, party patrols, retail compliance checks, shoulder tap details, evaluation of college and university alcohol and drug policies, responsible beverage training programs, enhance or develop college/campus community coalitions, an educational component, and media advocacy efforts.

Hazlitt expanding in several sectors

2011-09-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

NAPLES, NY -- Quick, name New York's top-selling in-state wine.

If you named anything from the prestige wineries such as Dr. Frank, Brotherhood or Martha Clara, guess again.

It's Red Cat, the signature wine from Hazlitt's Red Cat Cellars. If you've only heard of Hazlitt as in Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards and Red Cat as one of its wines, you'll have to adjust your thinking as the company goes through a substantial expansion.

Siblings Doug Hazlitt and Leigh Hazlitt Triner have created a multi-million-dollar investment in purchasing the former Widmer Wine Cellars from Constellation Brands Inc. last year, then transforming it into Red Cat Cellars, now in full operation along with their new sister business, East Coast Crush & Co-Pack (EC3). EC3 processes products for a dozen other companies in the wine and beverage industry in New York and elsewhere.

The Red Cat facility has undergone exterior and interior renovations, including repairs and restorstion, new landscaping and new signage. Twenty-two jobs have been added, and a tasting room will open in the fall once state permits are received.

Hazlitt produces about 400,000 gallons of wine annually, 150,000 of it Red Cat. The new facility has a capacity of nearly 4 million gallons.

Swedish Hill headed for Saratoga Springs

2011-09-16T17:02:00.001-07:00

Location of new tasting room.

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- A Finger Lakes winery will open a tasting room in downtown Saratoga Springs this month.

Swedish Hill Vineyards, located in Romulus, Seneca County, this year is marking its 25th anniversary. It reportedly will open a satellite store at 379 Broadway, adjacent to the Adelphi Hotel.

Swedish Hill, which also has a tasting room in Lake Placid, has sister wineries, Goose Watch and Penguin Bay. It is a family-owned and operated company headed by Dick and Cindy Peterson.

Wine festival on an island

2011-09-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Boldt Castle on Heart Island.

ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY -- No man is an island, but the island that is home to Boldt Castle usually sees lots of men, women and children attending its 3rd annual Wine Festival & Farmers Market that ends the summer season.

The event, scheduled for this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will feature more vendors than in prior years as wel as a Thousand Islands dressing-tasting challenge on the castle grounds on Heart Island.

Shane K. Sanford, director of the Boldt facilities, said visitors will vote for their favorite recipes among three that claim to be home of the original -- Boldt Castle, Thousand Islands Inn and a Chicago blend -- in a blind taste test.

The festival will features wines from 10 wineries in the Thousand Islands and Finger Lakes regions as well as local foods, including cheddar cheese, maple candies, chocolates and honey, as well as agricultural products. There also will be live music and alpacas and goats on display during the event.
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Last year, 2,200 visitors came to the second annual festival, Sanford said, marking the first time Boldt Castle saw more than 2,000 visitors in a single day after Labor Day.

Admission to the castle is $7 for adults and $4.50 for children ages 6 to 12.

The castle is open daily until October 10 and reopens for the weekend of October 15-16. The Boldt yacht house, which sits on Wellesley Island across from the castle, operates daily until October 2.

Bashakill Cab Franc wins HV competition

2011-09-10T11:08:00.001-07:00

Photo by William M. Dowd

RHINEBECK, NY -- A comparatively young winery took "Best In Show" honors in the Hudson Valley Wine Competition held here Saturday.

Bashakill Vineyards' 2010 Black Bear Cabernet Franc edged out Millbrook Vineyards & WInery's 2009 Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay for the top honor.

The largest number of acres on the Millbrook estate are in Chardonnay grapes, so it seems fitting that a Millbrook Chardonnay took top white wine honors, thus propelling it into the final round.

However, red wine category winner Bashakill emerged on top in a vote of the 13 judges -- including yours truly -- in the only part of the competition that was not divided into judging panels trying different wine.

The competition, which had 94 entries, was limited to Hudson Valley wineries, although they had the option of entering wines using fruit from outside the region if they desired.

Millbrook winemaker John Graziano has been producing wines at the Dutchess County facility since 1984. Bashakill owner/winemaker Paul DiNinno has been working his vineyards since the first plantings on his Wurtsboro land in 2005. His is Sullivan County's first licensed farm winery.

The event was coordinated and managed by Debbi Gioquindo. It was held in conjunction with the two-day Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival, being held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds this weekend. Other winners:

Best Overall Hudson Valley Wine: Clinton Vineyards Jubilee.

Best Spirit: Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Baby Bourbon.

Finger Lakes gets wine & food ambassador

2011-09-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

The Finger Lakes has put a face on its wine and food offerings.

Rochelle Bilow has been named "the official Finger Lakes Wine & Food Ambassador" by the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association in partnership with Finger Lakes Wine Alliance.

They say she will play a major role in the 2010 Vintage Finger Lakes Riesling Launch, scheduled for September 19-24.

Bilow grew up in Syracuse, studied locally at LeMoyne College, and has a grande dilpome from the French Culinary Institute. She got her start in the food and wine world in Manhattan as a catering chef at the Timer Warner Center and in the restaurant Aldea. She then returned to Syracuse, where she writes and blogs for the Syracuse Post-Standard as well as writing her personal website.

She will be present at a variety of 2010 Vintage Riesling tastings as well as hosting educational videos that will be released throughout September.

North Country newcomers earn gold on ice

2011-08-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- A pair of North Country wineries earned gold for New York in the recent International Cold Climate Wine Competition, held on the University of Minnesota campus.

Coyote Moon Winery's Brianna and Tug Hill Vineyards' Whiteout, made from Frontenac grapes, emerged with golds at the competition that emphasizes grape varieties that can withstand severely cold temperatures and still produce quality wines.

The New Yorkers are newcomers to the field. Coyote Moon opened just last year in Clayton, Jefferson County, and Tug Hill just a few months ago in Lowville, Lewis County.

A 2010 Frontenac Rosé wine from Indian Island Winery in Janesville, MN, won the top award, the Minnesota Governor’s Cup that recognizes best in show.

The competition drew more than 250 wines from commercial wineries in 12 states.

The ICCWC is a partnership between the Minnesota Grape Growers Association and the University of Minnesota, which developed several of the cold-hardy grapes used to make the wines in the competition.

Other New York wines that medaled:

• Silver: Coyote Moon's Marquette; Thousand Islands Winery's La Crescent; Tug Hill's Marquette.

• Bronze: Coyote Moon's Island Mama Dry White and La Crescent; Thousand Islands' Frontenac and Marquette; Tug Hill Vineyards' 43 Degrees Late Blush and 43 Degrees Late Semi‐Sweet White.

Fed grant to bring local foods to NY B&Bs

2011-08-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

• From the Albany Times Union:

A $73,824 federal matching grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program will help local food producers and tourism by encouraging bed and breakfast operators to feature locally produced food and agricultural products, State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine said Monday.

The Department will receive the grant in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, which will lead the two year project, NOFA-NY, the Empire State B&B Association, Central New York Bounty, the New York Small Scale Food Processors Association, and the University of Illinois Extension.

New York is one of 19 states to receive 25 grants. The grant money will be available for the entire state.

Producer organizations and B&B owners are encouraged to participate in the project, which will begin in the fall.

ON THE WEB
• Times Union home page
• Dowd's Guides home page

Newest, and 307th, winery to open Friday

2011-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

A scene at A Gust of Sun.

RANSOMVILLE, NY -- The state's 307th and newest winery will open this Friday, the culmination of a project that began nearly a year ago.

Erik and Shane Gustafson, who have been married for three years, purchased a 17-acre parcel in this Niagara County community last September. In November they planted an acre of Frontenac and Vignoles grapes, and made their first wine from purchased regional grapes.

Now they are debuting A Gust of Sun winery, a definite step up from their home winemaking days. However, the full festivities will wait until Saturday, September 17, when a grand opening celebration is planned.

It will include food, music, art and lawn games as well as tastings of the inaugural wines: sweet and dry Niagara, semi-dry and dry Rieslings, Chardonnay, Three Westies White and Trismegistus Dry Red. Tickets will cost $8 on the premises, or $5 in advance at the winery or online.

The winery, a member of the Niagara Wine Trail, plans to add four wines this winter: Apric-Cadabra, Raspody in Blue, Sax on the Peach and 2010 Cabernet Franc. Erik Gustafson said the wines were awaiting label approval.

The winery will be open only on weekends. Tasting room hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

A Gust of Sun is located at 4515 Baer Road. Phone: (716) 731-4878.

ON THE WEB
• Niagara Wine Trail
• Dowd's Guides home page

Wine competition at HV Wine & Food Fest

2011-08-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

RHINEBECK -- The Hudson Valley Wine Competition will be held on Saturday, September 10, opening day of the weekend-long 10th annual Hudson Valley Food & Wine Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.

A lineup of 15 judges, divided into five equal panels, will evaluate the entries -- wines made in the Hudson Valley from Hudson Valley fruit or fruit from other areas of New York.

The ultimate award of the competition is the “Best of Show.” Other top awards will be “Winery of the Year” based on the type and number of medals won and other criteria such as “Best Varietal,” “Best of Category,” etc., and “Best Hudson Valley Wine” made with Hudson Valley fruit. The “Best of Category” awards include Sparkling, White Vinifera, White Hybrid, Rose, Red Vinifera, Red Hybrid, Dessert, and Specialty such as meads or fruit wines.

All Double Gold wines – unanimous vote of the panel -- automatically will advance to the Governor’s Cup round.

The competition is being coordinated by Debbie Gioquindo , who writes under the title “Hudson Valley Wine Goddess."

The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest is a celebration of the gourmet lifestyle in the Hudson Valley. It will feature hundreds of wines from all over the state and the world, more than 100 gourmet specialty food, fine art and lifestyle vendors, food sampling from some of the region’s restaurants, and live entertainment.

Also offered will be cooking demonstrations and food and wine seminars, with winemakers on hand to discuss their products.

The Fairgrounds is located at 6550 Spring Brook Avenue (off Route 9). Phone: (845) 658-7181. Parking is free. Tickets and additional information are available online.

ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides home page

Bethel Woods Wine Fest this Sunday

2011-08-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

NOTE; This event has been postponed due to Hurricane Irene.
BETHEL -- Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has bumped its lineup of New York wineries to more than 20 for its annual Bethel Wine Festival.

The Sullivan County event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday at the Market Sheds.

The lineup of wineries from the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes now includes:

Brimstone Hill
Glenora Wine Cellar
Hudson-Chatham Winery
Inspire Moore
Knapp Winery
Adair Vineyard
Anthony Road Wine Company
BashaKill Vineyards
Brimstone Hill
Brotherhood Winery
Careghino Smith
Crooked Lake Winery
Eagle Crest Vineyards
Fulkerson Winery
Glenora Wine Cellars
Glorie Farm Winery
Hazlitt Vineyards
Knapp Winery
Lime Berry Wine Estate
Palaia Vineyards and Winery
Pazdar Winery
Whitecliff Vineyard
White Spring Winery

The tasting fee is $10, which includes a complimentary glass while supplies last. Tickets can be purchased online, at the Bethel Woods Box Office, Ticketmaster, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. General admission is $5, the same price as for designated drivers, Parking is free.

In addition to wine sampling, visitors will be able to avail themselves of specialty foods, cheeses, and crafts. The afternoon also will feature short wine appreciations seminars:

Session I: Wine basics: Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay -- Understanding the different varietals of wine. Session II: Wine Appreciation -- How to taste and pair wine. Registration for these limited-space seminars is recommended.

The day also will feature live musical performances.

More information about Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is available online, or by calling (866) 781-2922.

Seneca Lake vineyard-winery sold

2011-08-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Main building at Silver Thread.

LODI — What is called the only organically-farmed vinifera wine estate in the Finger Lakes has new owners.

Shannon and Paul Brock said today they have entered into an agreement to purchase Silver Thread Vineyard from Richard Figiel, owner and founder. Final sale is pending license approval from the New York State Liquor Authority.

Figiel founded the 10-acre, organically-farmed vineyard on the east side of Seneca Lake. The estate winery has been operating since 1991, producing small quantities of vinifera wines, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc.

“We are very excited to have this opportunity to create high-quality wines using the well-established Silver Thread label,” said Shannon Brock, who had been wine coordinator for the New York Wine & Culinary Center (NYWCC) in Canandaigua.

“We have great respect for what Richard has contributed to the Finger Lakes wine industry and will continue to develop the winery in keeping with his vision.”

Silver Thread is rated among the top six Finger Lakes wine producers in the latest “Robert Parker Wine Guide.” Its Riesling label is featured in the sixth edition of “The World Atlas of Wine.”

The Brocks say sustainable farming practices and hand-crafted wine production will continue under their ownership. Shannon will be the general manager. Paul will be consulting winemaker while maintaining his position as instructor of viticulture and wine technology at Finger Lakes Community College. He previously worked as the winemaker at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars in Lodi. Although Shannon has resigned from the NYWCC, she will continue to instruct Wine & Spirit Education Trust courses there.

Figiel, who will be available as a consultant during the first year of transition, plans to return to fulltime writing. He is working on a history of New York wine for Cornell University Press.

“I turned down the offer of a prestigious Rhone Valley winemaker,” Figiel said, “in favor of the talent, energy and skills of the Brocks and the knowledge that another Finger Lakes family will be taking stewardship of this patch of paradise on Seneca Lake. I’m confident the future of Silver Thread is in good hands.”

Silver Thread is located at 1401 Caywood Road. Phone: (607) 582-6116.

ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides home page

How to create a regional museum

2011-08-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Visionary John Adamski.

• From The Corning (NY) Leader:

BLUFF POINT, NY -- A few years ago, freelance writer and photographer John Adamski spent a few vacation days exploring the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, which delve into the culture and history of the North Country.

"It got me thinking," Adamski said. “I said to myself, 'Why don’t we have a place like this that tells the story of the Finger Lakes?' "

Upon returning home, Adamski wrote an essay for Life in the Finger Lakes magazine, pitching his idea.

Before he knew it, he was the board president for the Finger Lakes Cultural and Natural History Museum, an ambitious $30 million project slated to open in 2014 in Keuka Lake State Park in Yates County. ...

ElevenFinger Lakes (Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco) will be prominently featured.

The flora and fauna native to the region will also be highlighted, along with the people that have called the Finger Lakes home, including Native Americans, early white settlers, Amish and Mennonites.

Many of the displays will be interactive, Adamski promises.

“We’re going to redefine the word 'museum,' " he said. “It won’t be looking at old sticks and bones, but a place where people are educated about their environment."

[Go here for the full story.]

ON THE WEB
• Keuka Lake State Park
• Dowd's Guides home page

LI Riesling tops NY Wine Classic field

2011-08-16T15:15:00.001-07:00

Winemaker Juan E. Micieli-Martinez

WATKINS GLEN, NY -- Finger Lakes wines have been getting the lion's share of the good news in various competition results this year, but Martha Clara Vineyards of Long Island today took the top prize in the prestigious 26th annual New York Wine & Food Classic judging today.

Martha Clara's 2010 Riesling -- a particularly interesting pick since Finger Lakes-made Rieslings generally are regarded as the industry standard -- took the Governor's Cup, top prize among 741 entries in the competition that bills itself as the Oscars of New York wine. The Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Riesling was also voted Best White Wine, Best Overall Riesling and Best Medium Sweet Riesling on its way to the ultimate award.

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars of Lodi, Seneca County, upheld Finger Lakes prestige by being named winery of the year, base on the best overall showing on the level and number of awards in relation to entries. Lamoreaux entries won Best Overall Chardonnay and Best Chardonnay on its way to the Winery of the Year award, along with several other top medals.

This year's competition included 726 New York wines and 15 spirits from the Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment, Lake Erie, and other regions of the state.

A "Specialty Wine Champion" award was added in 2008 to recognize consistent quality among the increasing number of wines made from fruits other than grapes, or honey. This year's winner was Earle Estates Meadery's with Best Honey Mead and Best Fruit Wine. A "Best Limited Production Wine" award went to Fox Run Vineyards' Fine Old Tawny Port.

Juan E. Micieli-Martinez, winemaker for Martha Clara, used Finger Lakes Riesling grapes to create the winning entry. It was fermented in stainless steel, the finished product running at 10.9% alcohol, 19g/liter of residual sugar and a pH of 3.28.. Case production was 685 (12 bottles of 750ml size), bottled and released in April of this year

Martha Clara is located at 6025 Sound Avenue in Riverhead, Long Island, Suffolk County.

The awards were based on blind tastings by 21 judges -- nine from New York, 9 from California, six from other states and two from the United Kingdom. Three-judge panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 21 judges for Best of Category and Governor's Cup awards. The event is organized by Teresa Knapp of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and is open to all 307 New York wineries.

A total of 51 Double Gold (unanimous vote of the panels), 66 Gold, 237 Silver, and 234 Bronze medals were awarded. In addition, "Best of Category" and "Best of Class" designations were awarded to wines rated as the finest in various areas.

The "Best of Category" awards, all eligible for the Governor's Cup:

Best Sparkling Wine: Bedell Cellars 2006 Blanc de Blancs
Best White Wine: Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Riesling
Best Blush Wine: Owera Vineyards 2010 Cazenovia Blush
Best Red Wine: Keuka Lake Vineyards 2010 Leon Millot, Estate Bottled
Best Dessert Wine: Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2008 Vidal Ice Wine

The "Best of Class" awards went to:

Best Chardonnay: Lamoreaux Landing WIne Cellars 2008 Estate Bottled Chardonnay
Best Unoaked Chardonnay: Coyote Moon Vineyards 2009 Naked Chardonnay
Best Overall Chardonnay: Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars 2008 Estate Bottled Chardonnay
Best Gewürztraminer: Bedell Cellars 2010 Gewurztraminer, Corey Creek Vineyards
Best Dry Riesling: Anthony Road Wine Company 2008 Tierce Riesling made in cooperation with Fox Run Vineyards and Red Newt Cellars
Best Medium Dry Riesling: Serenity Vineyards 2008 Riesling, Estate Bottled
Best Medium Sweet Riesling: Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Riesling
Best Sweet Riesling: Atwater Vineyards 2009 Sweet Riesling
Best Overall Riesling: Martha Clara Vineyards 20120 Riesling
Best Pinot Gris: American Vineyards & Winery 2010 Pinot Gris
Best Vinifera White Blend: Sheldrake Vineyard 2010 Luckystone White
Best Vignoles: Keuka Spring Vineyards 2010 Vignoles
Best Hybrid White Blend: Atwater Estate Vineyards Stone Bridge White
Best Niagara: Americana Vineyards & Winery Crystal Lake
Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Ventosa Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Best Merlot: Osprey's Dominion 2007 Reserve Merlot, Estate Bottled
Best Cabernet Franc: Ventosda Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc
Best Lemberger: Fulkerson Winery 2009 Lemberger
Best Vinifera Red Blend: Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Assemblage
Best Honey Mead: Earle Estates Meadery Raspberry Reflection
Best Fruit: Earle Estates Meadery Apple Enchantment
Best Spirit: Swedish Hill Winery Raspberry Infusion
Best Late Harvest Wine: Anthony Road WIne Company 2008 Riesling Trockenbeeren, Martini Reinhardt Selection
Best Ice Wine: Leonard Oakes Estate WInery 2008 Vidal Ice Wine
Best Vinifera Sparkling: Bedell Cellars 2006 Blanc de Blancs

ON THE WEB
• Complete results to be posted
• New York State Wine Examiner
• Dowd's Guides home page

Complete results of the competition soon be posted online.

Behind the Swoon Kitchenbar

2011-08-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Chef/co-owner Jeff Gimmel in the kitchen.

From the archives; originally published 10/10/08.

HUDSON, NY -- Jeff and Nina are people of simple wants. Right now they want to bake bread at home.

In their own oven.

The one inside a brick enclosure attached to their 19th Century house.

The one that used to turn out bread products for workers at the nearby Pocketbook Factory that no longer exists for that purpose.

Is that too much to ask?

Jeff Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky-Gimmel clearly have put down roots in quirky Hudson, the small riverside city that serves as the county seat of largely-rural Columbia County southeast of Albany.

It is a place where the extremes of wealth and poverty are evident, where some neighborhoods are tumbledown ugly but others -– particularly the main drag, Warren Street – are prime examples of how to maintain and reenergize wonderful architecture by using it for a plethora of restaurants and antique shops.

Or in their modest section of the city, where the old Pocketbook Factory has been revived to create exhibition spaces to showcase artists and local arts events.

Indeed, it’s that sort of schizo-ambiance that lured Jeff and Nina to town four years ago to open Swoon Kitchenbar in the heart of the Antiques District, a neighborhood that draws its clientele heavily from New York City -– often via Amtrak which stops at the foot of Warren right along the Hudson River.

After a year of living in temporary quarters, the Gimmels purchased their current house, from the outside an unprepossessing place, but an eclectic gem inside.

It has a fairly standard layout at the front, but visually expands into a wide kitchen that itself opens onto a great room/dining room.

“This used to be the outside patio of the house before the house was expanded to encompass it,” Jeff explained, gesturing at the painted concrete floor, the tin ceiling tiles, the two small sofas flanking a gnarled-tree coffee table, and the dining table set for 10.

The aforementioned bakery is attached to the back wall of the great room. (“We’re trying to figure out a way to get it up and running again,” Jeff said, pointing to the copper-colored tubing visible through a small window vent.)

Because the bakery is narrower than the rest of the house, it leaves room for a walkway to the terraced backyard and its flower and herb plantings. Jeff had his rotisserie grill set up on the walkway, chatting amiably as he brushed barbecue sauce on a brace of poulets, delicate little whole chickens glistening golden-brown and juicy.

Nina and Jeff.

They would be served later with a rich, bacon-wrapped, layered-potato pie and a salad of lovage, English peas, chive blossoms and a fresh goat cheese just made by Swoon sous chef Jamie Parry. He’s a veteran of Manhattan’s Montrachet, Tribeca Grill and other popular spots who was helping out in the Gimmels’ home kitchen for the lunch as well. Such is the world of restauranting when even on the one day of the week the business is closed the work continues.

The unexpected atmosphere of the house –- there’s even a tiny brick-floored wine cellar in progress, with entrance gained through a wooden trap door inside a walk-in storage area – is reflective of the eclecticism in the Gimmels’ lives.

Take Swoon Kitchenbar, located just a few blocks from their house. Its atmosphere envelops you as soon as you enter what seems to be a rather small space before you realize there is plenty of room both before and after the 22-foot-long, steel-and-wood-beam bar that gives the place its name and where some of the cooking is done.

Intricate and intriguing plants abound. Numerous original paintings adorn the walls. An antique tin ceiling, swag draperies, tiny-tiled floors, marble-topped tables and an earth-toned color palette help complete the mood.

Or take food. Jeff is serious about it. The native of Gaithersburg, MD, near Baltimore, never wanted to do much else.

“I barely got through high school – a little problem with attendance,” he said with a small smile. “I didn’t like it, didn’t want it. I just wanted to cook.”

His love of food and his hometown are reflected in his choice of a “last meal” – “Perfectly seasoned Maryland crabs, the kind you serve with a mallet and a stack of newspapers to catch the mess,” he said.

He didn’t actually carry his distaste for school too far. He attended culinary school at highly-regarded Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, and became a chef in nearby Newport before going off to study in France. That led to kitchen stints in Manhattan, at such spots as Savann Est and Michael’s.

Nina, who hails from nearby Saugerties, likewise is a professional foodie, but her first love was dancing. A knee problem ended that, but she has plenty to fall back on. She holds a B.A. in photography from Bard College and her resume as a pastry chef includes work at such Manhattan gems as Union Square Cafe, Le Bernardin, 44 at the Royalton Hotel, and Café M of the Stanhope Hotel, a role she continues at Swoon.

In 2000, Nina and Jeff left New York City for Nantucket, RI, where they spent a year as co-owners of a catering company. Then it was back to New York state for a course in cheese making at the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. near Hudson, before traveling to New Zealand to soak up some vinicultural education at the Ata Rangi vineyard.

All this travel is reflected in the wide variety of food and wine served at Swoon, which the Gimmels have made part of the region’s strong and growing sustainable agriculture movement, with its organic/naturally grown produce, meats and poultry.

The main dining area at Swoon.

Today, in addition to her work at Swoon, Nina is a painter, photographer and food stylist whose work has appeared in print, on television and in film. One of the first things you see when you enter the Gimmels’ house is her studio.

“I suppose I’d have to say I’m more into photography (than painting) these days,” Nina said. “Food photography is a fascinating topic.”

Some of her photographs of dried vegetables -- what Jeff jokingly refers to as “her Dead Food Period” -- are so crisply defined and seemingly three-dimensional they at first glance appear to actually be pieces of food laid down on glossy paper.

Another fixture in the Gimmels’ household is a television set tuned to a tennis match.

“Tennis is very big in this house,” Jeff explained. “If there’s a match on TV, we’re tuned to it.”

This was said, somewhat ironically, on the first day in six weeks he had been able to bear weight on a knee that had been arthroscopically repaired after a tennis injury. That’s a lot of forced inactivity for a chef used to being on his feet most of the day.

As Jeff tested the knee, with the support of crutches, while tending the rotisserie, Nina and several helpers glided around the kitchen finishing up a platter of gravlax, toast rounds and capers to be served up as an appetizer accompanied by tall glasses of chilled, sparkling hard cider, a beverage making a gradual comeback in American households.

In addition to Swoon, art and tennis, technology affords the Gimmels another outlet. Their formal restaurant Web site is cleanly designed and easy to navigate, but they also maintain a casual, conversational blog to keep customers, vendors and friends up on their goings-on.

It’s a good place to get an insider’s view of how dishes are made, what the Gimmels look for during farm visits, what seasonal treats are coming up … and it also is a window into their sense of humor. Witness this entry:

“In the cavernous depths far below Swoon Kitchenbar & Warren Street lies a secret cave. A cave so secret outsiders must be anesthetized in order to enter, very similarly to Batman's. It is in this cave that we hang various cuts of meat to cure.”

A slight exaggeration, perhaps, but an accurate indicator that things are not always as effortless, or as simple, as they first appear for the Gimmels and for Swoon.

ON THE WEB
• Swoon Kitchenblog
• Hudson Antiques District
• Pocketbook Factory
• Dowd's Guides

When will they ever learn? We're No. 3!

2011-08-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

That ragtag scandal sheet The New York Post seldom covers anything about the New York State wine industry. That probably is a good thing.

Here's how it began a recent story:

"New York is dizzy with wine bars. But a sober student of fermented grape juice should go directly to the source -- local vineyards and wineries. New York State, surprisingly, is the No. 2 wine producer in the country (after California)."

For starters, anyone who has paid any attention to the wine industry wouldn't even vaguely be surprised that New York State is a major player. It has been for decades.

Second, New York is NOT the "No. 2 wine producer in the country." It is third, behind California and Washington state.

Don't just take my word for it. According to "Grape Facts 2010," compiled by Wine America: The National Association of American Wineries and the Winegrape Growers of America:

"The nation’s top grape producing states are (in volume of production order): California, Washington, New York, and Pennsylvania. The order is somewhat different when one considers value of the grape crop. Oregon which can boast the highest per ton value of grapes, places third and New York fourth. California produces almost 90% of the volume."

Just thought I'd set the record straight. Let's hope the Post does the same.

Lineup set for 'Travers Restaurant Week'

2011-08-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Travers Week, highlighted by the iconic thoroughbred stakes race of the same name, is an occasion for all sorts of festivities in the Capital Region each summer.

For example, more than four dozen restaurants have been signed up to be part of the 2nd annual "Travers Restaurant Week" -- actually a five-day "week" -- which will run from Sunday, August 21, through Thursday, August 25.

Paticipating restaurants will offer three-course meals from special menus for $18.64, a number corresponding to the year the first Travers was run.

The 142nd running of the Travers, the oldest major stakes race in the country for three-year-olds, will go off on Saturday, August 27, at the Saratoga Race Course.

You can find copies of the menus online. Warning: Many of the restaurants' locations are incorrectly listed on the official page.

The confirmed restaurants for "Travers Restaurant Week":

Albany: 74 State, Dolce Vita, Jack's Oyster House, LaSerre
Amsterdam: Crystal Ristorante, Loca Luna, Nicolino's, Raindancer, Valentino's
Ballston Lake: Carney’s Tavern, Charlton Tavern, Finish Line
Ballston Spa: Sunset Cafe
Clifton Park: Antipasto’s, Pasta Pane, Salty's Pub, The Pasta Factory, The Vista at Van Patten Golf Club, Wheatfields
Colonie: The Market at the Marriott, Bangkok Bistro, Buca di Beppo, Grandma's, Reel Seafood, Simpson's at The Desmond
Glens Falls: Black Watch, Mikado, The Chocolate Mill, the Pub at Cooper's Cave
Glenville: Water's Edge Lighthouse
Guilderland: Londonderry Cafe, Peaches Cafe, Provence, Tesoro
Lake George: Dunham's Bay Resort, East Cove, Olde Post Grille
Latham: Milano, The Pasta Factory
Malta: Cliff’s Country Inn, John Riccitello's
Saratoga Springs: Caputo’s Pizzeria, Circus Cafe, East Cove Restaurant, Fortunes at Saratoga Gaming & Raceway, Ravenous, Wheatfields
Schenectady: Aperitivo, Bangkok Bistro, Café Nola, Caputo’s Pizzeria, Cella Bistro, Cornell's, Manhattan Exchange, Stockade Inn, Van Dyck
Scotia: Turf Tavern
Wilton: Nove Restaurant
Wynantskill: Paolo Lombardi's

ON THE WEB
• Saratoga Racing
• Dowd's Guides home page

Are internet cafes skirting gambling laws?

2011-07-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

• From the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

ROCHESTER, NY -- On a recent weekday afternoon inside a West Main Street storefront, a room filled with folding tables and flat-screen computer monitors has drawn about a dozen people -- all focused on the spinning and flashing images onscreen.

Shades cover the windows and the lights are off, but the sunny day outside still fills the space with light. The digital ding and chime of slot machines and music from an iPod at the front desk set the mood.

This is Megabytes, advertised as an Internet cafe and listed in city records as a retail phone store with Internet access. It opened about seven weeks ago.

Skeptics say it is the equivalent of an unregulated casino, a first in western New York, if not the state, skirting antiquated New York gaming laws as patrons click a mouse instead of pull a lever.

City and state officials have yet to decide.

Elsewhere, the debate over Internet sweepstakes cafes is well under way. North Carolina banned such operations last summer, though separate lawsuits have complicated enforcement. Similar prohibiting legislation has stalled amid legal battles in Florida -- where nearly 1,000 such storefronts reportedly could gross a combined $1 billion this year.

[Go here for the full story.]

ON THE WEB
• U.S. Gambling Laws
• Dowd's Guides home page

LI wine tops Eastern Seaboard test

2011-07-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

The winning wine's label.

HAYMARKET, VA -- Long Island's Martha Clara Vineyards won "best of show" honors at the 7th annual Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA) competition here.

Its 2010 Estate Reserve Riesling began with top honors in the Riesling category, which put it in the running for the show's top prize. Given the fact that championsip New York Rieslings usually come from the Finger Lakes, this Long Island victory is particularly noteworthy.

The ASWA event covers the 17 states from Maine to Florida that border the Atlantic, plus Vermont, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The number of entries this year again increased as did the number of wineries. The number of wineries increased from 110 (2010) to 118 (2011) with Vermont and Maine wineries participating for the first time. In the 118 there were 27 new wineries (23% of total ) participating. The number of wines also increased from 538 to 564.

The winning Martha Clara wine is available online for $19.99, limit six bottles per wine club member or three bottles for all other customers. Martha Clara is located on the North Fork at 6025 Sound Avenue in Riverhead.

ON THE WEB
• Visiting the North Fork
• Dowd's Guides home page

Near the Four Seasons? Try the $50 martini

2011-07-24T14:35:00.001-07:00

Bill Dowd photo illustration

NEW YORK -- You've got just three weeks to get a $50 martini at the iconic Four Seasons Hotel.

Why, you ask, would you want to? Simple.

The Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New York is marking the 50th birthday of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts by offering a handcrafted Imperia Vodka Martini decorated with 24K gold leaf, served in a Steuben Verve crystal martini glass for $50. You get to keep the glass and know that $25 of each cocktail will be donated to GrowNYC.

That's a hands-on non-profit agency that works to improve city life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. For 40 years, GrowNYC has been providing access to fresh local food for all New Yorkers as well as creating and maintaining green spaces and community gardens.

The Four Seasons is located at 57 East 57th Street. Phone: (212) 758-5700. The promotion will end on Sunday, August 14.

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

Winery opening a 'religious experience'

2011-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

The site of the new Eremita Winery tasting room.

The exterior of the former church.

LODI, NY -- There will be big doings in this Seneca County community on Tuesday (July 26), when the newest Finger Lakes winery is scheduled to open. In fact, for some it may be labeled a "religious experience."

Eremita Winery will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday in a late-1800s former church at 2155 East Church Street.

The original building that was The Reformed Church was dedicated on January 24, 1872, but burned to the ground the following July. A year and a day later, on July 15, 1873, the present building was completed and dedicated. It has a bell that was made in Troy at the Meneely & Kimberley foundry in November 1871. It weighs one ton.

Owner Joshua Parker used his grandmother's maiden name, Eremita, as the name of the new venture. He redeveloped the structure using reclaimed materials to turn the 7,000-square-foot building into a tasting room with 30-foot ceilings and slate walls while retaining its wooden floors and stained glass windows.

His first offerings include a Riesling, a Gewurztraminer, an unoaked Chardonnay, a Pinot noir and Goddess, a semi-sweet red table wine.

Eremita's opening will raise the state total to 307 wineries in 51 of its 62 counties. Phone: (607) 474-5002.

ON THE WEB
• Travel & Tourism in Seneca County
• Dowd's Guides home page

Ex-Ulster winery development plan unveiled

2011-07-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Orange marker shows site of proposed development.

LLOYD, NY – New York State now has more than 300 commercial wineries, but that is no guarantee they’ll all thrive.

The former Hudson Valley Winery property on Route 9W in this southern Ulster County town is one example.

The Feinberg family, owners of the property under the corporate name of Hudson Valley Wine Village Inc., this week announced plan to develop a $300 million mixed-use project that would be developed in stages over 20 years.

Initially, it would include a 90-suite hotel and conference center and 50,000 square feet of retail and commercial space with a Tuscan wine village theme. Eventually, it would encompass a mix of multi-family, two-family and single-family housing for up to 950 families, depending on market conditions.

The overall plan includes leaving the site’s Hudson River waterfront bluff untouched, thus preserving the view shed, wetlands and steep slopes, said project planner Steven Tinkelman.

The developers emphasize the 428-acre former vineyard and winery would be cognizant of environmental factors, noting in a statement, "The Blue Point Conservation Development District will emphasize sustainable design and green practices. Consistent with the Town’s zoning, the development will preserve over half of the 428-acre project site as open space, including the visually important Hudson River bluff.

"Hudson Valley Wine Village will seek to dedicate walking trails on the property for public use so that Town residents and visitors can enjoy the vistas of the Hudson River and experience the Tuscan Wine Village. An interconnection with the walking trails in the adjacent Franny Reese State Park would allow for access to the Walkway Over the Hudson and the Rail Trail."

ON THE WEB
• Ulster County Tourism
• Dowd's Guides home page

Coyote Moon rosé on a major roll

2011-07-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK -- Phil Randazzo's Coyote Moon Winery has received a gold medal for his Catawba-based River Run rosé in the New York Wine & Bar Show competition held here.

This follows closely on the heels of the same wine winning "Best Rosé" honors in the prestigious Long Beach (CA) Grand Cru International Wine Competition.

The two-year-old Coyote Moon, located in the Thousand Islands, also won "Best Chardonnay" and a gold medal here for its unoaked Naked Chardonnay. Overall this year, its various wines have earned 126 medals.

Millbrook Vineyards Chardonnay from the Hudson Valley also won a gold medal here.

Says Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, "Coyote Moon's success is reflective of that unlikely wine region's growth. At this time of year, the Thousand Islands is a virtual paradise. The days are long, the river is warm, and the tourists are dropping their money everywhere. January is different from July. It gets cooooold up there, and certainly the only grapes that could survive are the extremely cold-hardy Minnesota varieties which generally can withstand winter temperatures of 40˚ below zero.

"Years ago, Steve Conaway took a gamble and started the Thousand Islands Winery, and now several others have followed, along with many grape growers in the region."

ON THE WEB
• Thousand Islands-Seaway Wine Trail
• 1000 Islands Visitors Tourism Information
• Dowd's Guides home page

Sonnenberg offering August Victorian teas

2011-07-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

At your service.

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- The tradition of Victorian tea hangs on about as strongly as anything else we inherited from Britain. So, Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park will offer such an event each Thursday in August.

Visitors will be served by maids in Victorian-era costume, outdoors on the newly renovated veranda of the 1887 Victorian mansion.

Finger sandwiches, scones, sweets, and tea will be served at 12:30 and 3 p.m. seatings.

Pre-paid reservations are required for the limited-seating events. They may be made by calling (585) 394-4922 or may be reserved online.

Admission prices: Adults, $20. Groups of 10 or more or Sonnenberg members, $17.50. Youths aged 4-12, $8. Admission also covers entrance to the gardens, which will be open for touring before and after each tea seating.

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is one of America’s longest surviving estates from the Victorian Era. Its Queen Anne-style mansion was built in 1887 in this Finger Lakes town by New York City financier Frederick Ferris Thompson, and his wife, Mary Clark Thompson, as a summer home. Between 1901 and 1920, the widowed Mrs. Thompson and her staff created the nine formal gardens seen today.

The main entrance is located at 151 Charlotte Street.

ON THE WEB
• Sonnenberg home page
• The History of Tea Time
• Dowd's Guides home page

NYC beer bar cultivating its hops

2011-07-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK -- The Stag’s Head, voted one of the "30 Best Beer Bars in America" by Paste magazine, isn't resting on its laurels. In fact, the gastropub is cultivating an entirely different plant -- its own hops.

The tavern, located at 252 East 51st Street in Midtown East, has planted Sunbeam hops in its rooftop garden. Sunbeam is a 21-year-old variety derived from the Saaz hop, a traditional pilsner hop. The plants already have hit the 15-foot mark and may get even higher since some examples of the variety reach as much as 30 feet in height.

These hops are females, so they will start to flower any time from late July to September. The tavern will be adding a fresh-hopped beer, also known as wet-hopped, to its rotation of craft beer in late August to September. The staff also will use the hops as garnishes for IPAs, and hoppy pale ales and pilsners.

In addition, Chef Bruce Dillon plans to experiment with the hops on his summer menu.

ON THE WEB
• Complete "30 Best" list
• Dowd's Guides home page

Italian tastings, match at Saratoga Polo

2011-07-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

GREENFIELD CENTER -- What do you get when you combine Italian wines, cheeses and specialty foods with galloping horses? The "Made In Italy Excellence Cup" event at Saratoga Polo.

The 5 p.m. event this Sunday will include tastings of wines and foods, presented in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission and the Saratoga Wine & Food and Fall Ferrari Festival -- which will be held September 9-11 -- as well as, of course, a polo match.

Lucille Beer

At halftime of the match, the noted mezzo soprano Lucille Beer will perform.

She has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, and frequently performs in oratorio as well as an array of symphonic repertoire with leading symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the St. Louis Symphony, the Houston Symphony and the National Symphony.

The evening's schedule:

5 p.m. -- "Perusing the Peninsula" tasting of Italian wines and specialty foods.
5:30 p.m. -– Polo match.
6 p.m. -- Lucille Beer's performance.
6:46 p.m. -- Polo match resumes.
7:30 p.m. -- Match ends.
7:30 p.m. -- Toast of Italy.
7:45 p.m. -- Presentation of “Made in Italy Excellence Cup” by The Italian Trade Commission.

The Saratoga Polo clubhouse and polo field is located at 2 Bloomfield Road in Greenfield Center. Tickets are $20 for SPAC members, $25 for all others, and are available online.

Wine Spectator awards list heavy on New York

2011-07-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

The annual Wine Spectator magazine list of top restaurant wine collections in the nation is heavy with New York honorees.

Here, in alphabetical order, are the New York wine lists receiving awards.

New York City

21 Club
Daniel
Del Posto
Gilt
Tribeca Grill
Veritas

Upstate

Crabtree's Kittle House, Chappaqua (Westchester County)
Friends Lake Inn Chestertown (Washington County)

Long Island

The American Hotel, Sag Harbor

New York City

Cesca Enoteca & Trattoria
Inoteca
A Voce Columbus
A Voce Madison
Academia Di Vino
Academia Di Vino Broadway
Adour Alain Ducasse
Ai Fiori
Asiate
Aureole
Babbo
Bar Boulud
Barbetta
Ben Benson's Steak House
Benoit
Blackstone Steakhouse
BLT Prime
BLT Steak
Blue Fin
Bobby Van's Steakhouse
Café Boulud
Café d'Alsace
Casa Mono
Churrascaria Plataforma
Churrascaria Tribeca
City Hall
City Winery
Colicchio & Sons
Compass
Corton
Craft Restaurant
David Burke Townhouse
db Bistro Moderne
DeGrezia Ristorante
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
Estiatorio Milos
Frank Restaurant
Frankie & Johnny's Steakhouse
Gotham Bar & Grill
Gramercy Tavern
Hearth
Jean Georges
L'Ecole, The Restaurant of the French Culinary Institute
La Crémaillère
La Pizza Fresca Ristorante
Le Bernardin
Le Cirque
Mamma Lombardi's
Marea
Marseille
Megu Midtown
Michael's New York
Nice Matin
Per Se
Picholine
Porter House New York
Prime
Quality Meats
Rare 650
Ristorante Barolo
Rothmann's Steakhouse
San Pietro
SD26
Supper Restaurant
Telepan
Thelassa Restaurant
The Capital Grille
The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges
The Modern
The River Cafe (Brooklyn)
Trattoria Dropo Teatro
Tse Yang
Valbella!
Vintri Wine & Whiskey

Upstate

Taste, Albany
Yono's, Albany
Brewster Inn, Cazenovia (Onondaga County)
The Willett House, Port Chester (Westchester County)
Village Pizzeria & Ristorante, Middle Grove (Saratoga County)

Long Island

Rothmann's Steakhouse, East Norwich (Oyster Bay)
Tellers, Islip

New York City

Inoteca
Above
Amarone
Amma
Aquagrill
Aretsky's Patroon
Artisinal
Barbounia
BLT Fish
Blue Water Grill
Bocca di Bacco
Brasserie
Brasserie 8½
Brasserie Les Halles
Buddakan
Butter
Capsouto Fréres
Caravaggio Ristorante
City Lobster
D.O.C.Wine Bar (Brooklyn
Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen (Forest Hills)
Dovetail
Fishtail by David Burke
Five Napkin Burger
Frankie & Johnnie's Steakhouse
Freemans
French Roast
Giorgio's of Gramercy
Gradisca
Grotto Azzurra
Harry's End Restaurant (Brooklyn)
Josephina
Junoon
L'Absinthe Brasserie
L'Express
La Lanterna di Vittorio
La Masseria
Lavagna
Le Monde
Le Périgord
Lil Frankie's Pizza
London Lennie's (Rego Park)
Luna Piena
Lyon Bouchon Moderne
Maison
Maloney & Porcelli
Marco Polo (Brooklyn)
Morton's, The Steakhouse (all locations)
Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse
Nizza
North Square
Old Homestead Steakhouse
Osteria Del Circo
Palm Too
Park Avenue
Pasta Lovers Trattoria
Patricia’s (Bronx)
Persephone
Pigalle
Primehouse New York
Resto
Robert Restaurant
Roc Restaurant
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Sanford’s Restaurant, Astoria (Queens)
Scarlatto
Shula’s Steak House
Shun Lee Palace
Smith & Wollensky
Spice Market
Stone Park Café, Brooklyn
Stonehome Wine Bar, Brooklyn
Terroir E.Vil
Terroir Tribeca
The Capital Grille
The Hurricane Club
The Palm
The Palm West
The Post House
The Sea Grill
The Tangled Vine
The Water Club
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse
Vetro, Howard Beach (Queens)
Wine & Roses Bar & Café
Yerba Buena

Upstate

1060 Restaurant, Syracuse
Angelo's 677 Prime, Albany
Angelo's Tavolo, Scotia (Schenectady County)
Anthony's Restaurant & Bistro, Plattsburgh
Aperitivo Bistro, Schenectady
Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville (Ulster County)
Atrium, Rye Brook (Westchester County)
Bacchus, Buffalo
Black & Blue Steak and Crab, Amherst (Erie County)
Caffé Azzuri, Hartsdale (Westchester County)
Canal Side Inn, Little Falls (Herkimer County)
Chianti Il Ristorante, Saratoga Springs
Cosimo's On Union, Newburgh (Orange County)
Crew Restaurant & Bar, Poughkeepsie
Edgars, Geneva (Ontario County)
Equus, Tarrytown (Westchester County)
Grey Gelding Bistro & Bar, Saratoga Springs
Half Moon, Dobbs Ferry (Westchester County)
Harvest-On-Hudson, Hastings-On-Hudson (Westchester County)
Horizons, Fairport (Monroe County)
Il Bariloto, Fishkill (Dutchess County)
Interlaken Inn, Lake Placid
Irises Café & Wine Bar, Plattsburgh
Jack's Oyster House, Albany
Jojo Bistro & Wine Bar, Amherst (Erie County)
Kanu Dining Room, Lake Placid
L'Adour Restaurant Français, Syracuse
Legal Sea Foods, White Plains
Limestone Grill, Fayetteville (Onondaga County)
Lincklaen House, Cazenovia (Madison County)
Longfellows, Saratoga Springs
Marcello's, Suffern (Rockland County)
Marché, Albany
Mario's, Rochester
Massa, Scarsdale (Westchester County)
Max Chophouse, Rochester
Max of Eastman Place, Rochester
McKinney & Doyle Fone Foods Café, Pawling (Dutchess County)
Milano North, Lake Placid
Milano, Latham (Albany County)
Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Skaneateles (Onondaga County)
Moderne Barn, Armonk (Westchester County)
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz (Ulster County)
Morton’s, The Steakhouse, White Plains
Moxie, Conklin (Broome County)
Next Door Bar & Grill, Rochester
New York Wine & Culinary Center, Canadaigua (Ontario County)
Prime at Saratoga National, Saratoga Springs
Provence, Guilderland (Albany County)
Red Newt Bistro at Red Newt Vineyards, Hector (Schuyler County)
Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Tarrytown
Salvatore’s Italian Garden, Depew (Erie County)
Scotch ‘n’ Sirloin, Dewitt (Onondaga County)
Scrimshaw at The Desmond, Colonie (Albany County)
Shanghai Bistro & Wine Bar, Buffalo
Ship Lantern Inn, Milton (Ulster County)
The Supper Room, Chester (Orange County)
Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine, Lodi (Seneca County)
Tarry Lodge, Port Chester (Westchester County)
Taverna Banfi, Ithaca (Tompkins County)
The Bird & Bottle Inn, Garrison (Putnam County)
The Inn On the Lake, Canandaigua (Ontario County)
The Fern Lodge, Chestertown (Warren County)
The Heights Café & Grill, Ithaca (Tompkins County)
The Melting Pot, Buffalo
The Melting Pot, White Plains
The Olde Bryan Inn, Saratoga Springs
The Prospect Restaurant, Hunter (Greene County)
The Sherwood Inn, Skaneateles (Onondaga County)
The View, Lake Placid
The Wine Bar, Saratoga Springs
The Wine Bar & Bistro On Lark, Albany
The Wishing Well, Wilton (Saratoga County)
Trattoria Roma, Buffalo
Turtle Island Café, Willsboro (Essex County)
Village Tavern Restaurant & Inn, Hammondsport (Steuben County)
Wheatfields Bistro and Wine Bar, Clifton Park (Saratoga County)
Wheatfields Restaurant and Bar, Saratoga Springs

Long Island

Argyle Grill, Babylon Village
Barrique Kitchen & Wine Bar, Babylon Village
Bel Posto Ristorante & Enoteca, Huntington
City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill, Westbury
Fork and Vine, Glen Head
Fresno, East Hampton
H20, Smithtown
Jonathan's Ristorante, Huntington
King Umberto, Elmont
Lola, Great Neck
Lombardi's On the Sound, Port Jefferson
Luigi's Restaurant and Bar, New Hyde Park
Morton's, The Steakhouse, Great Neck
Oso Restaurant, Southampton
Piccolo Restaurant, Huntington
Porto Vivo, Huntington
Red/Bar Brasserie, Southampton
Stone Creek Inn, East Quogue
Tavern 18, New Hyde Park
The 1770 House, East Hampton
The Clubhouse, Huntington
The Living Room, East Hampton
The Melting Pot, Farmingdale
The Millpond House, Centerport
The Palm, East Hampton
Verace, Islip

The return of the Copacabana

2011-07-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- OK, first things first. It's not on East 60th where the original was. And, it's not on 34th Street and 11th Avenue where it once was. But, dammit, the Copacabana is back!

For those of us of a certain age, the Copa was the height of New York nightclub fashion back in “the day.” The headwaiter, Manny, lived across the street from me in a Long Island suburb, and his status was as great as that of any rock star in those days before the term “rock star” was the epitome of fame. His wife, Eleanor, ran the coat check concession and even she was at least a minor deity.

The Copa dancers, the fascinating orchestras, the pretty-good-for-a-nightclub food, the fantastic cocktails ... . It was all a whirl of colors, flavors and fashion. Barry Manilow's anthemic "At the Copa" hit some years afterward captured a bit of the excitement.

Last night, the Copacabana officially opened in its new Times Square location with Willie Colón as the headliner.

This spot at 268 West 47th Street, in the former China Club space, is the fourth Copa reincarnation. It's on the fourth floor with a dance club, restaurant, rooftop cocktail/dining space. A VIP room is scheduled to open in September.

The Copa dates to 1940, when it opened at 10 East 60th Street, welcoming such performers as Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Tito Puente and others over the years.

The new Copa is offering live Latin music nights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and has revived its famed Copa Dancers, guys and gals specializing in everything from salsa to merengue to bachata and cha-cha-cha.

• Return to Dowd's Guides home page.

CIA 'Boot Camps' at Canandaigua center

2011-07-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

The NYWCC instructional kitchen.

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- Any foodies who want to combine the autumn beauty of the Finger Lakes with intensified professional cooking lessons will like this one.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) of Hyde Park, in partnership with the New York Wine & Culinary Center here, is offering a pair of five-day culinary immersion classes this fall.

The CIA's "Culinary Boot Camp – Basic Training at the NYWCC" will be held September 12-16, Class size is limited to 16.

The second event is the "CIA World Cuisine Boot Camp," to be held October 17–21. It, too is limited to 16 students.

Each class will run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Participants will receive two chef's uniforms, each with a jacket, pants, and a neckerchief. Paper chef's hats, side towels, and aprons will be provided in class. Participants will dine two evenings in the NYWCC restaurant.

The tuition for each class is $2,195. Reservations may be made online or by calling (800) 888-7850 or going online.

ON THE WEB

• Culinary Institite of America
• New York Wine & Culinary Center
• Dowd's Guides main page

Rooster Hill ramps up tour schedule

2011-07-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Amy Hoffman (right) conducts a tour.

PENN YAN, NY -- Last year, Rooster Hill Vineyards staff took visitors on vineyard tours -- four times, total. This year, they have picked up the pace -- to three times a week.

The winery on Keuka Lake is offering 11 a,m. vineyard tours and private wine tastings every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through August 15. The tours last about 90 inutes. They are led by Rooster Hill co-owner Amy Hoffman and winery staff members.

Visitors learn about canopy management, leaf pulling, trellis systems, crop size and all the other types of work required to grow quality grapes. Guests then are taken to the winery’s creekstone terrace for a private tasting of the wines made on the estate. Their wine education continues with lessons on tasting and evaluating wine as guests enjoy the view from the terrace and sample local gourmet cheeses, jams, mustards and more.

The tours cost $15 plus tax per person. Reservations are required with at least 24 hours' notice. Phone (315) 536-4773.

Rooster Hill Vineyards is located at 489 Route 54, south of Penn Yan village.

ON THE WEB

• New York Wine Trails
• Dowd's Guides home page

Saratoga nightclub adds dining menu

2011-07-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- It began as a nightclub, but The Mine, at 388 Broadway, has added a full-service dinner menu to become a restaurant as well, just in time for the July 22 start of the flat track racing season.

The menu includes such entrees as tequila-marinated pork chop with cherry salsa, mushrom/lemon/leek risotto and several pasta dishes (most available as appetizers), and other appetizers ranging from jerk beef on plantain chips to crab/chili/mint crostini. A small wine list also offers $5 house wines by the glass.

The Mine operates Wednesday-Sunday, 4:30 to 10 pm. It opened Memorial Day weekend last year in space formerly housing The Newbury, Club 388, and Grotto. The owners are the married team of Catherine Harris and Mark Smith.

ON THE WEB

• Your Guide to Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County
• Saratoga Race Course schedule (thoroughbreds)
• Saratoga Casino & Raceway (harness track)
• Dowd's Guides home page

Evaluations crown NY's Rieslings, again

2011-07-09T13:34:00.001-07:00

If anyone, anywhere has doubts that Riesling is THE signature New York State wine grape, this should lay them to rest.

Twenty-five wines, most of them Rieslings, are among the year's best Finger Lakes wines, according to the August issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.

The 25 are rated exceptional (scores of 90 or higher) and 10 as "best buys" in the rankings compiled by Patrick Comiskey after tastings of 97 wines.

Chateau Frank 2006 Blanc de Blancs (a score of 90) was the sole sparkling wine, joined by many Rieslings:

Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Finger Lakes Reserve Dry Riesling (94), 2009 Finger Lakes Dry Magdalena Vineyards Riesling (93), 2009 Finger Lakes Dry HJW Vineyard Riesling (92), and 2009 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (92); Red Newt 2009 Finger Lakes Circle Label Riesling (93, and Best Buy), 2009 Finger Lakes Davis Farms Vineyards Riesling (93), 2009 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling (92, and Best Buy), and 2009 Finger Lakes Sawmill Creek Vineyard Riesling (91); Lamoreaux Landing 2009 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (92, and Best Buy), 2009 Finger Lakes Red Oak Vineyard Riesling (92), 2009 Finger Lakes Round Rock Vineyard Riesling (92), 2009 Finger Lakes Reserve Riesling (91), and 2009 Finger Lakes Red Oak Vineyard Riesling (90); Sheldrake point 2009 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (92, and Best Buy), 2009 Finger Lakes Riesling (92, and Best Buy); Tierce 2008 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (92); Anthony Road 2009 Finger Lakes Semi-Dry Riesling (91, and Best Buy); Heart & Hands 2009 Finger Lakes Reserve Riesling (91); Fox Run 2009 Finger Lakes Riesling (90, and Best Buy).

The exceptional red wines were Lamoreaux Landing 2007 Finger Lakes 76 West (92), Red Newt 2008 Finger Lakes Glacier Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Franc (90), and Heart & Hands 2008 Finger Lakes Pinot Noir (90, and Best Buy).

The exceptional dessert wine is Hermann J. Wiemer 2009 Finger Lakes Late Harvest Riesling (94).

Separately, under American New Releases, Heron Hill 2009 New York Semi-Dry Riesling (92, and Best Buy) and 2009 New York Riesling (91, and Best Buy) were honored.

ON THE WEB

• Dowd's Guides home page

State's newest winery opens, quietly

2011-07-09T13:01:00.001-07:00

Artist's sketch of the projected finished product.

ROCK STREAM -- Back in October, I reported on work then under way at the in-progress Magnus Ridge Winery.

Since then, owners Matt and Sandy Downey not only have continued working on the facility and bottled a 2010 vintage Riesling, they pulled off a soft opening of the winery and its Waterlilies Cafe on the Fourth of July weekend.

"We are still planning the official grand opening in a few weeks," they write on Facebook. "We decided to start with a soft opening to get everything working. "

Magnus Ridge thus officially became New York's newest winery. When the facility is completed, it will include three ponds and walking trails. Future projects include a small amphitheater for live entertainment. Inside the building are windows made from empty wine bottles and a large wine-glass chandelier.

The complex is located off State Route 14 on the western slope of Seneca Lake.

ON THE WEB

• Seneca Lake Wine Trail
• Dowd's Guides main page

Arbor Hill Grapery adds Brew & Brats dining

2011-07-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Katie and John Brahm

BRISTOL SPRINGS, NY -- The Arbor Hill Grapery's name may make it difficult to categorize for some people. Owners John and Katie Brahm like it that way.

In addition to grape wines, they have long had a reputation for all things grape -- grape juice, Concord grape pie filling, vinifera-based grape jellies such as Gewurztraminer, gourmet sauces, and so on.

It adds up to 21 different wines, and 47 food products, many of them winners of prestigious food show honors.

Where can they go from here? Not far. They have just opened an old carriage house behind their retail shop as Brew & Brats, a restaurant offering craft beers and featuring a specialty sausage made with Arbor Hill Sherried Wine BBQ Sauce. Other sausage selections are from Hartmann's Sausage of Canandaigua.

Prices are attractive: Bratwursts are $5.50 each, beers $4 for a 12-ounce glass, and wines between $3 to $5 a glass. You can access the menu online.

The Arbor Hill Grapery is located at 6461 Route 64, just north of the village of Naples at the southern end of Canandaigua Lake. Phone: (800) 554-7553 or (585) 374-2870.

ON THE WEB

• Canandaigua Lake area tourism
• Dowd's Guides home page

Westchester spot NY’s best on top 10 wine list

2011-07-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

A venerable Westchester County restaurant is the top New York restaurant named one of Wine Enthusiast magazine's top 100 wine restaurants in the nation.

Crabtree's Kittle House, located in a Chappaqua building dating to 1790, has a legendary wine cellar holding more than 60,000 bottles, and offers 5,500 selections to go with its internationally-influenced American cuisine. This is a repeat appearance on the list for Crabtree's.

The magazine cites what it refers to as "destination bottles," meaning the editors rate the trip worth making just for these offerings. At Crabtree's, they are 25 vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Côtes de Nuits), 18 vintages of Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne, and 12 vintages of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville).

Other Upstate entries on the list:

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills. Destination bottles: Frank Cornelissen NV Magma Rosso 6 (Etna), Schäfer-Fröhlich 2002 Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese (Nahe), and Domaine A. Clape 1989 Cornas.

New York City entries on the list:

Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel, East 55th Street. Destination bottles: Château Signac 2007 Combe d’Enfer (Côtes du Rhône Villages),Château Certan de May 2001 Pomerol, Pisoni Vineyards 2007 Miura Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands).
SHO Shaun Hergatt, Wall Street. Destination bottles: Jean-Francoise Coche-Dury 2007 Corton- Charlemagne, Domaine de Terrebrune 1987 Bandol, Red Hook Winery 2008 Split Rock Cabernet Franc (New York).
Del Posto, 85 Tenth Avenue. Destination bottles: Terlano 1966 Pinot Blanco (Alto Adige), Giacomo Conterno 1978 Monfortino (Barolo), Tenuta San Guide 1985 Sassicaia (Tuscany).
Veritas, 43 East 20th Street. Destination bottles: Screaming Eagle 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville), Henri Jayer 1985 Cros Parantoux Premier Cru (Vosne-Romanée), Henri Bonneau 1978 Réserve des Célestins (Châteauneuf-du-Pape).
Casa Mono, 52 Irving Place. Destination bottles: Can Ràfols dels Caus 2003 La Calma (Penedès), Quinta da Muradella 2007 Albarello (Monterrei), Nit de Nin 2007 Priorat.
Le Bernardin, 155 West 51st Street. Destination bottles: Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey 2004 Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1989 La Tâche, Barbeito 1875 Malvasia (Madeira).
Marea, 240 Central Park South. Destination bottles: Feudi di San Gregorio NV Dubl Brut (Campania), Benanti 2007 Pietramarina Bianco Superiore (Etna), Ar.Pe.Pe. 1999 Grumello Buon Consiglio Riserva (Valtellina Superiore).
Gilt, 455 Madison Avenue. Destination bottles: Vertical back to 1978 of François Raveneau Valmur (Chablis Grand Cru), Vertical back to 1900 of Château Margaux, Vertical back to 1946 of CVNE Imperial Reserva (Rioja).
ABC Kitchen, 35 East 18th Street. Destination bottles: Nicolas Joly 2007 Coulée de Serrant (Savennières), Kamen 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma), Felton Road 2008 Calvert Pinot Noir (Central Otago).
Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle. Destination bottles: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1964 La Tâche, Château Rayas 1978 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château Margaux 1900 Margaux.
The Lambs Club, 132 West 44th Street. Destination bottles: Viuex Chateau Certan 1986 (Pomerol), Ronchi di Cialla 1997 Schioppettino (Colli Orientali Friuli-Venezia), Jacques Prieur 1996 Corton-Charlemagne.
Picholine, 35 West 64th Street. Destination bottles: Hubert Paulet 2004 Rilly La Montagne Brut Rosé (Champagne), Yves Cuilleron 2006 Les Chaillets (Condrieu), Armand Rousseau 1996 Clos St. Jacques Premier Cru (Gevrey-Chambertin).
A Voce, 41 Madison Avenue. Destination bottles: Cavallotto Bricco Boschis 2001 Vigna San Guiseppe Riserva (Barolo), Château d’ Yquem 1900 Sauternes, Bertani 1959 Amarone della Valpolicella.
Eleven Madison Park, 11 Madison Avenue. Destination bottles: Jean-Francois Coche-Dury 1990 Corton-Charlemagne, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1978 La Tâche, Guigal 1966 La Mouline (Côte-Rôtie).
Gramercy Tavern, 42 East 20th Street. Destination bottles: Scholium Project 2009 Prince in His Caves Sauvignon Blanc (Sonoma), F.X. Pichler 2002 Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd (Wachau), Jacques Puffeney 2008 Cuvée les Berangères Trousseau (Jura).
Minetta Tavern Restaurant, 113 MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village. Destination bottles: Domaine de L’Anglore 2009 Cuvée des Traverses (Côtes-du-Rhône), Albert Mann NV Brut Sparkling Blend (Cremant d’Alsace), Owen Roe 2008 Slide Mountain Cabernet Franc (Yakima Valley).

ON THE WEB
• The full Top 100 list
• Upstate NY Restaurant Examiner
• Dowd's Guide smain page

Homemade wine test part of Albany event

2011-07-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

ALBANY, NY -- "Festa Italiana," a three-day event to be held at the Italian American Community Center, has a schedule chock full of food, music and food and wine competitions.

The 21st annual event is set for 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 22-24.

Among the food events are a Friday wine and cheese tasting, Saturday pizza eating and grape stomp, Sunday pizza and cannoli eating events and a homemade wine competition. The full schedule is available here.

Wine competition entrants must check in between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m on Sunday. Applicants must accompany their wine; each entry carries a $5 fee and each entry must consist of two bottles. Competition will begin at 3:30 and winners will be announced at 5:15 p.m.

No wine kits or concentrates are allowed. Wine must be made with grapes or fresh juice. Wine bottles must be labeled or marked to include the maker's name, the type of grape and the vintage. No retal labels are allowed.

Entry categories: Chardonnay, Zinfandel/Rose, Merlot, Cabernet, Chianti, Custom Blend. Glasses, bottle openers, decanters and refrigeration for white wines will be provided. First-place medals and second- and third-place certificates will be awarded in each category, and a plaque will be awarded to the best overall wine.

The Community Center is located at 257 Washington Avenue Extension, west of Crossgates Mall.

Travers gala morphs into cocktail event

2011-07-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Socialite Mary Lou Whitney's declining health in recent years has forced her to scale back some of her traditional racing season events. For example, her annual Travers Celebration benefit gala this year has morphed into a cocktail reception.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, August 25, two days before the Saratoga Race Course’s most famous race of the summer, this year will be called "Moonlight Over Saratoga," a cocktail reception instead of the formal dinners of the past.

The event will be a fundraiser for the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) and the Times Union Hope Fund, offering food stations, specialty cocktails and other beverages, live music and dancing.

Tickets are $175 per person -- $125 for those under age 30. They are available by calling (518) 383-6183 or by going online.

ON THE WEB

• TU Hope Fund
• BEST home page

'Backyard BBQ' series at culinary center

2011-07-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

The BBQ garden tent.

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- Summertime by the water is no time to be cooped up indoors. So, the New York Wine & Culinary Center, located on the shore of Canandaigua Lake, will host a "backyard barbecue" every Thursday through September 1.

The events, which will begin this week, will run from 5:30 to 9 p.m. under the garden tent. They will include live music, New York wines and craft beers and a special barbecue menu.

Admission is $12 per person for each event. A special pig roast will be held on September 1, the final day of the schedule.

The NYW&CC is located downtown at 800 South Main Street. Phone: (585) 394-7070.

ON THE WEB

• Visiting Canandaigua
• Dowd's Guides home page

Niagara winery reviving death and dinner

2011-07-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

APPLETON, NY -- If you like some murder with your merlot -- and more puns than you can shake a shtick at -- listen up.
The Winery at Marjim Manor is cooking up the latest in its occasional series of murder mystery/wine dinners, this one entitled “The Tiger Overslept Tonight.”

It is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, at the Niagara County facility. Visitors will have a four-course meal, with each course presented by the evening's sommelier, "Reese Ling." While dining, they will participate in the investigation of the evening.

Here’s the storyline:

It is the night of the International Loyal Order of Tigers' annual banquet. Keynote speaker is schedule to be Jones Melvin, Tiger extraordinaire and a noted prankster. Over the years, he has collected gavels, flags and banners not only from the Tigers’ local chapters, but from other organizations. The dinner was to include an auction to give the clubs the opportunity to redeem their prized possessions and to raise money for charity. But, as the banquet begins, police detective Sam Shovel arrives to announce there is a dead body in the parking lot. He quickly surmises there are six suspects. Sleuthing ensue.

Reservations, at $50 per person plus tax, are required, They made be made by calling (716) 778-7001 or going online.

The Winery at Marjim Manor is located at 7171 East Lake Road (Route 18). The house was built in 1854. In 2003, it was purchased by Margo Sue Bittner and became Marjim Manor, producer of grape and other fruit wines.

ON THE WEB

• Niagara Wine Trail
• Regional map
• Dowd's Gudies home page

Finger Lakes dining pioneer killed

2011-07-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

The late chef Deb Whiting

MONTEZUMA, NY -- Red Newt Cellars & Bistro owners Deb Whiting, 52, and husband, Dave, 47, were involved in a two-vehicle accident on the Thruway in which she was killed and he was seriously injured.

State police said the accident happened around 8:15 p.m. when the Whitings’ vehicle, driven by David, made an unsafe lane change, according to the Corning News-Leader. Moving from the westbound driving lane to the passing lane, the Whitings’ 1985 Volkswagen struck a 2004 Buick, which left the roadway and overturned. The Whitings’ vehicle exited off the shoulder, overturned and struck a tree.

The driver of the second vehicle was treated at the scene for lacerations, and a passenger was transported to the Upstate Medical Center.

The Whitings have been longtime major presences in the Finger Lakes wine and food community. They were recognized this spring when they received the New York Wine & Grape Foundtion's "Industry Award" for major contributions in advancing the industry.

"It is hard to overstate their many contributions, Dave as a talented and innovative winemaker, Deb as an incredible self-taught chef and locavore passionista," said Jim Trezise, president of the Foundation. "In fact, her influence in transforming the Finger Lakes food scene is comparable to that of Dr. Konstantin Frank on the wine side. Both combined vision, passion, and commitment to revolutionize an industry and a region."

Deb Whiting also was a longtime president of Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty, a network of local food producers, processors, distributors, and restaurants.

"Today, the Finger Lakes is widely recognized as one of the finest wine country destinations in the world, in large part because the quality of the food has caught up to the wine.That is the legacy of Deb Whiting," Trezise said.

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'Taste of Two Forks' a wine and food gala

2011-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

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.

ON THE WEB

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

NYS Fair crowns Keuka Spring Vineyard

2011-06-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

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.

ON THE WEB

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

Lesser-known NYers take SF big gold

2011-06-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

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.

ON THE WEB

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

The (modest) return of NY hops

2011-06-23T10:40:00.001-07:00

• 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

2011-06-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-21T15:57:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-16T14:24:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-11T13:25:00.001-07:00

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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