New York Cork Report

Local With Local (Finger Lakes): Heart & Hands 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir and Pan-Seared Duck with Cranberry-Clove Relish

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief and Deb Whiting, Chef, Red Newt Bistro

My assignment this month from Lenn was to create a dish to pair with the Heart & Hands Wine Company 2007 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir. 

This is a beautiful Finger Lakes pinot with overtones of currant and cranberry and by the way is my favorite pinot noir in the Finger Lakes! So, I decided to pair it with one of my favorite dishes.....duck breast.

This is a simple but elegant relish that works well with pan seared duck breast (also be great on that Thanksgiving turkey too) with undertones of clove and orange. 

In fact, if  you're in the area I have put this duck dish paired with the wine on my November Chef's table -- so come on in and enjoy them both!

Cranberry Clove Relish
By Deb Whiting, Chef and Co-Owner Red Newt Bistro

Ingredients:

2 cups onion, diced
1 1/2tbsp garlic, minced
4 cups cranberries
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Method: 

In a saucepan, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes until onions begin to soften. 

Add remainder of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until the liquid has been reduced and most of the cranberries have "popped", about half hour. 

On a pan seared duck breast (I suggest medium rare) add one tablespoon of the warm cranberry clove relish to the top of it's golden brown skin

Pour yourself a glass of the Heart and Hands 07 Reserve Pinot Noir and enjoy!

Some Finger Lakes Food Thoughts

Photo courtesy of Dano's Heuriger

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Lenn has always intended that this blog emphasize wine and food, although there is so much wine news to talk about that sometimes we forget to mention food as often as we should. Admittedly I am not a foodie, and I know that I nearly always forget to write up my dining experiences in relating information about the Finger Lakes.

This article by Don Cazentre from the Syracuse Post-Standard does a wonderful job highlighting some new eateries as well as summarizing those culinary staples that already exist. I would recommend this article to readers who are thinking of visiting the Finger Lakes or who, like me, tend to fly a bit blind when it comes to planning meal stops between winery visits.

Last Monday evening my wife, daughter and I visited Dano's Heuriger on Seneca Lake, a five-year-old Austrian restaurant with unique architecture, an exciting menu and amazing food. Chef and owner Dano Hutnik came out to visit our table several times, greeting our 16-month-old daughter Elizabeth playfully as she worked up the courage to shake his hand and say "Hi!"

Elizabeth was especially fond of the tomato cream soup and I agreed with her wholeheartedly. I cannot even begin to describe the balance of cream and tomato, heightened with spices that begged for more spoon fulls. We could have made a meal just out of the soup.

I ordered the wiener schnitzel, which came very plain but crispy and tasty. My wife Kathleen ordered roast chicken with spatzle. The chicken was fall-of-the-bone good, perfectly roasted with what seemed like a hint of sage and thyme. The spatzle was chewy with a welcoming texture which we ate up with gusto.

I find German/Austrian food to be somewhat straightforward, and that's usually a good thing. This meal was by all measures a solid foray into simple but hearty cooking.

Unfortunately, we pulled into this restaurant a bit fatigued and tired from taking photos at wineries all day, so I have no images to provide from our dining experience (sorry Lenn!). Instead, do yourself a favor and go to Dano's to feast your own eyes. It's a must-see, a must-eat, and the people there are great.

Local With Local with Deb Whiting, Red New Bistro: Pear-Fennel Flatbread with Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Riesling

By Chef Deb Whiting, Red Newt Bistro

My assignment this time around for "Local with Local" was a pairing with Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Riesling.

This is a beautiful Finger Lakes dry riesling that has overtones of pear and lemon pith. Nice structure, mineral and lean, but Lenn will tell you more about that in an upcoming review. On with the food pairing.

As I was tasting this I thought it would be lovely with an appetizer utilizing local pears -- a great way to start off a great meal! So how about a flatbread with roasted fennel, sauteed pears, arugula and shaved Manchego cheese?

I make my own flatbread, but you certainly can purchase a flatbread and build this appetizer.

Pear-Fennel Flatbread with Arugula and Manchego
Makes three 4x6" flatbreads

2 cups of fennel - finely chopped
2 cups of pears- peeled and sliced(about 2 to 3 pears)
1 cup shallots- sliced
About 1/4cup olive oil
2 tsp garlic- minced
salt and pepper
2 cups arugula
Monchego cheese

Place chopped fennel on pan for roasting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Roast until soft and begins to color, about 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

While roasting the fennel, in a saute pan add about two tablespoons of olive oil and begin sauteeing shallots on high heat. Reduce to medium heat and as shallots begin to soften, add pears with minced garlic and salt and pepper.

Continue saute until pears are soft, but not mushy. Cool both fennel and pear mixture.

On the flatbread, layer fresh arugula to cover, add pear and shallot mixture, then layer on roasted fennel (divide evenly between the three flatbreads.

Shave Manchego on top and bake in oven (375) for about 10 minutes.

Cut each flatbread into quarters and serve immediately with a glass of the Lamoreaux Landing Red Oak Riesling. Serves 3 to 6 people.

Come in and enjoy this flatbread and wine in October at the Bistro at Red Newt Cellars!

Not Your Usual Harvest Dinners

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor    

You drive down lake roads this time of year and I know what you're thinking. The sunflowers appear to be slumped over, bowing their heads and mourning the death of summer. It's important to remember that they're only weighed down by seeds.

New life. Harvest is here.

Perhaps you've attended a harvest dinner before, but I'd guess you've never attended a harvest dinner that pairs locally grown food with a full flight of... beer? Yes, beer, for the entire evening.

"Beer fanatics are already excited about this one," says Liz Karabinakis, the community food educator who has been working with Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to plan a series of diverse havest dinners. "They'll be pouring specialty brews, and even though I'm a wine lover, it got my attention!"

That's the idea behind the Healthy Food For All harvest dinner series. Each event costs $75 per person, and Karabinakis says the organizers have tried to vary the themes. "There's so much food, wine and beer to showcase that we wanted to give people a chance to attend multiple farms and not feel like it's the same thing at each event."

The beer-themed harvest dinner will be hosted by West Haven Farm in Ithaca on November 8. But while beer gets the spotlight for one night, local wines are appearing more often at these events, with wines from Bet the Farm and Hosmer on future menus.

"Vine Dining" trend gains steam

There is something purely invigorating about dining al fresco, surrounded by vines and chickens and rows of vegetables just waiting to be harvested. On Sunday night we were part of a sold-out harvest dinner at Sweet Land Farm in Trumansburg, where Vinny and Kim Aliperti of Atwater Estate Vineyards and Billsboro Winery poured some of their best. And with no cloud cover to offer a blanket of insulation, the first whispers of fall only added to the elysian ambiance.

"Vine dining is building in popularity over the past several years," Karabinakis says. "In fact, we model some of our events directly from the Atwater event that they host. If we can sit outside among the vines, we love to do it. And while not every farm has vines, the concept stays true when we're dining just a few steps from where the food was harvested literally that morning."

The menu was thoughtful, the wine refreshing. I was surprised to find that my favorite was the chicken liver toast with fig jam, though I also loved the celario-apple salad that accompanied the local roast pork.

Tours add value

We joined Evangeline Sarat for a farm tour -- and, as you can see in the picture on the right, she demonstrated just how fresh the food for that evening was. While I enjoyed seeing her rip food straight from the earth, my wife marveled at the backpack that carried her budding farmer baby.

Most harvest dinners will include optional tours, and Karabinakis says guests will have a chance to see more than just the farms. She points out that for the upcoming October 11 dinner at Stick and Stone Farm in Ithaca, guests can tour Regional Access right next door. Regional Access has built a distribution system that allows local chefs to use more local food. 

Focus on CSAs

With many farms participating in community supported agriculture (CSA), guests have a chance to learn about what it means to buy into a CSA. At Sweet Land Farm, members operate on an honor system when they come to pick up food. A sign instructs members to "take only what you need," and they're also free to pick fruits on their own.

The Healthy Food For All series of dinners has three events remaining this season, with the first coming this Sunday. Karabinakis says that while past events have sold out, there is some ticket availability. But you're better off calling to inquire as early as possible to make sure you're not shut out.

Other farms and wineries are holding events on their own. It's a time of year to remember: There is life in the fields. Harvest is here, and local farmers are joining winemakers and brewmasters to share their stories.

Restaurant Wine Lists: The Quirky Village Tavern Shines

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

When I dine out, I'm looking for three things on a wine list:

1. Diversity. I get it. Ravenswood Zin is awesome, but it would be nice to see a little more.
2. Price: I expect to pay a markup, but I don't expect to need to pay in installments.
3. Age: This is rare, but it's always fun to see if an establishment carries any older bottles.

The first time I had dinner at The Village Tavern in Hammondsport, NY I could hardly believe the wine list. The restaurant, located on the southern end of Keuka Lake, carries the oldest and most diverse list of Finger Lakes wine in existence. It's almost as if the Tavern is single-handedly challenging the "drink now" mentality that dominates local wines. (Here's a sample of the wine list).

We ordered a Hermann J. Wiemer 1994 Johannisberg Riesling on that first visit, paying $60 for a wine that was released at roughly 1/6 that price. We didn't blink at the markup; the Tavern has a reputation for carefully storing bottles and this was a rarity. And we were thrilled to find that the oldest Riesling on the list was still showing marvellously. 

On this trip, as you'll see in the video, we ordered an even older Riesling now on the list. And the general manager and wine director shows us a bottle he selected specifically for the company at our table: McGregor Vineyard and Winery owner John McGregor and his wife Stacey. You'll find a handful of aged McGregor Black Russian wines on the list at the Tavern.

But how do they make sure they're not selling customers some heavily marked-up vinegar? How are they stored? What's the philosophy behind such a quirky and compelling wine list? And what does John McGregor think about having his older wines on that list? You can find out in the video. And we hope you'll tell us what your criteria are for restaurant wine lists -- and which establishments offer your favorite lists.

Finger Lakes Wineries Stomach Up-Front Costs, Add Food and Restaurants

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
Photos by Morgan Dawson Photography

Most restaurants do not have to endure the uncertainty of a zealous owner who might show up at any moment with a truckload of summer vegetables, picked only hours before. At the Blue Heron Cafe they're getting used to it.

"It's pretty entertaining, actually," says Heron Hill Winery's marketing director Kitty Oliver over a plate of the mahgarita flatbread pizza. "(Owner) John Ingle is so excited this time of year. He might drive in with a load of corn and say, 'Here you go!' And the staff finds a way to add it to the dishes on the menu."

When the Blue Heron Cafe on Keuka Lake opened on July 15, it came with a new menu designed to offer casual, yet higher-end, food options. The lobster roll is the most expensive item at $15.50 while the least expensive items are $6.50. This puts Heron Hill's prices a shade under neighboring Bully Hill's lunch fare, but Oliver says her company is not necessarily trying to carve business away from neighbors.

"The larger goal is bringing more people to the region, period," she explains. "If there are more dining options, there will be more visitors -- and that means more people going through Bully Hill's doors or other places."

My one complaint is hardly a serious problem: mwine glass was too full when they brought me the Heron Hill 2006 semi-dry Riesling. Couldn't swirl it. I figured I might be the only customer ever to ask them to bring less wine, so I decided against it, but perhaps deeper glasses are in order. 

My Tuscan chicken wrap was delicious, and my wife Morgan enjoyed the crab cake. Better yet, the Cafe was full on a mid-week afternoon. It will close for the winter but Heron Hill feels the seasonal offerings will bring in more wine tasters and, they expect, wine buyers.

Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake is getting ready to launch a kind of food experiment of its own in September. "We want to try new ideas and see what works," says Fox Run's marketing director, Leslie Kroger.

So beginning Thursday, September 3 and running for three straight Thursdays, Fox Run will host food and wine tastings themed around the harvest. The tastings will cost $20 per person and run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the cafe. New chef Heather Tompkins will create four food plates; winemaker Peter Bell and assistant winemaker Tricia Renshaw will help select the wines to pair. 

"Heather has brought a tsunami of creativity, and these tastings will give her a chance to do even more," Bell says. 

Kroger concedes that for years, Fox Run's popular cafe has attracted thousands of visitors -- but the food  alone has not been a money-maker. Many wineries tell the same story. Fox Run hopes Tompkins can improve the food and the bottom line, which is no easy task.

"The new grocery-like atmosphere is a credit to what Heather is doing," Kroger says. "It's amazing how people react when you start selling the products you use in your cooking. We've had a huge summer because of that. We're selling local honey, cheeses, chocolate, and breads right out of the cafe. Heather sells flavored spreads and other creations. We're thrilled with what she's done already."

If the Thursday night tastings are a success, Fox Run will consider bringing them back in the winter or spring. For now, Fox Run and Heron Hill will measure the success of their new food endeavors before expanding. For both, it has been a good start, but it's easy to feel good about business in the summer, when the parking lots are full of out-of-state license plates. 

All That Food and Wine... But What Exactly Is The Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty?

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
Video by Morgan Dawson

This was one of those meals that sinks your battleship. If you were smart, you didn't eat for about five days beforehand. The Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty held its annual dinner last Thursday, August 6, but you might be wondering... What exactly is the Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty?

In this video I allow two people to tell us. Deb Whiting of Red Newt Bistro is, no surprise, intimately involved. But you'll also hear from a member of the bounty who is not a board member or big name in the industry, just a guy from the Rochester area explaining how he benefits by being involved.

The cost is cheap. You can become a member for $25, which means that just about anyone is eligible. The idea is to make the locavore movement open to all. That remains a challenge, so check the video for more. I think the FLCB is still struggling with making sure the community understand why it exists and what it's about, but that seems to be improving.

Oh, and the dinner was wonderful. You can check out the menu right here.

A Quick Tasting Tour of Finger Lakes Wine Country

Our view from the house on Seneca Lake.

By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief

The blog is going to be quite for the next couple of days, because Nena and I are in the Finger Lakes for a three-day post-Orlando vacation (with Jackson at my in-laws'). We're joined by our friends C&A who enjoy good food and wine as much as we do.

We got to the region yesterday in the late morning and were joined by Evan and Morgan Dawson at Ravines Wine Cellars, where owners Lisa and Morten Hallgren spent some time with us. Lisa is an amazing cook, so if you ever have a chance to eat ANYTHING she cooks, I can't recommend it enough. Her food is only matched by Morten's dry, balanced wines that are easily among not only the region's best but the state's best. Wait until you try the 2007 Meritage and 2008 Argetsinger Vineyard Riesling. 

Next up was a Finger Lakes Tweetup (an offline gathering of like-minded people on Twitter), hosted by Amy Cheatle at Damiani Wine Cellars, where we met and enjoyed some delicious wines with 30 or so (mostly) members of the Finger Lakes wine community. There were so many great wines poured that I hesitate to pick any favorites. I will say that the Lembergers and Blaufrankisches were popular. As was a rose sparkler that I'll be writing about more shortly.

And finally, we ended our day with a delicious dinner at Stone Cat Cafe, just up the road from Damiani. Locally focused (both on the dinner and wine menus) good prices and great food combined to create a tremendous experience. I can't recommend Stone Cat enough. It doesn't hurt that most of the Tweetup folks ended up at the bar for the evening. Our meal warrants its own post, so look for that soon.

Today we're spending the day tasting on and around Seneca Lake and tommorrow morning we head over to Cayuga Lake for the day. It's hard work, but someone has to do it.

Rough Restaurant Experience With Wine Offers Reminder: Vintage Matters

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor

Editor's Note: The photograph, taken in the low restaurant lighting, shows the offending disclaimer mentioned in the text below.

I had a horrible wine experience at a popular restaurant this week, and yet I don't want to unfairly malign the restaurant involved. My friends know that I'm constantly talking about service in all industries -- in a competitive and hurting economy I find the easiest way to differentiate yourself is through stellar service -- and yet I don't want to be unfair. This was one server on one night, hardly a large enough sample size to declare a service black hole.

But in this case, the restaurant is at fault as well. More on that to come.

My wife and I joined two friends for dinner at Jojo in Pittsford outside Rochester. It's an extremely popular and trendy restaurant offering high-end entrees as well as delicious $11 burgers. The wine list is long but mediocre, and that's where we ran into trouble.

Looking for a red wine, I waded through the usual suspects (Charles Krug, Robert Mondavi, Chateau St. Jean, etc) and discovered a gem: a 2001 Col D'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino. I was excited because 2001 was considered a wonderful vintage in Tuscany and Col D'Orcia makes more old-school, rustic Brunellos. We happily ordered a bottle.

The waitress eventually emerged with the bottle and presented it to the table while getting ready to insert the corkscrew. Thankfully I noticed that she had brought a bottle of the 2002 Col D'Orcia. Being the Brunello lover that I am, I knew that there was an enormous difference between 2001 and 2002. While 2001 was a dream, 2002 was a nightmare, with disastrous weather ruining harvest. Most producers didn't even bottle their Brunello in 2002. (Wine Spectator, for example, scored the 2001 Tuscan vintage 98 points, while 2002 earned 78 points). 

I didn't want to be difficult and, knowing that many servers don't have a deep reservoir of wine knowledge, I didn't want to embarrass the waitress. I simply said, politely, "I'm sorry, we had ordered the 2001." She stared blankly at me. I continued, "It's no problem, but please don't open that bottle. I'm sure we can find something else if the 2001 is not available." 

At this point I guess I expected the waitress to offer a half-apology or some assistance in finding an alternate wine. Nope. She went from agape to seemingly furious, glaring at me without speaking. I felt awkward. She clearly had no clue why this wine snob would raise a fuss over a bottle. I could practically hear her shouting, "It's the same wine, idiot!" Of course, it's not the same wine, and I'm surprised to see that Spectator notes about the 2002 Col D'Orcia (after scoring it 77 points), "Not imported into the U.S." This was not like comparing apples to apples. It was like comparing apples to garden rakes.

My wife and friends were just as startled by the waitress' reaction as I was. For the remainder of the meal she continued to be terse and awkward, and it made the evening rather uncomfortable. We noticed on the wine list a disclaimer that seemed designed to get them off the hook in times like these: "Due to our extensive wine list, vintages are subject to change." Again, I don't mean to be rude, but let me go ahead and translate that: "Our wine list is long enough that we feel it's an excuse to be lazy and not update the vintages when they change. So don't blame us."

The disclaimer should have been a warning that this restaurant is not serious about wine. Then we noticed that NONE of the white wines by the bottle were listed with vintage. We took this as a statement by the restaurant that white wines are some kind of inferior species -- which they are very obviously not. An excellent new restaurant in Geneva, New York called Halsey's boasts a diverse and interesting wine list that is marred by the fact that their Finger Lakes bottle list does not display vintages. What does that tell the customer about their opinion of local wine?

The bottom line is this: Service matters, and so does vintage. Yes, there are sterilized, mass-produced wines that taste roughly the same every year. But most wines will show at least some, and often significant, variation. Weather is the obvious factor, but there's cropping, winemaking techniques, grape sourcing... the list is long. Restaurants that don't find vintages to be important are telling their customers that they don't understand or care about wine. Poorly trained service staff only cement that point. And while I'm a self-acknowledged wine geek, I should not be made to feel like the jerk in the room when I have to point this out.

I'll return to Jojo; I enjoy the food and atmosphere. But next time I'll bring my own bottle and pay the corkage fee.

I Met My Farmer Last Week. Have You Met Yours?

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Let me start by saying that I love animals, but I also love to eat them.

I appreciate the dichotomy of finding cows lovable and delicious. I am nauseated by the horrific treatment of cows, pigs and chickens, among other animals, but it's always been easiest to simply not think about such treatment.

This week that abrogation of duty ended for me.

On a crisp but sunny afternoon I drove down to Romulus (located between Seneca and Cayuga lakes) to meet Tim Haws, the farmer and owner of Autumn's Harvest Farm. It was not a convenient time for Tim, as he was juggling myriad duties on the farm (cows getting ready to give birth and food needing to be delivered to local restaurants, for example) and myriad duties in the small house connected to some of his 77 acres (taking care of his 18-month old son and 3-month old daughter, for example). And yet Tim had encouraged me to come down and see the animals, so I did.

I had discovered Autumn's Harvest Farm on EatWild.com, a wonderful resource devoted to linking consumers to grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, etc. And yet I confess that I still harbored doubts. A stunning majority of food sold in grocery stores (even stores like Whole Foods) does not boast an origin that matches the flowery stories printed on the labels. American farmers struggle to survive if they do not adopt an industrialized model -- the government, and the USDA in particular, favors larger producers and subsidize the operations that submit to this model. I have not met many farmers who have refused to submit to this scheme.

And then I met Tim Haws. A teddy bear of a man, Tim greeted me and welcomed me into his kitchen while his father, a retired former employee of the city of Geneva, watched over Tim's son Ty. We talked a bit about Tim's farming practices, and here are some of the things he said:

"Our animals are happy. Believe me, that matters."

"We rotate our cows at least once a day, and sometimes twice. They're so smart. They not only know they're going to be moved, they get excited about the new grasses."

"Cows are not supposed to eat corn. And don't believe they're only eating corn on those huge farms. They get fed dried bubble gum and all kinds of trash. That's disgusting, and then you think about eating that cow that was eating that stuff."

This was not a sell job. He did not have a set shtick designed to placate consumers who want to eat some Elysian version of "organic." He was just plain-spoken and he was, no doubt, speaking my language.

I was already sold on Tim's practices, and I was deeply enjoying having the chance to meet his family. I offered to write the check for the food I was buying (a 14-pound ham and a pair of steaks -- Tim threw in some extras as a gift), and I wanted to get out if his hair. His father, who takes care of a lot of the delivery, was getting ready to head out to Red Newt Bistro and several places -- Autumn's Harvest provides beef and pork to Red Newt, Simply Red at Sheldrake Point, and a handful of other restaurants. But Tim didn't want me to leave before I met some of the animals.

We took a nice walk around the property and said hello to some of the heritage pigs and cows who were lazily chomping away at the grass. Tim showed me one of the portable pens that allows chickens to move around on the grass -- real, actual free range! -- and he continued to cheerfully talk about the benefits of animals eating grass. "Chickens don't only eat grass," he said, smiling. "They love to follow the cows and dig through the cow droppings to find the bugs. We don't ever have to spray -- the chickens do so much work!"

It was, to be sure, a mirror image of the philosophy espoused by the now-famous Joel Salatin in Michael Pollan's brilliant book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. And yet I had never mentioned Salatin or Pollan or the book. Tim was leading me around, sharing his own ideas, and it only reinforced the importance of grass-fed animals.

At the risk of sounding condescending, I can't urge you strongly enough to go meet your farmer. I will make a strong effort to never buy corn-fed beef again unless there are no other options. If we could see the way most of the animals that we eat are treated, we'd find those farmers and ask them how in the world our food system ever devolved into this madness. And then if we could meet people like Tim Haws, we'd be inspired that it can change.

There are other grass-fed farms in the Finger Lakes and Long Island -- and across the state and country. Check out EatWild.com to find them. And share your stories in the comments. 

Before I left I asked Tim and his father if I could come back later this year and volunteer for a day. Tim laughed, and his father said, "You better be ready to get dirty!" I am ready indeed, though I know that "dirty" at Autumn's Harvest Farm carries an entirely different meaning than dirty at an industrialized facility. 

PALATE 2009: Tasting Finger Lakes Wines and Cheeses with Shannon Brock

Last Tuesday, as a part of PALATE 2009, Nena and I attended a wine and cheese seminar led by Shannon Brock from the New York Wine & Culinary Center. Shannon is someone that I've known in the virtual world for some time now, so it was a great pleasure to finally meet her in person. In it's-a-small-world style, Shannon is also the niece of good friend of my in-law's.

The seminar started with a little less on tasting wine -- you know, all the S's etc. It was actually very similar to a class Shannon teaches at the Center, the main difference being the wine and cheese selections. Typically she'll include wines and cheeses from throughout the state, but for PALATE, the three wines and the three cheeses were all Finger Lakes born.

The cheeses, seen here (from 10 o'clock and moving clockwise) were Red Buddy from Muranda Cheese House, Red Meck from Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese and Cayuga Blue from Lively Run Goat Dairy.

Of the three, my favorite was probably the Red Buddy, which is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese that tastes mostly like Swiss cheese with a little cheddar character as well. But, all three cheeses were delicious.

The three wines that we tasted, first by themselves and then with the cheese, were Sheldrake Point Vineyards' 2006 Reserve Riesling, Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc and Arbor Hill Grapery 2007 Vergennes. Far and away, my favorite of the three was the Sheldrake riesling, a wine that I included in the New York Cork Club a few months ago and have several bottles of in my cellar.

Before I move on to the pairings themselves, let me tell you a bit about this Vergennes, which is actually a varietal wine made from the Vergennes grape, a vinifera-labrusca cross named for the town in Vermont with the same name, where it was originally found. Shannon included it because it's something different, but it apparently was very popular amongst the wine judges from California in last years New York Food & Wine Classic. What did I think? I didn't think much of it, honestly. There was some melony-grapey fruit there, but also an overwhelming detergent (as in Tide) character. Unique, yes. Good, no.

As part of the seminar, Shannon had us taste each cheese with each wine. Here are my notes.

PALATE Promises to be a Winter Warmer

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent

I grew up in Corning, NY, on the southern edge of the Finger Lakes. It has always been a great small city with a tremendous amount of beauty and culture. Every year, throngs of tourists stroll through the world-famous glass museum, visit the quaint shops on Market Street, and enjoy various outdoor music and art festivals.

Of course, that all takes place in the spring and summer. Recently, I was surprised to see an announcement that Finger Lakes Wine Country and Corning's Gaffer District were hosting a week-long wine event called PALATE from February 16 through the 22.

As far as I know, nothing ever goes in Corning in the winter! (Well, I do remember going to high school and shoveling the driveway...).

I caught up with Finger Lakes Wine Country president Morgen McLaughlin and asked her about the thinking behind a week-long winter event. "We are trying to increase off-season visitation. PALATE is in the spirit of the Mustard Festival in Napa, which is actually two-months long."

The name PALATE refers to the genres of wine, food, and art, all three of which will be incorporated into the 2009 celebration as well as the annual tradition that McLaughlin and her fellow planners hope to establish. The itinerary on the website is still under construction, but the week will include barrel tastings from several Finger Lakes wineries, food and wine tastings at Market Street restaurants, wine presentations by local experts and enthusiasts, a live music crawl, and even a screening of Merlove, an off-beat documentary for wine lovers.

McLaughlin expects at least 300-400 attendees for PALATE, although the focus this year is not on numbers and broad marketing but on creating an event that can build upon itself year after year. She has high hopes for the future of off-season wine festivals in the Finger Lakes.

I will be attending at least some portion of Palate with a great deal of enthusiasm as I will get to experience Finger Lakes wine as well as visit my mom and dad: a wonderful combination. Warm weather or cold, Corning is always a delight to visit any time of year.

Red Newt's Deb Whiting Is Getting Ready for a Fight

By Melissa Dobson, Finger Lakes News Correspondent

Knives will be gleaming, pots and pans heated up to the boiling point and only one culinary warrior will remain at the end of the night at the Rochester Food Fight tonight.

Representing the Finger Lakes in this fast-paced battle of four chefs is Debra Whiting, executive chef and co-owner of Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro on Seneca Lake. Debra is a local culinary celebrity and has garnered recognition from publications such as Food and Wine Magazine, Nation's Restaurant News and the Wine Spectator.

Of the event, Debra said, "I'm very excited about the Rochester Food Fight and I think it's a great idea. It's something I haven't done before, so it's new territory for me. It will be interesting because there are 10-minute rounds.  Representing Red Newt are myself and my sous chef, Wayne Cox. We're excited about it and looking forward to it. We hope a lot of people are there to support not only Red Newt, but the other chefs as well."

The Rochester Food Fight will benefit Foodlink, a regional food bank that provides food, nutrition, education,and resources in Central and Western New York

The event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the Main Street Armory, 900 East Main Street in Rochester. The event will also feature a tasting component. The other culinary contenders include John Frezee of Erie Grill at the Renaissance, Del Monte Lodge and Spa (Pittsford, NY), Eric Mueller of Warfield's Restaurant (Clifton Springs, NY) and Art Rogers of Lento (Rochester, NY) For ticket information, visit http://rochesterfoodfight.org/tickets.html.

Riedel in the Finger Lakes (Part I)

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Last Thursday night I was fortunate enough, to attend a dinner hosted by George Riedel at Suzanne's Fine Regional Cuisine on the eastern side of Seneca Lake. The weather was fantastic, and the view of the lake was both breathtaking and (because it was looking due west) allowing for the sunset to complement the scenery and create a Finger Lakes panoramic that was truly beautiful.

George Riedel used only one of his famous decanters during the evening, but through this vessel flowed a great deal of wine from the Finger Lakes and all over the world. Representatives from Fox Run, Sheldrake Point, Lucas, Glenora, and Hunt Country were all in attendance, and these winemakers and owners brought samples of their wines to share. 

Riedel was kind enough to order from Suzanne's list many exemplary wines from the Finger Lakes and Europe. There were far too many to keep track of.

The dinner consisted of three main courses of Maine scallop, free-range duck, and lamb, with a cheese dish for dessert. The food was excellent.  Mr. Riedel turned to me at one point and exclaimed that the food was "fantastic."

For an individual who must dine frequently at world-class restaurants, it certainly was a ringing endorsement.

The Finger Lakes wines that were offered by the owners in attendance included Glenora's 2007 Pinot Blanc, Fox Run's 2005 Cabernet Franc reserve, Lucas' 2007 Riesling, Hunt Country's 2007 Valvin Muscat, and Sheldrake Point's 2007 Gewürtztraminer.

All of these wines showed very well, but the Fox Run Cabernet Franc and Sheldrake Point's Gewürtztraminer were real stand-outs, the latter being one of most interesting Finger Lakes Gewürtztraminers I have had the pleasure to taste.

While George Riedel hosted this dinner as a prelude to the tasting exercise the next day, the result of which would highlight one of his glasses as the ideal Finger Lakes riesling glass, it became clear over the course of the evening that he sees the Finger Lakes as more than just another business opportunity. I found his conversation engaging and I believe he sees a great deal of potential in the Finger Lakes wine industry.

Riedel first visited the Finger Lakes earlier this year. It's obvious that he wanted another look. At the end of the day it's all about selling more glassware, yet there's something to be said about Riedel's confidence in the Finger Lakes as a good investment of his time and attention.

For Part II of the Riedel report, I will tell you about the tasting and selection of the Finger Lakes Riesling glass and offer my thoughts on the authenticity of such an experiment.

Snug Harbor Restaurant & Inn (Hammondsport, NY)

As soon as we booked our trip to Keuka Lake, I started asking around for restaurant recommendations. They came from far and wide, but one of the first ones came from Lisa Hallgren, co-owner of Ravines Wine Cellars.  She recommended Snug Harbor Restaurant & Inn, so I made a reservation for our first night there.

What a great find in the region's off season. If they had been open on Monday, we would have gone back.

From the location, to the service, to the food, it was one of the best experiences we've had in a long time. We felt more than comfortable with Jackson (this is by far the nicest restaurant he's been to) and the heavily local wine list was impressive. Jackson's macaroni and cheese was so good that we ate some of it too.

The only thing that wasn't spot on was Nena's tilapia, which was just okay compared to the rest of her entree. But our salads were fresh, well balanced and flavorful. My Thai curry noodles were great (though they could have been spicier) and the banana creme de caramel was terrific.

Soon, I'll tell you about our worst meal in the Finger Lakes (and maybe ever), but let's stick with the positives today. I'd recommend Snug Harbor to anyone.