There is a movement throughout the Finger Lakes supporting sustainable eating. Purchasing whole fresh products from local vendors is good for everyone from the farm to the table. It becomes a lifestyle where we choose food based on the healthful way in which it is grown and raised. These are the sentiments of many including Scott Signori, the owner and executive chef of Stone Cat in Hector, NY along the East side of Seneca Lake. He creates fun and creative dishes from regional farms for an ever-changing menu.

*Taken from May/June issue of Life in the Finger Lakes magazine

There are lots of ways to go right while picking out a wine to finish off a meal, but there are also some ways to go wrong. To guard against that, there is one rule of thumb that should always be followed when scanning your local wine shop for the perfect sipper: The wine being chosen should always be sweeter than the actual dessert, according to Dan Rivas, general manager at Bank & Bourbon, located in the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“It can be helpful to try and match your wine and dessert based upon their similar flavors,” Rivas says. “One example would be a sparkling Moscato D’asti which has notes of fresh peach and pear and slight residual sugar which would match up beautifully with any dessert that incorporates fresh fruit and lavender.”

Chocolate treats, however, can be a bit tricky. Rivas says that starting your search with a fortified wine, such as Port or Madeira, is a catchall recommendation. However, you can get more specific depending on the type of chocolate that is in the dessert.
“With milk chocolate which is typically half chocolate and half milk, a ruby Port would be an excellent choice because it is going make for a more fruit and spice driven pairing. With dark chocolate, a tawny Port or Pedro Ximenez sherry pair wonderfully because they will add nutty and raisin flavors to the dessert. When pairing with white chocolate, some recommendations that tend to pair well are ice wines which will accentuate the dessert with notes of pineapple, and Brachetto D’acqui which will deliver notes of crème and raspberry,” he explains.

But, when all else fails and you’re at a loss, go for the sparkling.
There is nothing better than a good sparkling wine paired with a good cupcake. Something about the bubbles I feel just enhances the flavors.

Thanks to New York Wine and Grape Foundation May 2019 Newsletter

90 Points awarded to Billsboro Winery’s Sawmill Creek Vineyards Cabernet Franc

90 Points awarded to Hosmer Winery 2016 Pinot Noir

90 Points awarded to Sheldrake Point Winery Estate Bottled Dry Rose.

*Info taken from NY Wine and Grape Foundation email.

My girls on Saturday had a great time at Three Brothers Winery.  They enjoyed each of the tasting rooms there.  Three Wineries with wines from drier to sweet are offered, but I really think it is the fun staff and the ambiance of the property which attracts guests.  They always tell me how entertaining and knowledgeable the servers are.  There is even an opportunity to get something to eat as well as taste the local craft brews.  In the summer, we can look forward to music on the weekends.    It is one stop that everyone needs to experience when they visit the Finger Lakes.  Dave Mansfield and his staff are always making changes to bring more entertainment and enjoyment to visitors.  For more information, www.threebrotherswinery.com

In November 2014, Victor Pultinas founded Lake Drum Brewing; through guidance and funding, he has created a successful brewery in the heart of downtown Geneva.  One of the building blocks to that success was hiring Rick Morse to brew the beers.  They make a wide variety of beer including IPAs, pilsners, lagers, porters and stouts.  They continue to concentrate on the sours and cider. He has an eclectic variety including hop cider, spiced cherry cider and cider made with currants.

Lake Drum Brewing got its name from the booming noises sometimes heard on the lake.  The Native Americans used to believe the sounds were from the ancestors that had passed, but scientists think it may be from gas that is coming up from the bottom of the lake and making the sound when it reaches the air.

Victor says “what I like about this job is meeting really good people, working in a good environment and doing something I love every day.”

Open—Fridays 3pm to 1am, Saturday 4pm till 2am.  Stop into 16 E. Castle St, Geneva, NY 315 789 1200

Congratulations, Victor!!!

This blog was taken from portions of an article in the Finger Lakes Times, February 8,2018

Marti Macinski tells it like it is at Standing Stone Winery.

We know you think that winter is quieter than the hustle and bustle of summer and fall when all’s abuzz. Many of you assume we close down for the cold season, for lack of things to do. Not so! Todd and Jim have been out in the chilly vineyards mending trellises, replacing posts, clearing trees from the headlands and cleaning up in general. On weather challenged snow and sleet days, they keep very busy fixing and maintaining our 6 tractors and 2 sprayers. At least one day each week seems to call for some pretty vigorous plowing and snow removal, so that customers (some of you!) can find their way into the tasting room. Soon the vineyard team will begin pruning.   In the winery, Jess has pressed and fermented the 2016 Vidal Ice and 2016 Riesling Ice grapes and we’ve bottled more Smokehouse Red.  She’s setting up the racking and filtering schedule so we’re ready to begin bottling at the end of March. Everything, by the way, is delish!

Wine & Spirits magazine has published a special issue and 1st Annual Insider’s Guide with the cover title, “Conversations&Tastings with 50 Masters of Place”.

The various writers, sommeliers, and others divided up the world, with international Riesling authority Stuart Pigott profiling the Finger Lakes as a region that has changed dramatically in the past dozen years due to a passionate focus on quality and experimentation, especially with Riesling wines but others as well.

His narrative is sprinkled with specific examples of his points from several wineries: Boundary Breaks, Red Newt, Red Tail Ridge, Hermann J. Wiemer, Keuka Spring (Gewurztraminer) and Anthony Road (Vignoles).  His first visit was in 2004, when he was blown away by the region’s natural beauty, though not many of the wines; but on his next visit just six years later (and now six years ago) it was clear that major change–dramatic improvement–was underway.

New York Wine and Grape Foundation newsletter, August 21, 2016

Chateau Frank, the historic house high above Keuka Lake just down the road from Dr Konstantin Frank Winery, now includes an “1886” Reserve Tasting Room for VIP events.

Chateau Frank was the dream of the late Willy Frank, son of Konstantin, father of Fred, and grandfather of Meaghan.  Willy planted the classic Champagne grape varieties on neighboring Seneca Lake, and converted the home’s basement into an incredibly space-efficient sparkling wine production area.  Chateau Frank’s elegant sparkling wines have won dozens of top awards in competitions around the world.

The newly renovated 1886 room, named for the year the house was built, is directly above the sparkling wine cellar. The elegant space will be the site of special, rotating wine and food experiences every Friday and Saturday.  www.drfrankwines.com

From New York Wine and Grape Foundation newsletter

Anyone who has been around for more than a few years knows that the quality of New York wines has improved dramatically, and consistently, among vintages and wineries. This is a tribute to the grape growers who focus on quality, the winemakers who maximize it, and the many people who work together toward that common goal.

Wine & Spirits August edition found lots of New York wines to love, starting with Hermann J. Wiemer 2011 Seneca Lake Cuvee Brut (94, the highest score of any of the “Year’s Best Summer Sparklers”) joined by Atwater 2010 Finger Lakes Cuvee Brut (91).  Brooklyn Winery 2012 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc received 90.

But once again it was the Rieslings which dominated, starting with 94 each for Hermann J. Wiemer 2014 Seneca Lake Late Harvest Riesling and 2013 Tierce Finger Lakes Dry Riesling, the unique collaborative wine made by three winemakers of which the 2010 vintage was the only white wine served at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration luncheon.

Anthony Road 2014 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling, Sheldrake Point 2013 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling, and Standing Stone 2014 Finger Lakes Riesling Ice each received 93, with scores of 92 going to Dr. Frank 2014 Semi-Dry Riesling; Lamoreaux Landing 2014 Finger Lakes Riesling Ice; Hermann J. Wiemer 2014 Seneca Lake HJW Vineyard Riesling, 2014 Seneca Lake Josef Vineyard Riesling, 2013 Seneca Lake Magdalena Vineyard Riesling, and 2013 Seneca Lake HJW Vineyard Riesling.  That winery also received 91 for its 2014 Seneca Lake Magdalena Vineyard Riesling, and 2013 Seneca Lake Late Harvest Riesling, and 90 for 2014 Seneca Lake Dry Riesling.  Bellangelo 2014 Seneca Lake Late Harvest Riesling also received 90!

Information received from New York Wine and Grape Foundation