On the Road with the Grape Guy

On the Road with the Grape Guy is a on-going feature that follows me from event to event ... I post my thoughts, feelings and reviews of what happened and what I tasted ... basically it is here that I review the events I attend and the things that thrilled me.

Report from - Finger Lakes Wine Festival – July 21, 2007

08 Aug 2007

The Finger Lakes … an area loaded with summer homes and cottages, beautiful scenery and I don’t know how many wineries (it seemed like there was a winery on every corner).  It’s also home to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival, held every July, and as the Irish Rovers are apt to say “Wasn’t That a Party!”  My count from the official “Tasters Guide” puts the number in wineries in attendance at 98, plus the food venders, wine paraphernalia vendors and kitsch vendors … that’s a lot of booths and a lot of things to do; no wonder they sell three day passes to this event.  The event itself is held at the Watkins Glen International Race Track, and it’s a good thing too, because they need all the space they can get.  Three long tents house the wineries and a majority of wine related booths … the rest are outside the tent encircling the main area.  There is also a seminar area where you can rest, relax and learn … I stopped in for a wonderful chocolate and wine presentation (and I’m not just saying that because I knew the presenter).  We like to slag our neighbours to the south as loud, obnoxious and, in wine circles, we blame them for their predominantly sweet palate, but they sure do know how to put on a wine festival that:  1) everyone wants to attend and 2) all the wineries want to participate in … I’ll have more on that in an upcoming newsletter, but suffice it to say the liquor laws and the regulation of sales, aren’t governed by a lone monopoly who holds all the power.

So what were the highlights and my comments from the festival?  In no particular order here they are: ... (Read more)


To check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog and all the other feature articles click here.

Report from - Six Barrels for Six Chefs – Huff Estates – August 1, 2007

08 Aug 2007

Huff Estates … a beautiful August evening in the county … a cooling breeze blowing through the vineyard … the smell of wood burning fire and cooking foods wafting in the air.  Billed as “The Event of the Year” and for here in the county it just might have been:  Six Barrels for Six Chefs featured two wines, one from Huff Estates and one from Norman Hardie, taken out of six different barrels with food pairings done by local, celebrity and renowned chefs.  In attendance this evening were Bryan Steele (The Old Prune in Stratford); Jamie Kennedy (JK Restaurant); Ryan Crawford (Stone Road Grill in NOTL); Hiro Yoshida (Hiro Sushi); Michael Stadtlander (Eigensinn Farm) and Michael Potter (Harvest Restaurant).  

Six Barrels/Six Chefs was the brainchild of Frederic Picard (winemaker for Huff) and Bryan Steele who, as legend has it, over a barrel tasting, thought it would be interesting to “Illustrate the nuances between the same wine aged in different oak barrels and how each one could be elevated when paired with food prepared by a great chef.”  And what a fun and fantastic evening of food and wine it was – and educational at the same time, though I doubt most saw it that way... (Read more)



To check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog and all the other feature articles click here.

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