Posts Written OnSeptember 30, 2009

A Hop Farmer Emerges on the Niagara Escarpment

By Julia Burke, Niagara Correspondent Mike Sieczkowski has never brewed beer, he has never been a farmer – and up until a few months ago – he had never even seen a hop plant.  But inexperience hasn’t stopped him from becoming the first commercial hop grower in the Niagara Escarpment area in decades. Sieczkowski planted sixteen rhizomes of Mt. Hood and Nugget hops this winter, and armed with the expertise of Flying Bison Brewing Company brewmaster Tim Herzog, the fertile soil of the Escarpment, and a fearless sense of adventure, he is enjoying remarkable success.  Having moved to Budd Road in Cambria…

Update: TasteCamp EAST 2010 Finger Lakes

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief  It's been almost two months since we announced that TasteCamp EAST 2010 will take place in the Finger Lakes region of New York, so I thought it was a good idea to mention it again here on the site.  I know a few bloggers missed the original announcement. With so much more ground to cover — literally — during 2010's event, we'll probably begin the formal programming Friday afternoon and extend it well into Sunday this year.  We already have 40 bloggers and spouses/significant others signed up to come, so if you're interested, make sure you…

Q&A: Paul Brock, Winemaker, Lamoreaux Landing

By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief Paul Brock is the winemaker at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region. He has an M.S. in Enology and Viticulture from Cornell University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Prior to Lamoreaux Landing, Paul made wine for Ravines Wine Cellars and Keuka Lake Vineyards in the Finger Lakes, and Whitehaven Wine Co. in Marlborough, New Zealand.  He is a graduate of the American Wine Society Judge Certification Program and holds an Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits through…