By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Region Editor Last Saturday I did something that I’d never had the chance to do before: I led an all-Niagara (USA) wine tasting for a national audience as Rochester played host to the American Wine Society’s National Conference. Of course, anyone with foresight and the ability to plan their lives accordingly may have actually taken advantage of the perks of being a presenter at a conference like this by pre-registering for other seminars, booking a hotel room to fully let loose and confirming whether they wanted beef, fish or the vegetarian entree at the banquet. But…
Posts Written OnNovember 17, 2011
NYCR Expands Downstate Coverage, Adds Tracy Weiss to the Team
By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor In case you were curious, Twitter is the by far the place to find liked-minded local-philes these days. That's where our newest staff member, Tracy Weiss and I connected several months ago. We exchanged Tweets, found more than a little common ground when it comes to local food and wine, and then I asked her to write a guest post, which she did and did with gusto. When I asked her earlier this week if she would be interested in joining the NYCR team in a more formal way, she was extremely enthusiastic — and…
Tracy Weiss | Roving Correspondent
Tracy Weiss had her first glass of Manischewitz at age 11. She found it horrendous but knew someday (when she was of legal drinking age), she’d seek out better vino. At her alma mater Michigan State University, Tracy took advantage of half-off bottles on Wine Wednesdays. With clarity found from sampling different varieties, she began to mock girlfriends sipping Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill. An oenophile is born. This paired well with a violent cheese obsession and further motivated her to eat her way through life. Blending her passion for the finer things with a Midwestern upbringing, Tracy likes to pair…
Sprout Creek Farm: Redux
By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Taste of the Hudson Valley. Each year, local restaurants and artisans are given the opportunity to shine as they pair a couple of dishes with wine, beer, or other beverages of their choosing. The event is always well-attended as ticket holders move from table to table, chat with local chefs, sip wine, and comment on the successfulness of a particular pairing. It’s a great time, but the purpose of this post is not to talk about the use of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, butternut squash soup,…