Posts Written OnOctober 2012

Western New York Food Community Rallies to Support Oles Farm

I became acquainted with the Oles family when I was in third grade, when their youngest daughter, Pam, was my classmate. We bonded over a love of digging in the dirt during recess, and subsequently I made many childhood memories at their beautiful farm in Corfu, New York. I ate their fresh strawberries every year on my birthday in June; I drizzled their maple syrup on my pancakes. As I grew up I watched the Oles Farm develop a strong reputation in Western New York; as I became more involved in Buffalo’s food scene, I began to see their products…

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Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2011 Gewurztraminer

It can be difficult to escape riesling  maelstrom in the Finger Lakes. Riesling flies at you from every direction. It’s wonderful, but can be overwhelming too.  And, sometimes other varieties are unfairly under-promoted. That’s the second edge of the double-edged sword of ‘signature varieties.’ Chief among these sometimes-ignored grapes is gewurztraminer, which thrives in the region. Sheldrake Point Vineyards makes some terrific rieslings, but deserves perhaps more attention for consistent excellence with gewurztraminer. It seems that, no matter the growing conditions, winemaker Dave Breeden crafts deliciousness, even if the style changes year to year. Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2011 Gewurztraminer ($18) is a…

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Judgement Day: Is There Mettle Behind the Medals?

This holiday weekend, when you belly up to the tasting bars of your favorite local wineries — or any given winery, really — inevitably you will see on display bottles draped in shiny heavy medallions of bronze, silver, and gold. Annual beribboned medals of merit, glinting under lights positioned just so to draw your eye to their shiny pomp and circumstance. Tasting notes on flight sheets further explain the sight — this one won a silver, this one a double gold. And every now and again, you find the goose with the golden egg: The coveted Governor’s Cup. But do you ever wonder who…

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Let Us Eat Local: ‘Just Food’ Celebrates All Things Locally Grown

For those who spend their disposal income on the edible artistry of Manhattan’s best chefs, Just Food’s Fifth Annual Let Us Eat Local was like being inside Willy Wonka’s Fancy Fall Food Factory. The event benefited non-profit, Just Food, which keeps civilians in five boroughs of New York City connected with farms and local products. They engage the community by teaching how to grow and identity healthy food through CSAs, classes, outreach and Farm School, a program giving students a framework to grow produce in the concrete jungle. Forty restaurants rolled out dishes for a walk-around tasting using seasonal ingredients…

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Pop-Up Mead Tasting in Brooklyn with Enlightenment Wines

I received this invite this afternoon and thought it was more than interesting enough to post here. I have very little experience with mead, but after reading a bit about Enlightment Wines, I’m intrigued by the wild ferments, local ingredients and interesting flavor combinations. The event is this Thursday, October 4 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a one-night-only pop up mead bar that will feature “some very limited edition esoteric wines” described as “locally sourced bone dry fruit wines and limited edition infused meads.” Enlightenment Wines Pop-Up Thursday, October 4 7 p.m. – 12 midnight 254 South 2nd Street  Williamsburg, NY 11211 Menu:…

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Amy Zavatto Joins NYCR Team

I’m not 100% convinced that Amy Zavatto is a real person, so if you’ve met her, please vouch for her. Though Amy splits her time between New York City and Shelter Island (where she grew up), we have yet to meet in person. She’s a ghost or perhaps a figment of New York wine’s collective imagination, writing about Long Island and Finger Lakes wines  as part of her writing for a variety of outlets, including Imbibe, Edible Manhattan, Wynn Magazine, Foxnews.com. Her work has also appeared in Details, More, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Food & Wine. She is the author ofThe Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending, Eat NY, and co-author of The Renaissance…

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