Posts Tagged“central new york”

Old Apple Trees, Family Traditions and Apple Wine

By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent "How old is that apple tree?" I asked Uncle Sam, pointing at the gnarled, sprawling specimen that towered over his small orchard. "Well, it’s been there a long time. My father probably planted it before I was born," replied the 82-year-old. I was helping Uncle Sam pick apples at his farm, aided by one of my wife’s older cousins and his three-year-old son. I climbed up the trees to reach the highest branches upon which no ladder could lean and shook vigorously, dropping the ripe gems to the ground. The little guy giggled and…

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A Forgotten Winemaking Past in Central New York

By Finger Lakes Correspondent Jason Feulner Wine is found in many interesting places, and sometimes it says more than we expect. Every 4th of July, my wife’s extended family on her father’s side has a large picnic at The Farm, referred to as such because it is the origin of her family’s history in Central New York. Just after the turn-of-the-century, the Sgroi family migrated to the Canastota, New York farm and took up a living as onion farmers, owing their trade to the muck lands that abound in the area.  The family’s language was Italian, and the first generation…

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