By Evan Dawson, Managing Editor
This is, by any measure, the down season in the Finger Lakes wine industry. Vines are hibernating, tourists are less numerous. But Damiani Wine Cellars on southeast Seneca Lake is hoping a weekend event will enliven the local scene.
This Sunday, from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, Damiani will host Wine, Swine, Dine. The free event combines wine tasting, food and local art.
"The farmers and artisan food crafters will have their goods available for sale, so the event will have a kind of farmer's market vibe," says Amy Cheatle, tasting room manager of Damiani Wine Cellars.
The food will come from Autumn's Harvest Farms, The Piggery, Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese, Queen Bee Confections, and Preliminaire Chocolat, among others.
Damiani recently opened a new tasting room and often features local artists. Christin Boggs' art will be on display, and it focuses on the local food movement.
Cheatle says fusion events like this one will only become more common in tasting rooms like Damiani's. She hopes the lack of an admission fee will help boost attendance on what might otherwise be a slow Sunday.