Posts Tagged“hudson valley”

New Kid on the Block, Bruno and Rafael Winery

For many people wine is just another item on their supermarket shopping list, a gallon of milk, a liter of soda, Coke or Sprite, some wine red or white. True, not so in New York which is one of the 15 states that still doesn’t allow supermarket wine sales, which by the way account for about 42% of all wines sales in the U.S.  And certainly not so for wine geeks like me.  Or Bob from Sonoma and Bruno Alterescu who I met today at Bruno’s new winery in Marlboro, NY. For us the wine experience is something to be…

Weekly New York Wine News — June 15, 2015

Seyval blanc at Hudson-Chatham Winery’s Estate Vineyard Cider in the streets, whiskey at the farm, and wine up on the roof in this week’s New York Cork Report local beverage notes section. NEWS Henrietta Post – 6/5/2015 Blue Toad hard cider takes up new residence in an historic railroad car in Victor, NY. Fort Green Focus – 6/10/2015 Winery in the Brooklyn Navy yard takes rooftop gardening to a new level with top floor terroir. Cornell Extension – 6/4/2015 Good bud survival rates after a very cold winter negated by late spring freeze damage in the Thousand Islands. Dan’s Papers – 6/14/2015 Biking wine and brew…

On the Shawangunk Wine Trail, a Visit to Whitecliff

For all the wine I have enjoyed, which by any measure is quite a lot, I have visited surprisingly few vineyards. A few in Italy, one or two in California, some in Virginia and New Jersey. But, that has all changed since I took on the Hudson Valley Beat at the New York Cork Report. In fewer than three months I’ve visited four and there are many more on the calendar. For the first three I arrived with an appointment, a planned interview, A reporter’s tour. On this most recent visit, I decided to go undercover, as an everyday consumer off the street.…

Benmarl Winery, Very Ready for the Next Ten Years

Matthew Spaccarelli of Benmarl Winery Matthew Spaccarelli speaks with the cautious optimism of a man who feels confident about what’s ahead on the sea of life. Knowing the risks and prepared to seize the opportunities. It has been ten years since he and his father, Victor, took ownership of Benmarl and five since he fully assumed the helm and for that matter engine room, as general manager and winemaker, of this storied Hudson Valley winery. Matt wonders about the claim that Benmarl is the America’s oldest winery, it may or may not be true, nevertheless he is very happy to be working lands…

Palaia Vineyards is a Family Affair, Where Wine and Celebration are a Way of Life

Jan Palaggi from Palaia Vineyards They say wine, women and song are inseparable. Add a few good men and we have the family affair of Palaia Vineyards in Highland Mills, NY. I just visited with Jan Palaggi, self-proclaimed queen of the operation that she and her husband Joseph founded thirteen years ago. We explored the property, winery and event spaces and tasted some wines. Before sharing my impressions of the wine let me say that while making great juice is a big part of the Palaia family tradition, music, good food and festive events are too. Together they make a delightful experience to…

Weekly New York Wine News — March 16, 2015

The lineup at Southold Farm + Cellar’s En Primeur 2015 last weekend. NEWS Albany Times Union – 3/10/2015 New Bill supports Empire Wine sales and seeks to curb the power of the State Liquor Authority. Press & Sun-Bulletin – 3/11/2015 Adult beverages sold for the first time at the Spiedie Fest in Binghamton with a specially dedicated tent to taste NY products. The Vinguard – 3/13/2015 Long Island is rolling with acres of vineyards – this piece lauds the region as grown up and making sophisticated wines. Stuart Pigott – Rielsing Global – 3/14/2015 Author of THE BEST WHITE WINE ON EARTH…

Weekly New York Wine News — February 9, 2015

NEWS Observer Review – 2/3/2015 -A group of more than 100 area businesses has written a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in opposition of Crestwood’s proposed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage project in salt caverns along Seneca Lake. Examiner.com – 2/5/2015 The Shawangunk Wine Trail announced the new “Hudson Valley Wine Tasting Passport” that covers each of the Trail’s 14 members wineries. The Telegram – 2/6/2015 Winemakers experimenting with native grapes yield interesting results. “I recently tasted the Cuvée d’Amour 2011 from the Dr. Konstantin Frank winery in the Finger Lakes region of New York, which is made from their own…

Corin Hirsch to Cover the Hudson River Valley for NYCR

Today I’m happy to announce that Corin Hirsch, a writer and beverage lover I met a few years ago at TasteCamp, has joined the NYCR team. Corin is an enthusiastic drinker, a history geek, and a freshly minted resident of the Hudson Valley, though she grew up in a cul-de-sac on Long Island. Before she joined the white-collar ranks, she worked as a used book buyer, hot-dog-hawker, sandwich maker, and barmaid, the last at a 16th-century pub in rural England. She’s spent almost her entire professional life in publishing — as a reporter, editor, designer, and art director. For the…

Weekly New York Wine News — January 26, 2015

NEWS Steuben Courier Advocate – 1/20/2015 New York Wine organizations receive grants totaling nearly $1 Million in to help promote the region, build infrastructure, and support the Wine Bloggers Conference 2015 to be held in Corning, NY. Wine Business – 1/20/2015 Stephanie Jarvis Named Marketing Manager for Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cornell Daily Sun – 1/21/2015 The Scientist: Prof. Bruce Reisch Develops New Grape Varieties – cold climate grape breeding continues to bring new options to northern vineyards. Finger Lakes Wine Alliance – 1/21/2015 The Finger Lakes Wine Alliance Board of Directors are proud to announce the hiring of Julie Caplan…