Posts Tagged“tastecamp”

From the Archives: TasteCamp 2009 — An Interview with Remy Charest

Editor’s Note: Every Thursday — call it Throwback Thursday if you’d like — I’ll pull a story from the more than a decade of NYCR stories and republish it. This week’s post is an interview I did with Remy Charest right after the first-ever TasteCamp — which was held right here on Long Island in almost seven years ago. Remy hasn’t missed a TasteCamp since and has become a vital cog in putting the event on as a permanent member of the planning committee. We announced this year’s TasteCamp earlier this week. I keep forgetting to mention that TasteCamp EAST 2009 was actually…

Announcing TasteCamp 2016: Vermont

The organizers of TasteCamp are proud to announce that the event will make it’s return this spring in Vermont on June 3-5, 2016. After visiting Long Island and the Finger Lakes, the Niagara Region, Virginia, Quebec and most recently the Hudson Valley, this weekend of regional discovery will focus on Vermont in search of great wine, but also of cider, beer and various food specialties. More than 35 bloggers and writers are expected for TasteCamp 2016: Vermont, which will provide participants with the usual mix of great meetings with producers, grand tastings, vineyard (and orchard) visits and, of course, one of the great traditions…

Terroir in Whiskey? Inside the Quest for Individuality at the Hudson Valley’s Hillrock Estate Distillery

It wasn’t yet midnight, but it was long past sunset in the peat marsh. Two men who looked like deep-sea divers were prepared to use their wetsuits for a new purpose: they would be diving for peat. The decayed vegetation is an attractive part of the process of making single-malt whiskey — it’s smoked, adding a classic aromatic texture the likes of which can be found in Lagavulin and Laphroaig — but there’s one problem. The New York State Department of Environmental Conversation protects the marshlands, so the peat can’t be extracted legally. That’s why the men were prepared to…

Top 10 Tastes from TasteCamp 2014: Hudson Valley

With TasteCamp 2014 in my rearview mirror, I’ve spent some time considering event — what we tasted, who we talked to and what they said — and while I’m not typically the biggest fan of “Top 10”-style writing, I think my iinitial thoughts lend themselves to the format, so that’s what we’re going with. More generally, the event couldn’t have gone better. My c0-host for this year’s event, Carlo DeVito of Hudson-Chatham Winery  (make sure you try his Chelois and Baco lineup), worked his tail off to put together an event that truly immersed our group of 20 writers in the…

TasteCamp 2014: Hudson Valley Kicks of Drink Local Wine Week 2014

Tomorrow morning, I head up to the Hudson River Region of New York’s wine country to take care of some final preparations for this year’s TasetCamp event, presented by Drink Local Wine (DLW). This weekend, nearly two dozen writers will join me as we immerse ourselves in the Hudson Valley’s wine, spirits, cider and beer communities through a series of tastings, visits and discussions. I look forward to tasting some of my favorite local libations again, but also to making new discoveries. That’s the fun part. But TasteCamp is really just the beginning — the beginning of “Drink Local Wine Week…

TasteCamp 2014 Invites Writers to Explore Hudson River Valley Wine Country

Today, I’m thrilled to announce that our TasteCamp will take place October 10-12, 2014 and that we’re bringing it back to New York — in the Hudson River Region. Somewhat sandwiched between New York’s two most prominent fine wine regions, the Hudson River Region doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. Historically, the region has been known for the types of sweet, hybrid grape-based wines that appeal to tourists rather than fine wine lovers, but over the past decade that’s changed significantly. Hybrids are still quite common, but through improved viticultural and cellar practices, quality has never been better. And,…

Surprised by “Little Burgundy” at TasteCamp: Ankida Ridge

When I visit a new wine region for the first time, I’m most interested in trying the signature wines of that region –– the grapes that grow best and are considered most suited to the terroir. I don’t make a habit of seeking out the stuff I drink back home. But if I see it, I simply can’t resist trying it. Especially if it’s pinot. Nothing gets winemakers and wine lovers waxing poetic like pinot noir. Sweeping generalizations, clichéd metaphors about women and sex, and cool-climate superiority complexes abound, and it’s easy to forget that as haunting and beautiful and…

Scenes from TasteCamp 2012 Virginia

TasteCamp 2012 is now in the rear-view mirror. So as I ponder the stories told and the wines tasted, I wanted to share some of the highlights from the weekend event with a handful of pictures. I’d like to thank all of the wineries that poured for us and all of the winemakers and winery owners who took the time to share their corners of Virginia wine country with the group.

TasteCamp 2012 in Northern Virginia is Just Around the Corner

The organizers of TasteCamp are gearing up for an exciting weekend of wine discovery that will bring some 40 bloggers and writers from all over the United States and Canada to Loudoun County and Northern Virginia, May 4-6, 2012. The program for the weekend has steadily taking shape over the past few weeks, with some great additions to the three-day experience now confirmed. A Great Finish at Linden The weekend’s final vineyard visit, on Sunday morning, will almost be worth the trip in itself:Linden Vineyards. As Jancis Robinson put it in a recent article in the Financial Times: “A key figure…

Announcing TasteCamp 2012 Northern Virginia (May 4-6)

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor The organizers of TasteCamp are proud to announce that after exploring the regions of Long Island, the Finger Lakes and Niagara (U.S. and Canada), the event will hold its fourth edition in Northern Virginia wine country on May 4-6, 2012. Several important partners and sponsors have confirmed their participation and are working together to create an exceptional opportunity to discover the very best that Virginia wine has to offer. The 2012 program will feature the combination of vineyard visits, grand tastings, conversations with winemakers and camaraderie that has made the event so successful over the…