On the Road with the Grape Guy
Report from - Finger Lakes Wine Festival July 21, 2007
08 Aug 2007- Details
- Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
The Finger Lakes … an area loaded with summer homes and cottages, beautiful scenery and I don’t know how many wineries (it seemed like there was a winery on every corner). It’s also home to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival, held every July, and as the Irish Rovers are apt to say “Wasn’t That a Party!” My count from the official “Tasters Guide” puts the number in wineries in attendance at 98, plus the food venders, wine paraphernalia vendors and kitsch vendors … that’s a lot of booths and a lot of things to do; no wonder they sell three day passes to this event. The event itself is held at the Watkins Glen International Race Track, and it’s a good thing too, because they need all the space they can get. Three long tents house the wineries and a majority of wine related booths … the rest are outside the tent encircling the main area. There is also a seminar area where you can rest, relax and learn … I stopped in for a wonderful chocolate and wine presentation (and I’m not just saying that because I knew the presenter). We like to slag our neighbours to the south as loud, obnoxious and, in wine circles, we blame them for their predominantly sweet palate, but they sure do know how to put on a wine festival that: 1) everyone wants to attend and 2) all the wineries want to participate in … I’ll have more on that in an upcoming newsletter, but suffice it to say the liquor laws and the regulation of sales, aren’t governed by a lone monopoly who holds all the power.
So what were the highlights and my comments from the festival? In no particular order here they are: ... (Read more)
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