Once in a Blue Moon….the 25th Anniversary of Fox Run Vineyards!

Last night was the Glorious Garlic Festival Dinner - a celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Fox Run Vineyards. And what a celebration it was!  The weather couldn't have been more cooperative - 70's and low humidity - blue sky, blue lake and after dark, the blue moon overhead! We gathered in a big white tent at the top of the vineyard.

The all-locally-sourced menu featured glorious garlic delights by Chef Brud Holland.  Winemaker Peter Bell paired each course with one of his outstanding wines from Hedonia to Port, Riesling to Rose! Accompanied with music by the fabulous Gap Mangione, it was the perfect evening!

We had a little "bubbly" to get the celebration started. The 2011 Blanc de Blancs paired beautifully with various Finger Lakes artisan cheeses, house-made Riesling sausage, Verjooz pickled vegetables and of course, roasted garlic bulbs! Hedonia cocktails were also available.

Garlic and onion Tartlets on Remembrance Farm arugula accompanied by Fox Run Riesling vinaigrette paired easily with the 2011 Reserve Riesling.  This Riesling was sooo delicious - the quintessential Finger Lakes Riesling!

Next the trifecta - Autumn Harvest beef tenderloin, strip loin and brisket with roasted garlic spread, a delightful cherry balsamic drizzle and Church Street produce "little creamer" potatoes paired with the 2012 Lemberger. Perfect portions and cooked to perfection (not easy when you are serving 140 or so people!
Next was the delicate 2014 Rose of Pinot Noir with FLX Summer Caesar salad made with sunflower shoots, Reed Road Sweet corn, a creamy garlic dressing and garlic croutons.
Honey Cured, Smoked Rainbow Trout was the next course paired with the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay from the Kaiser Vineyard and last but not least dessert including, but not limited to, roasted garlic ice cream!

I apologize that I didn't take "food shots" but I did get the blue moon and Scott and Ruth (Fox Run owners) dancing.  I'm also sorry I didn't get a shot of Peter Bell dancing - he's so elusive! Is he in the background?

Congratulations to Scott and Ruth Osborn, and Albert and Kathy Zafonte, Fox Run's owners, Chef Brud Holland, Winemaker Peter Bell and the great staff who took care of everyone so wonderfully!  The evening was perfection!

The Burning of the Canes at Fox Run Vineyards!

We went to Fox Run Vineyards this past Saturday ( March 14 ) to attend the Burning of the Canes.  This symbolic event (accompanied by a feast) ushers Spring into the vineyard.  The canes that were pruned following the fall harvest are burned to celebrate the previous year's work and the upcoming year. With the mounds of snow from our historically below-average temperatures of February finally melting, bonfire pits to warm our outsides, and wonderful food by Chef Brud Holland to warm our insides, the event was just the right thing to chase away the winter blues. Great music by Rob and Gary accompanied the food as well as lots of Riesling -even hot mulled!

Let me take a minute to describe the food Brud Holland prepared.  There was the Wine Barrel Smoked Sausage that you could dunk in maple syrup or top with Brud's own outrageous mustards.  Check out the photo of the unique wine barrel smoker!  Accompaniments included pan-fried potatoes cooked on a special grilling table made by Sam Castner, homemade apple sauce, Potato Chowder with Lemburger Cheddar Croutons, marshmallows for roasting, hot chocolate, Mulled (Riesling) Wine, and Cayuga Creamery Salted Caramel and Marshmallow Ice Cream!

Fox Run owner Scott Osborn tells us that because there were no freezing/thawing events during February, the snow cover acted as an insulator, therefore reducing any negative impact on the vines.  Now if we can get through March and April without any temperature dips as the buds break, the vintage will be off to a good start.


I hope so because Winston is quickly becoming a wine connoisseur!

Glorious Garlic Festival at Fox Run Vineyards

Winston wishes he could taste the Hedonia wine we sampled at Fox Run Vineyards during their 22nd Annual Glorious Garlic Festival (August 2, and 3)  Either that or he is mad at us for not taking him!  But if we had, we never would have made it to the wine tasting tent and had a sit down tasting with Peter Bell, Winemaker extraodinaire.  We learned how the Chardonnay grape can produce two very different tasting wines.  First we sampled the Un-oaked Chardonnay which is aged in stainless steel tanks.  This produces a refreshing, crisp, light, fruit forward, dry wine that is very drinkable by itself on the deck or with food. Next we sampled the Reserve Chardonnay which is aged in French and American oak barrels to create that rich mouth feel and buttery, creamy wine that we love so much with seafood. Fox Run's Reserve Chardonnay is well balanced - no overpowering oak here.  Peter tells us that it is the malolactic fermentation that the Oaked Chardonnay goes through that coverts the malice acid (think green apple tartness) to lactic acid ( fuller mouth feel and buttery notes). That explains why the Un-oaked has the tartness and crispness (and is the same reason a Riesling or Gewurztraminer is crisp, tart and fruit-forward) - no malolactic fermentation! 

Next we tried the Hedonia.  This fortified wine occupies a unique niche. If you like Gewurztraminer, you will like this wine as it is made from the Traminette grape - relative of the Gewürztraminer grape.  Peter feels the best way to drink it is before dinner (as an aperitif) to wake up your taste buds. And simpler is better - on the rocks with a twist of orange.  Ways to mix it to create other cocktails are on the Fox Run website, but we really enjoyed sipping it alone and well chilled.  At 20% alcohol and with 9% residual sugar, it is delicious, serious and needs to be experienced!

Of course, there were many things garlic at the Garlic Festival, too.  Local garlic cheeses, pickles, sauces, and crafts along with the music of various bands.  A great way to spend a hot August weekend! 

We tired Winston out just talking about it!

(Think LLBean will want him as a poster child?)

2012 Tierce is here!

     What view from the deck at Red Newt Wine Cellars on  July 5th where the 2012 Tierce was released! Tierce began as the cooperative efforts of three Finger Lakes winemakers: Peter Bell of Fox Run, Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road and Dave Whiting of Red Newt in 2005. The "Tierce Brothers" have grown to encompass six winemakers now (and some are women)!  However the collaboration of the various winemakers from different locations on Seneca Lake is unique to wine regions of the world.

      Jim and I arrived as several other cars were pulling into the large parking lot behind the winery.  It was a gorgeous July night: low humidity, a cloudless sky, and a refreshing breeze. The tasting room doors and windows were open allowing the light breeze to keep everyone comfortable.  We were directed to begin the evening by sampling three favorite summer wines:  Anthony Road's Pinot Gris, Fox Run's Rosé Lemberger and Red Newt's Gewurtztraminer. We took our first sample of the crisp, light Pinot Gris out on the deck to enjoy the scenery of the southeast side of Seneca Lake. We also were able to sample the perfectly chilledPinot Lemberger, which I absolutely love.  We were just finishing the Gewurtztraminer with its lovely floral nose and lychee finish when we were called to the tasting room for the Tierce unveiling.

     Bob Madill introduced the featured speaker, Stewart Piggot.  Piggot began by discussing his new book, Best White Wines on Earth, and told of the metamorphous of people's views of Riesling and how other parts of the world have caught on to to the merits of Riesling.  Riesling is no longer associated with an over-the-top sweet wine, but can range from bone dry to a super sweet dessert wine.  And the Finger Lakes shines in Riesling production.   Next, the Tierce Brothers were introduced: Johannes Reinhardt, Peter Bell and Kelby Russell (from Red Newt).  Each discussed the nuances of their dry rieslings that went into the Tierce blend.  

      Jim and I were eager to try each ourselves, so when the speeches were over, we were poured a sample of each and we took them to the deck to taste. I don't have the best palate, so my impressions were:  Fox Run's flavors hit immediately and were the brightest, Red Newt's flavors developed slowly and pleasantly and were strongest in the middle. Anthony Road's citrus flavors started strong, faded a bit in the middle and then came back to finish with lingering vanilla or almond.  Jim felt Fox Run was the most flavorful and he enjoyed the balance of Anthony Road's as well.  He felt Fox Run and Red Newt's wines had slight petrol notes.  All were delightful and we wondered how they would be when  blended.

      Finally the Tierce was revealed, and we were amazed at the synergistic effect the three dry Rieslings had on each other.  I could taste Fox Run's initial flavor burst, Red Newt's citrus/mineral notes in the middle and Anthony Road's lingering vanilla notes at the end.  Truly this wine showcased the best of the three components.   

      As we finished our Tierce Dry Riesling, we asked Johannes Reinhardt about the possibility of another Tierce Red.  He said that the quality of the vintage will decide whether the winemakers get together to make a red blend like they did in 2007.  Who knows - 2010 was a really good year….

Travels to Oz Chapter 1

The sleet and snow pellets didn't stop us as we ventured out to visit favorite wineries yesterday. Yes it was April 21st! First stop - Fox Run Vineyards and Opus At Fox Run for a sandwich. Fox Run's former executive chef Heather Tompkins and Chelsey Madia opened their wildly successful Opus Expresso and Wine Bar in Geneva ( 486 Exchange St.) and, at the beginning of April, opened their second location in Fox Run's tasting room. Yay for all of us who eat there because the food is fantastic! Drooling over the unbelieveable sandwich and salad selection, we finally settled on a hot turkey and cranberry with asiago cheese on a wonderful nutty bread. Delicious!

Just as we placed our order, owners Scott and Ruth Osborn came over to say hi. We hadn't seen them in awhile, so we briefly caught up, then took our sandwiches and sat down to eat. As we were finishing, Scott came over, sat down and we discussed some of the new green plans he has for the winery. He invited us over to the tasting bar where we continued our conversation over several delicious wines. Ever the librarian, I mentioned to Scott that I just finished reading Evan Dawson's Summer in a Glass. (A must read by the way). Scott is part of the way through it, but he started with the chapters on his Winemaker Peter Bell and Assistant Winemaker Tricia Renshaw! Fox Run will host a book signing with Evan Dawson on June 4th.

We enjoyed tasting his award winning Rieslings, the Red Tierce and the White Tierce among others. We had a chance to sample the soon to be released Cab Franc Lemberger which is wonderful, so watch for it's release. (Here is the plug for joining wine clubs because you get first shot at new releases as well as limited productions such as the Blanc de Blanc we just received in our last shipment). We totally enjoyed our time at Fox Run with Scott. Where else but in the Finger Lakes can "average joe's" like us chat with the owner of one of the top 100 wineries in the world? We selected a couple of the Reserve Chardonnay, a Riesling and the Red Tierce to take home. (Red Tierce and the Ruby Port are almost sold out...) We will remember our afternoon at Fox Run as we savor the wines this summer.

Fox Run Happenings

I am sipping Fox Run's Dry Rose as I write this. It is the perfect dry wine, well chilled, on a warm evening! Which reminded me that Fox Run Vineyards has several events coming up. Most immediately is their 18th Annual Garlic Festival happening this weekend August 7th and 8th. This is a huge event with food, music, and of course wine! Also coming up are more Tapas Tastings. These are held Thursday evenings from 6-8 pm and cost $20 per person. Winemakers Peter Bell and Tricia Renshaw will discuss the wines and the food pairings. The upcoming dates are Aug 19, Sept 2, Sept 16 and Oct 7. These informal gatherings are a great experience because you get to meet the winemakers and chat about the wines you're drinking. And Executive Cheft Heather Tomkins and her staff always do a bang-up job with the food pairings. Hope to see you there!

The Competition Continues aka: Wine, Wine and More Wine

Jim set off early this gorgeous spring morning for Fox Run Vineyards. Apparently there were several bottles of wine that didn't make it to the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition a few weeks back due to shipping/receiving/customs problems. So 8 judges gathered at Fox Run and Jim volunteered to help pour and serve the wines to the judges. While I know he deeply regretted not sitting in his windowless cubical punching numbers all day for the fine folks on probation, he just had to make due with the stunning lake view, blue sky and glasses filled with delicious wines. Tough, I know! He dutifully reported back that about 100 bottles were judged. And he didn't spill a drop carrying the trays of filled glasses down into the barrel room. So rest assured that ALL wines submitted have now been judged. Don't forget the 10th annual Wine Auction and Dinner to benefit Camp Good days and Special Times on May 1 - there are still tickets available (visit www.campgooddays.org). At the dinner, you will be able to sample many of the award winning wines along with a delectable dinner!

Also coming up this weekend are the following events:

Damiani Wine Cellars are having a Pinot Noir Release Party in their tasting room Friday April 16th from 5:30 - 8:30. Additionally, enjoy the artwork of Pamela Drix on exhibit. Sounds like a great way to enjoy the sunset!

Winestock NY 2010 is going to be celebrated at 3 Brothers Winery on Saturday April 17th from noon to 6:00 pm. With Live music all day and food pairings, it sounds like fun. There is a $20/person cover charge.

So drink up, drink responsibly and enjoy!

Fox Run Vineyards Does It Again!

Where could you go to meet great people, learn about wine and food pairings, eat delicious foods, try wines and have a GREAT time? Why a winemaker’s dinner of course! And Ruth Osborn hosted a beautiful evening Saturday night at Fox Run Vineyards on Seneca Lake. If you have never had the chance to experience a winemaker’s dinner, I highly recommend it. The intimate setting where winemaker and chef explain their specialties and why they work so well together is second to none as a truly hands-on learning experience.
We joined about 30 other people at 6:00 sharp in the Lakeview Tasting Room where appetizers where offered with your choice of wine. Jim and I sampled crab brochette which was delicious, but according to the buzz, Executive Chef Heather Tompkins’ baked brie was the big hit! Next we were ushered into the restaurant dining room (it was too cold to eat in the barrel room) where tables in groups of 4-6 were elegantly set with red flower centerpieces on flowered tablecloths. Our dinner companions were winemaker Peter Bell and his wife, Joanna. As we discussed children in and out of college, the first course was served: seafood bouillabaisse (shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a saffron-tomato broth). WOW. This was paired with a wine-event exclusive: a delicious dry rose. Only 10 cases of this superb rose were bottled this year, so it is only available to wine club members (see the Fox Run website for details to become a club member). I savored every sip of the rose with the hope that next year more will be bottled. It was the perfect pairing with seafood.
Next we were served house-made crepes filled with Lively Run goat cheese, spinach and leeks topped with wine soaked cherries and hazelnuts. This was paired with the 2008 Riesling. I could have happily eaten this all night long! Heather, a true artist, explains that she starts out with a basic idea, then embellishes the recipe with her own inspirations. The wine soaked cherries were one of her additions on this dish and they just elevated the crepes to truly outstanding.
The main course was Beef Bourguignon (full of beef, root vegetables, mushrooms, and a rich wine gravy) served on a crusty baguette. The 2007 Meritage (rhymes with heritage) was an excellent pairing with the beef’s deep flavors.
And lastly, dessert was an outrageous red velvet cupcake with chocolate ganache and port caramel sauce. Paired perfectly with the Ruby Port, the bittersweet chocolate-frosted cupcake and wine combination was to die for!
Each course and wine pairing was described by Heather, Peter or Kelby Russell, intern extraordinaire to Peter Bell. It was interesting to find out that the wine pairing could be changed at the last minute as each course is taste-tested!
Thank-you Ruth, Peter, Heather, Kelby and all the staff at Fox Run for a fabulous evening and a very special way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Upcoming Wine Events at Fox Run and on Seneca Lake!

Something very special is happening at Fox Run Vineyards: Fox Run's Valentine's Dinner with the Winemaker on February 13th! Check out Fox Run's website http://www.foxrunvineyards.com/

because they have a link to my video post of last year's Wine maker's Dinner! I know that will convince you to attend! But seriously, the menu looks great. Heather Tomkins is the new Executive Chef at Fox Run and she is fabulous. It is a very special way to show your Valentine how much they mean to you! Join us - you won't be sorry.

Another Fox Run event coming up is a Winter Tasting on February 26 from 5:30 - 7:30. Heather will create 4 different taste treats to pair with Fox Run's wines. Peter Bell, Fox Run's winemaker, will be there to explain the wines that will be paired with Heather's delicious creations. Jim and I attended a tasting in the fall where Heather created such wonderful treats such as pumpkin hummus (paired with Reserve Chardonnay), roasted dates wrapped in bacon stuffed with Red Buddy (paired with Merlot) and fried cauliflower with green curry sauce (paired with Riesling). For this event (held near Halloween), it was optional to dress in costume. So Jim and I debated - should we dress up? What is no one else does? What can we"dress up" as that might also pass for normal clothes? We came up with Clark Kent and Lois Lane as you can see. Thank goodness because other than someone with a NY Yankees jersey on, no one else appeared to be wearing a costume! None-the-less, we had a great time eating, participating in the blind wine tasting/guessing the wine game and talking to fellow Fox Run wine lovers!

Also February 12-14, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail will be hosting their Chocolates and Wines at numerous wineries around the lake. You can order tickets to that event at this website: senecalakewine.com

All great fun events to warm you up on these long, cold winter days! See you there!

Fox Run's Valentine Dinner - Awesome!

Fox Run Vineyard's Harvest Winemakers Dinner

My loving husband, bless his soul, knew that the only way to help me come to grips with my monumental birthday was to wine and dine me! And he made a spectacular choice. Nothing could have been more perfect than our Harvest Winemakers Dinner at Fox Run Vineyards on November 1. You can see by the photo that it was an enchanting evening! From the picture perfect setting in the old wine making room to each course and glass of wine to the company, the evening was spectacular!

Jim and I entered the Fox Run Winery at 6:00 pm sharp and proceeded to the front wine tasting room facing Seneca Lake. Hors d'oeuvres abounded: crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, shrimp, cheese galore and more. You could sample any of the wines to go with them. We were approached by a gentleman who asked what wine we wanted to try and of course our first response was "Riesling" . He suggested the semi-dry as we were having the Dry Riesling with one of our dinner courses. We got chatting and the gentleman introduced himself to us as Peter Bell (the winemaker!!!) We had a great conversation about NY State wines, fun wine gatherings (especially our "Try the Tierce" party) and kids in college and otherwise. Then it was time to eat...

The group all went downstairs into the candle-lit Barrel Room and took our seats at the beautifully set long table (There were 30 of us). As we were taking our seats and chatting to the people around us, Peter came over and sat next to me! The owners of the winery, Scott and Ruth Osborn sat down at the other end of the table. Scott got up and introduced himself , his wife, Peter, executive Chef Frank Caravita and then spoke a little about the winery and the dinner and what to expect.

Peter then got up to tell about the first wine/food pairing:

Celery Root Soup with Bacon and Green Apple along with Fox Runs 2006 Chardonnay. Delicious! Our next course was a mixed Baby Green Salad topped with Fried Brie Cheese and Walnut Dressing. This was paired with their exquisite 2007 Dry Riesling. Course 3: Cheese Raviolis with Pumpkin and Sage Sauce paired with the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir. The fourth course was Roasted Pork Loin with Root Vegetables and Pear Chutney paired with the 2006 Lemberger (very much like a Shiraz) and finally dessert - Normandy Apple Tart paired with Tawny Port. PHEW! Everything was out of this world. In between courses, we had plenty of time to learn about how wine glasses influence the wine's taste, what good things are in wine that keep us healthy, what "umami" is (google it!) and mostly about the wonderful wines this winery produces (and has produced for the past 15 years). Fox Run has been chosen as one of the top 100 wineries in the world by Wine and Spirits Magazine and Peter Bell is considered one of the top 22 winemakers in the United States! This dinner is proof positive of why they are so successful.

After the dinner/feast we were able to purchase some wines, so we happily left with a bottle of 2006 Lemberger (which we have already enjoyed with Jim's famous smoked pulled pork) and a bottle of the 2005 Reserve Cab Franc that we will save for an occasion. We also had time to chat with the Scott and Ruth and let them know what a fantastic time we had at the dinner.

Fox Run will host another winemakers dinner in February (Valentine's Dinner) and Jim and I are already looking forward to it!

Conesus and Hemlock Lake Wineries, Deer Run and Eagle Crest

Wow, what an absolutely spectacular autumn day in upstate New York. And the perfect day to check out some wineries we have never been to before. Pack member Lorri and I had attended a wine-tasting fundraiser for AIDS a few weeks back and tried some wines from various wineries, one of which was Eagle Crest. So on this perfect fall day a few weeks back, Jim and I decided to go to the wineries themselves.














Deer Run Winery (http://www.deerrunwinery.com/), located on the west side of Conesus Lake was founded in 2002 by George and Joan Kuton. Their son, Scott has joined them as vineyard manager. The building used for wine production, tasting and other functions was finished in 2003. They currently offer 19 varieties of wine! Jim and I tried several wines and ended up bringing home the Chambourcin 2006 which is made from Noiret grapes and is peppery and dry ( .4% RS and a steal at $10.99 a bottle). We had it with pizza tonight and it stood up to the pepperoni quite well! We also bought their Cab Franc at $14.99 because Jim loves Cab Franc! We may have a Cab Franc blind tasting party, so need to gather some of these wines up. We are also going to take advantage of their special offerings such as their dinners and special tastings as they are only 30 miles/minutes south of us.

Eagle Crest Vineyards(http://www.eaglecrestvineyards.com/), located on the western shore of Hemlock Lake, has an unusual story. Founded in 1872 by Bishop Bernard McQuaid as O-Neh-Da Vineyard, they made sacramental alter wines for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. While they still make sacramental wines, under the current name of Eagle Crest (for the bald Eagles that nest in the Hemlock Lake area), they specialize in making pure grape wines from Finger Lakes grapes, using only natural grape sugars (no corn sweeteners or cane sugars).
We tried their dry wines: Hemlock Lake Red ($9.99) Cabernet Franc ($13.99), unoaked Chardonnay ($11.99), Riesling ($12.99), their semi dry- On-no-lee($8.99), Midnight Moon ($10.99) and their Solar Flare ($13.99 - a bargain) late harvest wine. They also offer Hemlock Lake White ($9.99), a dry blend of Seval and Vidal Blanc grapes, sweet wines: Diamond ($8.99)and Niagara ($7.99), and even sweeter Queen of Hearts($8.49), Yummy($8.99), and Concord ($8.99). We thought all the wines we tasted were very good and ended up taking the Solar Flare (thinking about having a dessert wine party) and the Hemlock Lake Red to have with pasta one of thee nights.. Eagle Crest uses screw tops on all their wines so you don't lose any wines to a bad cork. It also comes in handy when your wine puller broke like our Bully Hill one did this month after 25 years of pulling corks!

Stay tuned. Jim and I went to Fox Run's 5 course dinner with the wine maker last weekend to celebrate my birthday (OK, it's official, I'm OLD) and it was fabulous!