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!

Vertical Pinnacle Tasting at Standing Stone Vineyards

Jim is looking happy here even though it is 90 degrees in the shade! We had a great time at the Pinnacle Vertical tasting at Standing Stone a few weeks back. (Note winery owner Marti Macinski in the background). Pinnacle is a blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot. It started with 80%

Cab Sav, but now is 90% Cab Sav and since 2000 all the grapes used in the Pinnacle are grown at Standing Stone.


Marti gave us the history of each vintage we tasted of the Pinnacle - '95,'03,'05,'06 and '07. 1995 was a good year - hot and dry, 2003 was wet and cool ( like this year?), in 2005 there weren't many reds available because in the winter of 2004 the temperature went from 67 degrees on Jan. 6th to -10 degrees on Jan 10th killing many of the vines. The 2006 vintage is ready to drink now and the 2007 was just bottled last month and has not yet been released. We had wonderful food pairings - olive bread and spreads, duck, sausage. Overall a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We left with several bottles of their 2005 Pinnacle and a Chardonnay Ice Wine. Here are some upcoming verticals at Standing Stone.

UPCOMING VERTICAL TASTINGS
at STANDING STONE VINEYARDS



September 6, 2009 2-4 pm: Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon



October 4, 2009: Merlot



Cost: $20 per person, call to make a reservation
Standing Stone Vineyards9934 Route 414Hector, NY 14841 (607) 582-6051www.standingstonewines.com