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Surrounded by nothing but untouched nature, you can get away from it all while roughing it in high style. Just don't call it glamping.]]>
Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.
Make sure to step over the cat when you walk into Chateau LaFayette Reneau. This winery, on the east side of Seneca Lake, keeps things rustic with its tasting room in a converted barn and its famous-for-Upstate feline mascot.
Like many vineyards in the area, Reneau levies a tasting fee of $4, but you'll get to keep the glass--and you get to try up to 12 wines. (Or more! On our recent stop, they let us sample all 20 offerings.)
After your epic flight of Rieslings and Chardonnays, stake out a spot on the back porch and unroll your picnic supplies. If you'd like to linger longer, there's also an inn on the property.
Related Stories:
· Chateau LaFayette Reneau [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: FLWR]]]>
Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.
No real trek through the Upstate wine country is complete without a stop at Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. It's a bit of a drive to get there, but if it weren't for Dr. Frank, there might not be Finger Lakes wine.
Growing up in the Ukraine, the doctor studied methods to grow high-quality vinifera grapes (think Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Riesling) in colder climates. When he later moved to the Finger Lakes, his winery, started in 1962, was the first to grow these European varieties in the area--and the first to prove it could be done.
After Dr. Frank passed away in 1985, his family took over, continuing the production of top quality wines. You'll also find some more esoteric stuff here, like Rkatsiteli (a white), Fleur de Pinot Noir (a non-vintage red) and a Blanc de Blancs (a Champagne-style bubbly).
Related Stories:
· Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: Dr. Frank's]]]>
Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.
Despite the name, not all the wineries in this region actually overlook lakes, and the best of that bunch is undoubtedly Six Mile Creek. Just a 7-minute drive from downtown Ithaca, the winery is almost urban in its setting at the south end of Cayuga Lake.
Owners Nancy and Roger Battistella opened their vineyard in 1987, focusing on small yields and the local microclimate. Unlike many of the other wineries north of Six Mile Creek, where the deep lake provides a moderating influence, the growing season is particularly short in Ithaca. Because of that only white wine grapes are grown on-site.
That said, all the vinification and bottling happens here, and thanks to the Battistella's use of grapes from other regions, the reds are some of the best made in the Finger Lakes. Particularly interesting is Quintessence, a blend that varies in composition from vintage to vintage. Also distinctive is Six Mile Creek's grappa--though it's not for the faint of heart!
Related Stories:
· Six Mile Creek [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: doctor paradox]]]>
Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.
Unlike many of the wineries on Seneca Lake, Villa Bellangelo sits a little bit off Highway 14. We actually drove right past it, but after whipping a quick U-turn, we realized that there's a big sign marking the drive.
Bellangelo rocks an Italian vibe, complete with a Vespa on the porch of the tasting room. The theme continues in the wines, which are mostly dry. You'll find plenty of crisp whites--we liked the stainless steel-aged Chardonnay--and an atypical-for-the-region Sangiovese. (That's the same grape Italians use in Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.)
Perhaps the biggest surprise at Bellangelo, though, isn't the wine on offer. The tasting room has free WiFi and plenty of seating, making it a great spot for checking in with the office while enjoying a glass of wine and a sweeping view of the lake.
Related Stories:
· Villa Bellangelo [Official Site]
· Upstate NY Travel Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: Villa Bellangelo]]]>
Ice wines are to Niagara Falls what margaritas are to Mexico. Both elixirs are so tart, they mask their high alcohol content. And it doesn't look like the residents of either place mind being fooled.
Though they sound chilly, ice wines are a nice way to warm up in the tundra of Upstate New York this season. The wine is prepared by picking frozen grapes, which retain higher sugar and flavor concentrations. This practice helps wineries, er, squeeze, another season out of their vineyards during the winter months.
In January, Niagara Falls celebrates its domination of the ice wine industry by hosting the Niagara Icewine Festival. Though technically the event is on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, New Yorkers can cross the Peace or Rainbow bridges and still glimpse home across the river while touring along the waterfront Ontario wine trail.
The festival runs January 18-27, 2008. Wineries build ice bars and frozen art exhibits and roast chestnuts for the event. Sometimes gimmicks are fun and should be embraced. And in Upstate winters, we take any fun we can find.
Related Stories:
· Niagara Ice Wine Festival [Official Site]
· Upstate NY Travel Map [Jaunted]
· Niagara Falls Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo: vivianh]]]>
As the weather grows colder, we start loosening our definition of "fun" outdoor activities. Today's pick: ice fishing in New York.
But be warned: As doomsday predictions of balmy Northern winters become a reality, lakes aren't freezing hard enough. Unless bone-chilling temperatures set in soon, the thick layer of ice needed to sustain ice fishing shacks and burly men may not form.
Things are so bad that organizers have already canceled the annual Crappie Derby in February, New York's largest ice fishing competition that usually happens on Whitney Point Lake, near Binghamton. (Funny, we'd call any event requiring us to sit on a frozen lake all day crappy, too.)
So far, it looks like the most reliable place to plan an ice fishing trip will be the northern heights of the Adirondack Mountains in what is really the upstate of Upstate New York. Lake Pleasant is shallow and at elevation, meaning it forms ice easily. And it's stockpiled with brown and rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, walleyes, pickerel, lake whitefish and yellow perch. Sushi on ice, anyone?
Related Stories:
· Ice Fishing Becomes Endangered [NY Times]
· Upstate NY Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Mancations coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: 416style]]]>