Take the Chill Off

You already know that I'm interested in supporting products from New York State. So when I heard that there was a distillery in New York making whiskey, bourbon, rye, and vodka,

I was interested in finding out more. I wasn't having too much luck finding out where it was, so when we stopped at Hudson-Chatham Winery one day to pick up some wine for Vonadeau, I asked Carlo if he knew of the distillery. Of course he did

and gave us the website for Tuthilltown Distillery, where I went as soon as I had the chance and got Ralph Erenzo's number.

Ralph is one of the partners at Tuthilltown Spirits in Gardiner, New York,





where the distillers are bringing back traditional bath-distilled spirits,



an exciting development.

I called Ralph and explained to him that I have a small wine and spirits shop in upstate New York and was interested in his spirits. Ralph and I talked for awhile, and he encouraged me to come to the distillery for a tour.




So Richard and I decided to take a long weekend in August to go to the Hudson Valley Region to meet with Ralph and also visit a few of the wineries in the area.

We stayed at a wonderful B&B called The Inn at Twaalfskill, the perfect place for a summer weekend.





When we arrived at the distillery, Ralph took us on a tour and introduced us to the team members who were there. Everyone was accommodating and pleasant; their enthusiasm was infectious.

Ralph showed us all around and explained how everything is done all the way from gathering the grain, distilling the spirits,



to the bottling and labeling.

Affixing the Label

Of course last but not least came the tasting! Ralph poured generous samples of their spirits, and we greedily drank them all! We bought a mixed case of bourbon, whiskey, and rye to start off with in the shop and have had to replenished our inventory a couple of times since.

HUDSON BABY BOURBON is the first bourbon whiskey to be distilled in New York.

This single grain bourbon is made from 100% New York corn and aged in special small American Oak barrels.

This unique aging process produces a mildly sweet, smooth spirit with hints of vanilla and caramel. The BABY is Tuthilltown’s first whiskey and the first legal pot-distilled whiskey made in New York since prohibition.

BABY BOURBON is a perfect introduction to aged whiskey spirits. It is mild and friendly, bright to the tongue and warming all the way down. Perfect for a cold winter's night,



it would make a delicious and unique present for your Valentine.

Each bottle is hand waxed and numbered.



It is a true American classic.

The BABY is their most sought after spirit and is just one of the spirits you can sample if you

join us at the shop on Saturday, February 6th from 3:30-6:30pm.

Jason Santora will be more than happy to pour you the different samples to sip, savor, and enjoy!

Join the Hunt

Good things come to those who wait!

I first met Joyce Hunt, who with her husband Art, owns the beautiful Hunt Country Vineyards in the Finger Lakes,





when she was going around with Bill Blake, my sales distributor from Empire Merchants.

Bill has done two tastings at the store. One was for the Grand Opening, and the other was the Holiday Tasting the weekend before Christmas. (This way you can put a face with the name so I don't have to go on and on about how wonderful he is because you will already know.)

Hunt Country Vineyards is a true farm winery, family owned and managed,




where they produce an entire range of wines from 100% New York State grapes.

I asked Joyce if Hunt Country would be interested in doing a tasting sometime. She said yes, but it would probably be in the winter when they aren't as busy at the vineyard. So I was very excited when Joyce called me Friday night to schedule a tasting at the store.

Richard and I tasted some of Joyce's wine when we visited Hunt Country a couple of years ago, and I have stocked it in the store since it opened.

But when Joyce stopped in in April, she had a few different wines for us to sample. These new wines had just been released.





One of these wines, which I especially like, has an interesting name.

One of the aims of the mystical medieval science of Alchemy was the discovery of the elixir of longevity. This wine - named Alchemy - is a delicious blend of 35% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 21% Noiret, and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Come to the tasting, which is scheduled for Friday, January 29th from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

and discover the magic of Hunt Country Alchemy - a rich, velvety and dry red wine - all 100% Finger Lakes - with black cherry notes, subtle oak and hints of spice. It's a smooth blend of Old World and New World grape varieties, which you can enjoy it with a wide range of hardy meat dishes, rich cheeses, and tomato-based dishes, like spaghetti and meatballs or your favorite Super Bowl chili.

This interesting wine retails for $16.43, but if you come in on the 29th to taste it, you will get 10% off.

Joyce's son Jonathan, who is the director of winemaking at the vineyard, will be pouring.

Caroline, Jonathan, Joyce, and Art Hunt

Stop by and meet Jonathan. Let him pour you a taste of some Hunt Country Vineyards' wines, including Alchemy, and answer all your questions.

I hope you can join us on January 29th.

"Recovering"

I had shoulder surgery on Monday so I'm sorry to say that my blog isn't completed for this week.
Hopefully as things improve; I will have a new one posted next week.
Thank you for checking.

Wine "Pearing"

Here we are my second attempt at adding to my blog!



Since we did a local red wine last week, I thought we would do a local white wine this week.

Victoria made the decision easy for me because when we were working on the blog last weekend, she mentioned that she needed to come by the shop to get a bottle of a white wine she had at one of my tastings. She thinks it will be great with a pork dish that she makes, Roasted Pork Loin with Juniper and Herbs from Melissa Clark's cookbook, Chef Interrupted.

This white wine is made by Brookview Station Winery




and is called Oh What a Pear!




Another comment a customer made about this particular wine is it would make a nice wedding gift because of the name...which had never crossed my mind until then. Think about "pearing" it with some wine glasses.





Or some fabulous Harry & David Royal Riviera Pears.

A sign of elegance and luxury, Pear Wine was a favorite of ancient Rome. Now, as fruit wines are coming back into fashion, Oh What a Pear! is Brookview Station Winery's Hudson Valley twist on the ancient Roman favorite. A very pleasant semi-dry wine that's refreshing, light, and fruity, this wine "pears" nicely with cheeses, light dishes, and, I am sure, roast pork. This wine retails for $15.99. Mention that you saw it on my blog and receive 10% off.

Happy New Year!

My friend Victoria Carr suggested that I start a blog for my store, Vonadeau, in Berlin, New York.



Even though I thought it was a great idea, I told her I would look into it and try to see if I could figure out how to do it.

Well, that didn't go far with Victoria. She said she would be happy to help me set it up and get started. We set a date and got together to work on it. So now that the holidays are over, and things aren't as hectic, here we go.

Hudson-Chatham Winery in Chatham, New York, is owned by Dominique and Carlo DeVito.



Dominique and Carlo are wonderful people, who make a number of very nice wines.





Dominique has done two tastings at Vonadeau




and has poured most of their lovely wines for us to sample.

The most recent wine Dominique and Carlo bottled was in November - their 2008 Baco Noir Reserve.




The Baco Noir is hand-picked from a select block of Steve Casscles's 15-year-old vines, which are grown along the Hudson River in Athens, New York. The 2008 growing season was good, and the grapes were harvested at peak flavor. The wine was aged in French oak for nearly a year.

This Baco Noir is rich and flavorful with deep cherry flavors and hints of plum and vanilla. It's a luscious, fruit-forward wine that can be enjoyed now or cellared for a few years. Not only does this Baco Noir pair very nicely with red meats, it is also delicious with poultry. We enjoyed a bottle with Thanksgiving dinner but don't forget about chicken, duck, and Richard's favorite – grouse. It also pairs well with appetizers. This wonderful bottle of wine sells for $20.95.

You can find out more about Hudson Chatham Wines by going to their website or, even better, stopping in at the winery in Ghent, New York, for a visit,



in which case you can say hi to Dominique and check out the other goodies available there.

In the meantime, I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!