Cayuga Ridge Estate Joins Bubbly!

We just received word that Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery is going to pour its hugely popular Cranberry Frost at our Bubbly! tasting event on Saturday, February 20th.  There are now sixteen wineries and one distillery participating. 

Tickets are still available for $40 per person or $75 per couple.

Click here to order Bubbly! tickets.

10 Ways to a Sexy Hotel Room

Just came across this post on the Budget Travel Blog and had to repost it for others as well.  Many of you will be traveling to Finger Lakes Wine Country this weekend for a romantic getaway (or even a Winter Wine Weekend) that might include a wine trail event, dinner, and time spent reconnecting in the evening.

Click here to read "10 Ways to a Sexy Hotel Room".  Would love to hear if you found any of these tips helpful or if some were left off.

*The above picture was taken inside a room at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel on Seneca Lake.

What is your Finger Lakes Love Story?

To celebrate Valentine's Day next Sunday we are looking for a few great Finger Lakes love stories.  Did you get engaged at the base of a waterfall, get married at a winery, enjoy a first kiss along the Chemung River, celebrate a 50 year anniversary at a charming bed and breakfast, or fall in love along the shores of Seneca Lake?

Share your love story here or on our Facebook fanpage until Wednesday, February 10th at 5PM EST.  The Finger Lakes Wine Country office will select its three favorite stories for a public poll starting on Wednesday evening and continuing until February 14th.  The winning love story will receive a Finger Lakes Bubbly Box featuring sparkling wines from Glenora Wine Cellars, Chateau Frank, Lucas Vineyards, Goose Watch Winery and a glass heart paperweight from The Corning Museum of Glass.  In addition, the winning story will be featured on the Finger Lakes Wine Country website.
 
Best of luck and thank you for sharing your stories...

Nachos and Wine for Sunday's Super Bowl

This recipe appeared in my local paper (Ryan King, Associated Press) and I thought I would share it with some Finger Lakes wine recommendations too.

Beef and Bean Layered Nachos

For the nachos:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 gloves garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
14 ounce can black beans
1 pound bag tortilla chips
3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
6 scallions, chopped
3 medium tomaotes, cored and diced
15 ounce can pitted olives, sliced
1/4 cup jarred jalapeno slices

For the guacamole:

3 avocados, pitted and skinned
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saute pan over medium-high, heat the oil.  Add the onion, then saute until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.  Add the garlic, beef, paprika, chili powder, and oregano.  Saute for about seven minutes, then add the beans and set aside.

On a rimmed baking sheet, arange half of the tortilla chips in a single layer.  Top with half each of the cheese, scallions, tomatoes, olives, jalaponenos, and beef mixture.  top with a second layer of tortilla chips, then repeat layering with remaining topping ingredients.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the avocados, lemon juice, olive oil, sour cream.  Use a potato masher to mash the ingredients until chunky smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the nachos are done, sprinkle with cilantro, then serve with guacamole.

Wine Pairing Recommendations

Pair this spicy nacho dish with a few full-bodied reds like Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc or Syrah.

Heron Hill 2007 Blaufrankisch
Glenora 2007 Syrah
Fox Run 2006 Cabernet Franc
Hazlitt 1852 2007 Cabernet Franc
Rooster Hill Cabernet Franc / Lemberger
Shaw Vineyard 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Country Insider February 5-7

This upcoming weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country is full of fun and interesting things to do. Listen to our 15 minute "WIne Country Insider" podcast with Christina, Morgen and Teresa giving you some insider news on what is happening in Wine Country this weekend. 

Click to listen or listen in the player below:



Here are the links from this morning's "Wine Country Insider":

Polar Passport along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Vino Visa along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail
Make Your Own Glass Heart at The Corning Museum of Glass
First Friday at Rockwell Museum of Western Art
Gallery Hop along Market Street
Mardi Gras at the Village Tavern Inn
Town of Hammondsport
Drink Pink at Dr.Frank's Wine Cellars

Want to see all 26 special events happening this weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country? Search through our event calendar now and search by date, type of event, region, and price.  Learn more about the wine sales events that Christina mentioned.

On the Road to Washington DC

Our office is busy.  Extremely busy.  We are busy promoting Winter Wine Weekends (the stay 2 nights, get the 3rd night free deal at 27 participating accommodations), the Valentine's Day Weekend wine trail events (Tastes and Truffles along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, Chocolate and Wine along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, and Mardi Gras along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.)  February is also Sparkling Wine Month in the Finger Lakes and we have the special FLX Bubbly Box for sale, a live Twitter tasting on February 17, and the first-ever Bubbly! tasting event on Saturday, February 20.

In addition, we do some traveling around the country to help spread the word about Finger Lakes Wine Country.  Last month we exhibited at the Boston Wine Expo and over the Valentine's Day Weekend, Christina, from our office, and eight other partners will be going to the Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival to pour wine and promote the region.    If you live in the Washington DC area, attend the event and stop by our pavilion to say hi.  Take a peek as to who is attending.

See everyone in 2010 somewhere in Finger Lakes Wine Country!

A Big Welcome to the New Addition at FLWC!

We are thrilled to announce that Teresa Degarmo has joined the Finger Lakes Wine Country team.  If you call our office at 800-813-2958 you just might get to talk to her.  Teresa grew up in the area and she is excited to share her love of FLWC with future and past visitors.  Cheers!

Some of America's Best Sparkling Wines are Produced in Finger Lakes Wine Country

February is Sparkling Wine Month in Finger Lakes Wine Country and all month we are celebrating bubbly wine with special podcasts, blog posts, live Twitter Taste Live tastings all culminating with the Bubbly! tasting event on Saturday, February 20 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel.

Enjoy this 15 minutes podcast with Fred Frank, president of Chateau Frank and Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, and learn more about the history of sparkling wine in the Finger Lakes and how is sparkling wine made.  One of our most fascinating interviews to date...

Listen to Flx Wine Country on Blog Talk Radio

Order Your Finger Lakes Wine Country Bubbly Box Now!

We are excited to announce a new partnership with BacchusWineOnline, a progessive wine retailer in Rochester, NY.  Each month we will feature wines from Finger Lakes Wine Country that will be available for purchase online through Bacchus's website or in person at the Bacchus store in Rochester.  In addition, each month the wines will have a special theme and an opportunity to taste and tweet with wine bloggers and the winemakers of these wines through Twitter Taste Live.

To kick-off the program in February, we are celebrating with a special focus on Finger Lakes sparkling wine.  The featured wines and wineries are:

2002 Blanc de Blancs ~ Chateau Frank (Keuka Lake)
Pinot Noir Brut Rosé ~ Goose Watch (Cayuga Lake)
2002 Brut ~ Glenora Wine Cellars (Seneca Lake)
NV Extra Dry Cayuga White ~ Lucas Vineyards (Cayuga Lake) 

You can order all four of these wines in the special "FLX Bubbly Box" for $80.26 plus tax and shipping. 

For those who are on Twitter, join us on Wednesday, February 17 at 8PM on Twitter Taste Live to taste and tweet with the winemakers of these wines.  Lenn Thompson of the NY Cork Report will be moderating this twitter tasting.  When tweeting that evening use #flxwine so everyone can follow.  You will also want to follow Lenn on Twitter and Morgen McLaughlin, president of Finger Lakes Wine Country as well.

Also to continue our love of FLX Bubbly, we are hosting on Saturday, February 20 from 6-9PM in the ballroom at the Watkins Glen Harbor Harbor Hotel Bubbly! the Finger Lakes Sparkling Wine Party.  This first of its kind tasting event will feature fifteen Finger Lakes sparkling wine producers and one distillery serving sparkling wine cocktails.  Tickets are only $40 per person or $75 per couple and includes appetizers and desserts.

Finally, various restaurants and wine bars will be featuring special FLX sparkling wine promotions like the Starlite Room in Elmira offering sparkling wine cocktails.

Here is a toast to February and Finger Lakes sparkling wine!

Wine Country Insider January 29-31

This upcoming weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country is full of fun and interesting things to do.  Listen to our 15 minute "WIne Country Insider" podcast with Christina and Morgen giving you some insider news on what is happening in Wine Country this weekend.

Click hear to listen.

Here are the links mentioned in this week's podcast::

Elmira Jackals Hockey
Make Your Own Glass Heart at The Corning Museum of Glass
Free Sundays at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art
Polar Passport along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Feast & Fest at Glenora Wine Cellars
Robbie Burns Day at McGregor Vineyards
Between the Lakes Party
Chili Cookoff at Knapp Winery and Vineyard Restaurant
Truffles and Tastes along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail
Chocolate and Wine along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Mardi Gras along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

Want to see all 23 special events happening this weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country?   Search through our event calendar now.

Stay another day with a Winter Wine Weekend package to enjoy all the many things to experience.

February is Full of Romance, Chocolate and Sparkling Wine

In Finger Lakes Wine Country February is a month of romance and celebration. From Valentine’s Day Weekend to the feeling that spring is just around the corner, February is the perfect time to enjoy a glass of Finger Lakes wine perhaps even paired with a few decadent chocolate truffles.

Enjoy wine and food pairing events along the wine trails and at individual wineries all Valentine’s Day Weekend. Along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail February 12-14 enjoy the popular “Chocolate and Wine” event featuring, of course, chocolate and wine pairings at each winery. Tickets are $30 per person. The Keuka Lake Wine Trail February 13-14 is hosting “Truffles and Tastes” featuring decadent truffles at each winery. Tickets are $25 per person. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail February 13-14 is hosting “Mardi Gras 2010” with fun, beads, and food pairings at each winery. Tickets are $25 per person.

The beautiful Fox Run Vineyards is hosting in its barrel room a special five-course Valentine’s Winemaker Dinner featuring winemaker, Peter Bell and winery chef, Heather Tompkins. Seating is very limited and tickets are available for $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Want to give a Valentine's gift that he or she will have and remember always? How about making a glass heart paper weight at The Corning Museum of Glass. This hands-on glass making experience is available through February 14th. Make your reservations now online to gurantee your space.

To get us all in the mood we are celebrating Finger Lakes sparkling wines all month. We will be featuring a different sparkling wine each day on our wine blog and the celebration culminates on Saturday, February 20th from 6-9PM at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel with Bubbly! the Finger Sparkling Wine Party. Tickets are available for $40 per person or $75 per couple and can be purchased online or by calling our office at 800-813-2958.

If you want to enjoy a selection of these sparkling wines in your home with your friends and loved ones you can order the FLX Bubbly Box from BacchusWineOnline featuring: the 2002 Blanc de Blancs from Chateau Frank, the Pinot Noir Brut Rosé, the 2002 Brut from Glenora Wine Cellars, and the NV Extra Dry Cayuga White from Lucas Vineyards. You can order starting on Monday, February 1st , each wine individually or as the four wine box with shipping for under $100.

On Twitter too?  Join us in Twitter Land on Wednesday, February 17th at 8PM as we taste and tweet about the FLX Bubbly Box wines.  To join in on the conversation just hop on Twitter and use #flxwine and #TTL in your tweets.  So easy!

Best of all?  Twenty-seven accommodations are participating in Winter Wine Weekends and offering "stay two nights, get the third night free".  In addition, each reservation receives a free bottle of Finger Lakes wine and an exclusive PALATE passport with tons of additinal free items like free museum visits and wine tastings.

Wine Country Insider - January 22-24, 2010 Weekend

Trouble loading the above player?  Click here to listen on BlogTalkRadio.

It's an exciting weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country with the 9th Annual Wine On Ice event taking place Friday and Saturday at the First Arena in downtown Elmira. Get your first taste of the Mark Twain Riesling at the Glenora Wine Cellars booth. There's even rumors that Mark Twain will be there pouring the wine! Wine On Ice is complete with food venors, live music, and lots and lots of Finger Lakes wine. You don't want to miss this exciting event. If you don't have your tickets, click here for more info.

Here are some other exciting things to do in the region this weekend:
Make Your Own Glass Heart at The Corning Museum of Glass
Polar Passport on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Vino Visa Coupon Book on the Cayuga Wine Trail

Get your tickets now & mark your calendar for:
Chocolate & Wine Weekend on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail
Truffles & Tastes on the Keuka Wine Trail
Mardi Gras on the Cayuga Wine Trail
Bubbly! The Finger Lakes Sparkling Wine Party

First Fridays at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art

And don't forget if you're planning on visiting Finger Lakes Wine Country between now and April 30, take advantage of Winter Wine Weekends and stay another day on us! Choose from 27 participating accommodations to buy two nights and get one FREE, along with a FREE bottle of wine, and a FREE Palate Passport!

Have a great weekend! Cheers!

Beautiful Music in Finger Lakes Wine Country

Finger Lakes Wine Country is blessed to have great wine but also a thriving arts and cultural scene. In addition to celebrating Mark Twain’s life throughout Mark Twain Country in 2010, the region is home to the outstanding professional symphony orchestra, The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. Drawing talented musicians from throughout the region to perform five concerts annually in Elmira and Corning, the Orchestra fills the bill as the premier and only resident symphony orchestra in Finger Lakes Wine Country. There are two remaining concerts in 2010 on March 7th and May 15th season under the direction of Toshiyuki Shimada, Music Director and Conductor.

On Sunday, March 7 at 4:00 p.m. at the Clemens Center for the Performing Arts, Marza Merophi Wilks, Cello, is the featured musician and performs with the entire symphony. Tickets are still available at $30 per person and can be ordered online. Also book a Winter Wine Weekend package for an enjoyable later winter escape.

BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture – To be performed side by side with The Youth Orchestra
DOHNANYI Concert Piece in D Major, Op. 12 for Cello and Orchestra – Marza Merophi Wilks, Hertzog Competition Winner
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9

On Saturday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at The Corning Museum of Glass, Margarita Shevchenko, Piano, is the featured musician and performs with the entire symphony. Tickets are still available for $30 per person and can be ordered online.

MOZART Symphony No. 31 in D Major, K. 297 (Paris)
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor
GRIFFES White Peacock
GLASS Company
GERSHWIN An American in Paris