Get Ready for Some Excitement at Watkins Glen International This Weekend!

This weekend is going to really help me celebrate the arrival of summer in Finger Lakes Wine Country. This weekend marks the first big race weekend at Watkins Glen International. The main IndyCar race is Sunday afternoon but other races and events are scheduled at the track all weekend. Join us at the Finger Lakes Wine Experience tent Saturday and Sunday (12-4PM) where nine Finger Lakes wineries will be sampling and selling wines. Gavin DeGraw (one of the my favorite singers) is performing on the Red Cat Summer Stage Saturday evening.

IndyCar at Watkins Glen International is truly a family-friendly experience. Last year I brought my husband and kids (age 3 & 6) and had a wonderful time. The crowds are friendly and not too overwhelming with lots of other families in attendance. There is even a family section (no alcohol permitted)!

Tickets are still available be clicking here. Remember, kids 12 and under are free and you might even be able to get Danica Patrick's autograph!

The Greyhounds are Coming to Finger Lakes Wine Country Along the Cayuga Wine Trail!

If you love wine AND dogs then you can't miss one of the most unique and fun events this summer in Finger Lakes Wine Country. The Cayuga Wine Trail's Grapehound Wine Tour July 24 - 27 is packed with so many things to do like wine tasting, concerts, picnics, and even an ice cream social. The most important part of this fun weekend is that you are also helping save the greyhounds!

Here are the latest details -

The Cayuga Wine Trail is hosting its third annual celebration of greyhound adoption, The Grapehound Wine Tour. This unique wine tasting event promotes greyhound adoption in the region and brings together greyhounds and their owners with visitors who have never considered adopting a greyhound. Attendees will receive a commemorative greyhound wine glass and enjoy wine tasting and food pairings at each winery throughout the weekend.

Starting with the welcome at Montezuma Winery on Thursday, July 24th, this regional wine event has a chicken barbecue, concert, and greyhound vendors. On Friday start the wine event at either King Ferry Winery or Long Point Winery on the east side of Cayuga Lake. At 5:00pm that day join us at Knapp Winery for a glass of wine and a few hors d’oeuvres and an evening concert under the stars at Buttonwood Winery. On Saturday and Sunday the wine event continues at the west side wineries from Montezuma Winery in Seneca Falls at the north to Six Mile Creek Vineyard in Ithaca at the south. An ice cream social for the dogs will be held at Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery. A walk to beautiful Taughannock Falls on Sunday morning and a second doggie ice cream social is planned. The event winds up late Sunday afternoon with the final concert of the weekend at Americana Vineyards, so plan to stay through Monday. This weekend offers a little something for everyone.

Participants will be eligible to win an overnight stay at the Hampton Inn in Ithaca just by leaving their wine tasting card with us. This event is primarily for greyhounds, their siblings and humans, but we'll be glad to provide a doggie treat for pet owners who have another breed of dog at home.

Ticket price is $25.00 per person with a portion of every ticket sold donated to greyhound adoption in New York and New Jersey.

Tickets can be purchased at any Wegmans store through their That's the Ticket Program at their Customer Service desk.

Thursday, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Friday Noon-5:00pm, Saturday 10:00 - 6:00pm, Sunday Noon - 5:00pm

Click here for more detailed information on the Grapehound Wine Tour event and to buy tickets.


Click here to watch the Grapehound Wine Tour video.

Submit Your Video about Finger Lakes Wine Country and Win a Free Video Camera!

Want to win a video camera from Best Buy valued at $1000? Then send in your video (think youtube) about why you love Finger Lakes Wine Country by September 1. Click here for the complete contest details.

Shoot a video at your favorite winery sipping your favorite Finger Lakes wine, stand under the waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park and pronounce your love for the region's natural beauty. Ride on the back of a motorcycle and capture the essence of the rolling hills and vineyards. Visit The Corning Museum of Glass, make a piece of glass, and announce to the world all about the exciting things to do in Finger Lakes Wine Country. Just keep the video to no more than 2 minutes.

100th Anniversary of the June Bug in Finger Lakes Wine Country

The Fourth of July weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country is going to be a busy one. From the Indy Car race at Watkins Glen International to the 100th Centennial Celebration of the June Bug at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport. The Corning Museum of Glass is open until 8:00PM in the summer.

Here is the information on the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum festivities on Saturday, July 5th:

Day-long festivities on Saturday, July 5, will be held at the actual site of the original flight, on the grounds of Mercury Aircraft and Kolo Air Field, about a mile from the museum. Beginning at 11:00 AM, the day will feature music by local performing groups; presentations by the Finger Lakes Players; a variety of foods by several area vendors, including chicken barbecue and ice cream; flyovers by antique airplanes and flights by RC modelers; arts and crafts; demonstrations of Curtiss motorcycles and engines. Highlights of the day will include the 2:00 PM flight of the ¼ scale radio-controlled model of the June Bug, built by FLAPS, the Finger Lakes Air Pirates, and an early evening concert from 6:00 to 8:00 PM by the Corning Community Band.

I know I will be here with my family (including my three sons.) With the main race at Watkins Glen International Sunday, this is the perfect Saturday event for the entire family. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a gem of a museum and should be on any traveler's itinerary to Finger Lakes Wine Country.

Hot Wheels Road Trip Ends in Watkins Glen!

Have you ever wanted to drive across country? Well this summer is your perfect opportunity. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels and the 60th anniversary of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, a three week road trip following Route 40 will begin on August 19th in California at Mattel's headquarters. There will be stops along the way in Kansas, Utah, Michigan, and Indiana before concluding in Watkins Glen, the home of American road racing, on Thursday, September 4th.

More details are coming including how you can join us on this once in a lifetime trip. Remember that Finger Lakes Wine Country is just down the road.

Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe in Finger Lakes Wine Country this Summer!

Finger Lakes Wine Country is not only famous for its over 100 wineries but also for the diversity of cultural experiences. One of the best museums in upstate New York is the Rockwell Museum of Western Art in Corning. The museum is walking distance from The Corning Museum of Glass and located in the heart of Corning's dining, shopping, and entertainment district (not surprisingly called the Gaffer District).

The Rockwell features one of the best western art collections in the East and this summer is proud to host Ansel Adams & Georgia O’Keeffe, together in the Rockwell Museum galleries ALL SUMMER.

Yosemite 1938: On the Trail with Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe from the National Museum of Wildlife Art - In 1938, photographer Ansel Adams took a group of friends, including Georgia O’Keeffe and David McAlpin through Yosemite’s backcountry. The album produced from images of this trip comprises the stunning landscapes of Yosemite as well as intimate candid portraits of his life-long friends. This rare album is on loan from the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This exhibition will be accompanied by rarely seen photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe in her New Mexico home by photographer Todd Webb.

Click here to purchase a combo ticket for both the Rockwell Museum of Western Art and The Corning Museum of Glass.

Street Painting in Finger Lakes Wine Country!

Elmira, NY located in Finger Lakes Wine Country is considered the "soaring capital of America" with its rich aviation history. You can go on a glider ride at Harris Hill and the Wings of Eagles Discover Center. Elmira is also famous for its literary roots with Mark Twain. He wrote Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn when he spent summers in the region.

This summer on July 12 & 13 you are invited to rediscover Elmira with an innovative arts event, a street painting festival.

The First Annual Elmira Street Painting Festival will foster such interest and attraction, gathering local, regional and national artists and visitors to engage in the outdoor creation of what we hope will become one of Elmira’s long-standing legacies.

In sixteenth-century Italy, street painting began when roaming artists transformed nondescript pavement into art with their chalks. Four centuries later and an ocean apart, street painting continues to thrive as a vital element of artistic expression in community festivals across the United States, each drawingthousands upon thousands of visitors—viewers of art.

The First Annual Elmira Street Painting Festival will offer a rare glimpse into the creation of art for both artists and viewers, challenging the perception of artisticenvironments from that of the lights and walls of a traditional museum setting, to one constrained only by the streetlights and sidewalks of a non-traditional canvas, the pavement.

Join artists and community members as we celebrate art and Elmira, outside ofthe box, outside of the gallery—simply and magnificently, outside!

Visit www.elmiradowntown.com or call Elmira Downtown Development, Inc., at 607.734.0341 for more information on the First Annual Elmira Street Painting Festival and to download artist applications.

Golden Nose Event was Fabulous in Finger Lakes Wine Country!

This past weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country was the 3rd annual Golden Nose Awards, a weekend of wine education seminars, wine and food receptions, and consumer wine judging. Almost 300 Finger Lakes wines were submitted to the competition and were judged by 70 participating consumer wine judges. Our friend, Finger Lakes Weekend Wino, was there and even played a couple of his famous Finger Lakes songs. The date for the 2009 Golden Nose Wine Judging Weekend has been set for May 29 - 31. Tickets go on sale December 8, 2008.

Click here to watch a short news clip about the event.

Here are the results fresh off the press:

BEST OF CLASS
Sheldrake Point Vineyard - Summer White
Lakewood Vineyards – Riesling
Goose Watch Winery – Viognier
Goose Watch Winery – Cabarnet Sauvignon
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars – Liquid Wisdom
Seneca Shore Wine Cellars – Sherry
Red Newt Cellars – Cabarnet Franc

DOUBLE GOLD
Billsboro Winery Cabernet Franc
Earle Estate Meadery Peach Perfection
Glenora Wine Cellars Alpine White
Hosmer Winery Riesling
Lakewood Vineyards Dry Riesling
Lakewood Vineyards Riesling
Torrey Ridge Winery Niagara

GOLD
Anthony Road Wine Company Semi-Dry Riesling
Anyela's Vineyards Pinot Gris
Anyela's Vineyards Overlay
Atwater Estate Vineyards Meritage
Belhurst Winery Golden Pheasant
Cascata Winery Regatta Red
Goose Watch Winery Pinot Grigio
Goose Watch Winery Viognier
Goose Watch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Goose Watch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Goose Watch Winery Rosé of Isabella
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Homestead Reserve Riesling
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Spyder Bite
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars Liquid Wisdom
Imagine Moore Love
Leidenfrost Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Miles Wine Cellars Riesling
Miles Wine Cellars Pinot Noir
Penguin Bay Winery Gewurztraminer
Penguin Bay Winery Pinot Grigio
Penguin Bay Winery Cabernet
Penguin Bay Winery Rosé of Chambourcin
Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc
Rooster Hill Vineyards Dry Riesling
Rooster Hill Vineyards Silver Pencil
Seneca Shore Sherry
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Summer White
Swedish Hill Winery Dry Riesling
Swedish Hill Winery Vidal Blanc
Swedish Hill Winery Doobie Blues
Torrey Ridge Winery Summer Delight
Villa Bellangelo Cabernet Sauvignon
Villa Bellangelo Francesca Rossa
Wagner Vineyards Niagara
Wagner Vineyards Riesling Ice
White Springs Winery Sauvignon Blanc

SILVER
Anthony Road Wine Company Tony's Red
Anyela's Vineyards Chardonnay
Anyela's Vineyards Noiret
Belhurst Winery Cayuga
Billsboro Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Cascata Winery Fireside Chardonnay
Damiani Wine Cellars Dolce Bianco
Damiani Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc
Eagle Crest Vineyards Midnight Moon
Eagle Crest Vineyards Niagara
Earle Estate Meadery Crimson Blush
Earle Estate Meadery Strawberry Shadows
Fox Run Vineyards Sable
Fulkerson Winery Merlot
Glenora Wine Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Fermented
Glenora Wine Cellars Dry Riesling
Glenora Wine Cellars Signature
Glenora Wine Cellars Pinot Blanc
Glenora Wine Cellars Seyval Blanc
Glenora Wine Cellars Syrah
Goose Watch Winery Traminette
Goose Watch Winery Melody
Goose Watch Winery Lemberger
Goose Watch Winery Merlot Reserve
Goose Watch Winery Merlot
Goose Watch Winery Bartlett Pear
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Riesling
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Schooner Red
Hosmer Winery Chardonnay
Hosmer Winery Dry Riesling
Hunt Country Vineyards Pinot Gris
Hunt Country Vineyards Valvin Muscat
Hunt Country Vineyards Alchemy
Hunt Country Vineyards Late Harvest Vignoles
Imagine Moore Wisdom
Knapp Winery Chardonnay Barrel Reserve
Knapp Winery Cayuga White
Knapp Winery Vignoles
Lakewood Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Lakewood Vineyards Borealis
Leidenfrost Vineyards Gewurztraminer
Miles Wine Cellars Milestone
Montezuma Winery Canvasback Red
Montezuma Winery Dragonfly
Montezuma Winery Cranberry Bog
Penguin Bay Winery Riesling
Penguin Bay Winery Percussion
Penguin Bay Winery Maroon Four
Penguin Bay Winery Tuxedo White
Prejean Winery Cayuga White
Prejean Winery Cabernet Franc
Red Newt Cellars Riesling "Reserve"
Red Newt Cellars Salamander White
Red Newt Cellars Viridescens
Rooster Hill Vineyards Chardonnay
Seneca Shore Reserve Chardonnay
Seneca Shore Pinot Noir Reserve
Seneca Shore Lemberger
Seneca Shore Black Red
Seneca Shore Royal White
Seneca Shore Port
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Riesling
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Gewurztraminer
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Swedish Hill Winery Reserve Chardonnay
Swedish Hill Winery Riesling
Swedish Hill Winery Cayuga White
Swedish Hill Winery Viking White
Swedish Hill Winery Optimus
Swedish Hill Winery Viking Red
Swedish Hill Winery Chardonnay Late Harvest
Swedish Hill Winery Vignoles Late Harvest
Swedish Hill Winery Naturel
Swedish Hill Winery Blanc de Blanc
Swedish Hill Winery Spumante Blush
Three Brothers Winery and Estates Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
Tickle Hill Winery Susie Q
Torrey Ridge Winery Cayuga White
Torrey Ridge Winery Midnight Blues
Ventosa Vineyards Tocai Friulano
Ventosa Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Villa Bellangelo Riesling
Villa Bellangelo Bella Bianca Seyval
Villa Bellangelo Pink Scooter
Wagner Vineyards Riesling Dry
Wagner Vineyards Riesling Semi Dry
Wagner Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Wagner Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice
White Springs Winery Springhouse White

BRONZE
Anthony Road Wine Company Chardonnay
Anthony Road Wine Company Dry Riesling
Anthony Road Wine Company Vignoles
Anyela's Vineyards Riesling
Anyela's Vineyards Avail
Anyela's Vineyards Cayuga White
Anyela's Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Anyela's Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir
Atwater Estate Vineyards Riesling
Belhurst Winery Dry Riesling
Belhurst Winery Pinot Noir
Cascata Winery Odds & Ends
Catherine Valley Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc
Catherine Valley Winery The Last Irishman
Damiani Wine Cellars Chardonnay
Eagle Crest Vineyards On-no-lee
Fox Run Vineyards Fox Trot Red
Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger
Fulkerson Winery Ravat 51
Fulkerson Winery Red Zeppelin
Glenora Wine Cellars Chardonnay
Glenora Wine Cellars Dry Riesling
Glenora Wine Cellars Gewurztraminer
Glenora Wine Cellars Cayuga White
Glenora Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Glenora Wine Cellars Meritage
Glenora Wine Cellars Merlot
Goose Watch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Goose Watch Winery Merlot
Goose Watch Winery Chambourcin
Goose Watch Winery Finale White Port
Goose Watch Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
Goose Watch Winery Golden Spumante
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Chardonnay
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Gewurztraminer
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Pinot Gris
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards White Cat
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Bramble Berry
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars Semi Dry Riesling
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars White Hoot
Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc
Highland Cellars Cuveé Blanc
Highland Cellars Cayuga White
Hosmer Winery Cayuga White
Hosmer Winery Cabernet Franc
Hosmer Winery Pinot Noir
Hosmer Winery Lemberger
Hunt Country Vineyards Cayuga White
Hunt Country Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
Imagine Moore Peace
Knapp Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Knapp Winery Superstition
Lakewood Vineyards Chardonnay
Lakewood Vineyards Abby Rose
Miles Wine Cellars Ghost
Miles Wine Cellars Call Me A Cab
Montezuma Winery Pintail
Prejean Winery Dry Riesling
Prejean Winery Riesling
Prejean Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Newt Cellars Gewurztraminer
Seneca Shore Riesling Semi-Dry
Seneca Shore Gewurztraminer
Seneca Shore Gewurztraminer/ Traminette
Seneca Shore Red Knight
Seneca Shore Red Sail
Seneca Shore Royal Red
Seneca Shore Reserve Port
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Reserve Riesling
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Fluer De Pinot
Sheldrake Point Vineyard Luckystone Red
Swedish Hill Winery Cynthia Marie Port
Three Brothers Winery and Estates Reserve Cabernet Merlot
Three Brothers Winery and Estates Late Harvest Riesling Reserve
Ventosa Vineyards Riesling
Ventosa Vineyards Saggio
Ventosa Vineyards Pinot Gris
Villa Bellangelo Porto Elena
Wagner Vineyards Riesling Dry
Wagner Vineyards Gewurztraminer Dry
Wagner Vineyards Gewurztraminer Semi Dry
Wagner Vineyards Grace House Pinot Noir
Wagner Vineyards Vignoles Ice
White Springs Winery Riesling Red Label
White Springs Winery Chardonnay - Pinot Grigio