Wine Country Insider for April 30-May2

It's an exciting weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country and we've got all the inside scoop for you to help make your plans. With Riesling Month kicking off tomorrow, an herbalicious wine trail event, and plenty of fun for every member of the family, this weekend is the perfect one to get out and enjoy all that Finger Lakes Wine Country has to offer. Listen to the 15 minute podcast below for all the details.




Wine & Herb Weekend on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

Save Your Memories Workshop, and much more at The Corning Museum of Glass

Riesling to Visit Passport for the Seneca Lake Wine Trail

More Riesling Month packages, activites, specials, and events

Fox Run Vineyards Spring Tasting at the Winery

Music at Ventosa Vineyards

Music at Americana Vineyards

Exploring Chardonnay at Damiani Wine Cellars

Kentucky Derby Day and Release of McKenzie Burbon Wiskey at Finger Lakes Distilling

Hike the Twain Trail at Tanglewood Nature Center

10 Years of Geocaching at Atwater Vineyards

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

Travel Tuesday Getaway Packages & Deals

Discover this week's Travel Tuesday Getaway Packages & Deals. In this week's e-newsletter, learn about a special Campfire Package, ways to receive VIP passports, and discover a great place to sit back in a hot tub, sip sparkling wine, and gaze at the stars. Sign up to have these exclusive last minute offerings delivered to your e-mail inbox!

Wine Country Insider April 23-25

Happy Friday! A glorious weekend is in store for us in Finger Lakes Wine Country. Listen to our 15 minute “Wine Country Insider” podcast with Christina and Teresa, giving you some insider news on what is happening in Wine Country this weekend. The weather is divine and there are a lot of fun happenings planned – several Mark Twain themed festivities, special spring break getaways, and fun-filled wine trail events.

Click here to listen or listen in the player below.



Spring Break at the Museum – Corning Museum of Glass

Spring Wine & Cheese Weekend – Seneca Lake Wine Trail

Wine & Herb Fest 2010 – Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

Opening Day at Watkins Glen International

Mark Twain in Elmira – Chemung Valley History Museum

Dine Like Twain Dinners at Hill Top Inn – Elmira

Trolley into Twain Country Tours Centennial Excursions – Holiday Inn Elmira Riverview

Polar Bear Plunge – Anchor Bar & Marina, Watkins Glen

Re-Enactment of Twain's Gravesite Service & Burial – Park Church & Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira

Tom Sawyer & Becky Thatcher Day at Harris Hill – National Soaring Museum & Harris Hill Amusement Park

Hike the New Twain Trail with Elaine – Tanglewood Nature Center & Museum

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

Tom Sawyer & Becky Thatcher Day at Harris Hill

Straight from the novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, join us for an afternoon of family fun with Tom & Becky on top of Harris Hill, the Soaring Capital of America. Take a glider ride over Mark Twain Country, meet Tom and Becky at the National Soaring Museum, or participate in a Tom and Becky look-a-like contest at Harris Hill Amusement Park! Come early to receive a FREE copy of Huckleberry Fin and a Twain-themed temporary tattoo. Tom and Becky will officially open the event at 1 p.m. and the festivities will continue through 4 p.m. Throughout the afternoon, enjoy mini-golf, glider rides, special foods and more!

Click here to see a full listing of Mark Twain events happening this weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country.

More about Tom and Becky

Tom Sawyer, a character penned by Mark Twain, is a cunning, playful boy. In the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom meets Becky, the new girl in town and daughter of Judge Thatcher. Becky wins Tom’s love from the first moment he sees her. Soon after, Becky shows her love for Tom by giving him a pansy. However, when Becky discovers Tom is “engaged” to another girl, their romance falls to pieces. Tom wins back her affection by nobly accepting the blame for a school book that she has torn.

It’s been said, the correlations between Clemens's courtship with his wife Olivia and Tom's courtship of Becky are astounding.


More about Mark Twain

Samuel Clemens or more notably known as Mark Twain, called many places home. While he grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, lived in Hartford, Connecticut, and Buffalo, New York, it was in Elmira, New York that America's favorite son traveled when he sought refuge and renewal to live out his private life.

Twain married Elmiran Olivia Langdon, in a simple ceremony at the mansion of his in-laws and remained tethered to the city and his in-laws for the balance of his life. Twain was particularly close to his father-in-law, Jervis Langdon, a wealthy businessman who was actively outspoken against slavery and aggressively active in the Underground Railroad, and Jervis' views on abolition greatly influenced Mark Twain’s writing.

Twain returned to Elmira to summer for 22 years at the home of his sister-in-law, perched in the hills overlooking the Chemung River Valley. He drew much inspiration from the spectacular views and referred to Elmira as a "foretaste of Heaven." He sequestered himself in a tiny Study his in-laws had made for him to write his classics, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, among many others.

The Mark Twain Study, a gazebo-type structure that was built to resemble the top of a Mississippi steamboat, has since been moved to the campus of Elmira College where it is open to the public, and was noted by USA Today as the "#1 Literary Attraction in America".

Although Twain traveled globally and laid claim to being a citizen of the world, it was in Elmira that he chose to be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery alongside his wife and four children.

Click here for more information on Mark Twain Country and the 2010 Twain Celebration.

Travel Tuesday Packages and Deals

Hot off the press! Travel Tuesday Getaway Packages and Deals... including a special deal to receive FREE tickets to Fox Run Vineyards' Spring Tastings event (a $20 per person value).

Geocaching in Finger Lakes Wine Country

Get ready to celebrate and explore in Finger Lakes Wine Country. On May 2nd, Atwater Estate Vineyards in Burdett, N.Y., will hold a special geocaching event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the high-tech hide and seek sport. The event is open to all: active geocachers, those who are looking to get started, and those who would simply like to learn more about the sport. Anyone can RSVP through Atwater’s Facebook page or visit geocaching.com and search for waypoint GC26AVC. This will be a great afternoon to get in some hiking and of course, visit the winery. Atwater will provide some tapas, finger foods and beverages. There will also be door prizes!

Event details:

Date and Time: Sunday, May 2, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Atwater Estate Vineyards 5055 Route 414, Hector, NY 14841, Home of Bacchus's Playground (Nouveau Edition) GC15CBZ

Why: To be a part of the worldwide phenomenon celebrating a decade of geocaching! At the event you can also earn a rare cache icon, trade caching stories and meet new cachers, and swap travel bugs and coins.

What to bring: Yourself! If you have them, feel free to bring along travel bugs and geocoins to trade. Also, feel free to bring the little cachers for this family-fun event.

Requirements needed to make this a 10 Years! Event: At least 10 people must attend the event. A photo must be taken of the group at the event (photo to be taken about 6:45ish). The people in the photo should be festive. Be inventive!

A Mint Julep Recipe from Finger Lakes Distilling

Nothing welcomes May more than a freshing mint julep.  Enjoy this recipe sent to us by Finger Lakes Distilling.

McKenzie Bourbon Mint Julep

• 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 ounces McKenzie Bourbon

Muddle 2 mint sprigs, water and sugar in highball glass*
Add crushed ice and bourbon
Garnish w/ remaining mint sprig

(*Alternatively, make a simple syrup using 1 cup boiling water, 1 cup sugar and 5-10 mint sprigs. Use 2 Tbl spoons of syrup per Julep)

Kentucky Derby and Finger Lakes Distilling

Looking outside the office this morning and relishing the bright, warm sunshine reminded me that May is only a couple of weeks away.  Just yesterday we received an update from our friend, Brian McKenzie, who is the owner of Finger Lakes Distilling, one of the region's hot new attractions.

Brian is releasing his new McKenzie Bourbon on May 1, just in time for this year's Kentucky Derby.  Here are the latest details from Brian himself...

On May 1st, which just so happens to be Kentucky Derby Day, a very limited quantity of McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey will be available for tasting and for purchase at the distillery. Come dressed in a Derby hat and you'll enjoy a tasting free of charge! We'll be celebrating the release during our regular tasting room hours (11-5) with live music by Long John & the Tights from 2-5 pm.

As far as the Bourbon goes, we take the old-fashioned approach. We bring in whole grain and grind it on site. The corn and rye are grown locally. The corn is an heirloom variety - we think it adds a great deal of flavor. After we cook the grain with a little sour mash, it is fermented and double pot distilled. The spirit is then aged in new, charred 10-gallon barrels (similar to what we use for our Rye Whiskey). Some of the bourbon is finished in local chardonnay barrels before a final blending.

McKenzie Bourbon is rich and full of flavor, much like bourbon that was made 20-30 years ago. We distill to a lower proof and also barrel age at a lower proof than most whiskey made today. We think this method, combined with our source of corn, makes a more robust and old-fashioned tasting whiskey.

McKenzie Bourbon will be priced at $45 and the batch number will be handwritten on each 750 ml bottle. With less than 300 bottles available, Batch #1 will move fast. Be sure to stock up on May 1st, as our second batch won't be ready until later this year.

Click here to learn more about Finger Lakes Distilling.

Owe money to the IRS? Book this package and use the savings to pay your tax bill.

Every Tuesday is Travel Tuesday in our office.  Yes, and I know that today is Thursday April 15.  Earlier this week I traveled to Ohio for a wine industry marketing conference and wasn't able to post my regular Tuesday Travel pick.  So in honor of tax day, I delayed posting my favorite getaway package of the week until today.   This is a great way to spend your IRS refund check.

The charming Los Gatos Bed and Breakfast has a special "Spring Escape" package that includes overnight accommodations for two for two nights, full breakfasts each morning, a $40 certificate valid to local restaurants, wineries and retail shops, AND a VIP passport for local wineries entitling you to special discounts and free tastings.  Rates per package start at $229 plus tax.  Hurry though, because packages are only available until April 30.  Call the B&B directly at 866-289-7381 for more details and to make reservations.

Need more ideas of where to stay in Finger Lakes Wine Country?   Discover our comprehensive database of accommodations searchable by location, type, and price. 

From the desk of Morgen McLaughlin, president of Finger Lakes Wine Country.  (Who today has filed her tax returns and is dreaming of how to spend her pending refund check.)

Who needs Woodstock when you have Winestock!

We just received notice of an exciting new wine and music event in Finger Lakes Wine Country.  Ten Finger Lakes wineries have come together to host Winestock NY 2010.  Held this Saturday, April 17th from noon- 6 p.m. on the grounds of Three Brothers Winery and Estates, this wine tasting event includes live music, food and wine.  Tickets are only $20 and can be purchased by calling Miles Wine Cellars at 607-243-7742.

Unlike Woodstock, camping space isn't provided but the wine is much better!

Looking for more events in Finger Lakes Wine Country?  Click here for the complete calendar.

Wine Country Insider April 9-11

It’s Friday and the weekend is here! Enjoy your downtime by setting your sights on a fun outing to Finger Lakes Wine Country. There are a lot of fun happenings planned for this weekend – several musical concerts, many fun one-off winery events, and a number of unique museum exhibitions. Check out our featured “Wine Country Insider” events:


Spring Break at the Museum – Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG)

Feast and Fest: Music by Jared Campbell – Glenora Wine Cellars

Never Done: Women and Work in Chemung County, 1880-1920 – Chemung Valley History Museum

A Visit to The Golden Age of Radio – Clemens Center

Musician's Choice – 171 Cedar Arts Center

Double Barrel, Side by Side – Hosmer Winery

Freddy Cole, Corning-Painted Post Civic Music Association – CMOG

New Vintage Days – Goose Watch Winery

New Vintage Days – Swedish Hill Winery

Spring Winemakers Dinner – Sheldrake Point Vineyard & Simply Red Lakeside Bistro

Americana Vineyards Concert Series – Americana Vineyards

Walter S. Taylor Art Exhibit - Corning Community College Atrium Gallery

The Photographs of Edward Sherriff Curtis – Rockwell Museum of Western Art

Want to see all 24 special events happening this weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country? Search through our events calendar and narrow your search by date, type of event, region, and price. Cheers!

Morgen's Weekly Pick - Release your inner Danica with the Inn at Glenora's newest getaway package

Travel Tuesday is always an exciting time in our office.  Christina hosts our Travel Tuesday 12 p.m. weekly 15 minute podcast, Ginny makes people very happy by giving away free tickets on our 800 line, and Teresa sends out our weekly Travel Tuesday Getaway Packages and Deals email.  (If you don't subscribe to this special email make sure you sign-up for our e-newsletters AND register specifically for the Getaway Packages & Deals email.)  And I get to highlight on this blog my favorite getaway package from Teresa's e-blast.

This week I chose the newest package from the Inn at Glenora featuring WGI (what racing fans refer to as Watkins Glen International).  Since moving to Finger Lakes Wine Country from Connecticut, I have become a passionate IndyCar fan.  Maybe it is Danica or that WGI is one of the most historic and famous race tracks in the world.  Either way, I am a fan.  And if a future visitor to the region can experience the thrill of driving her car on this famous road course and stay at one of Wine Country's finest small inns, then I am all for it.  I say release your inner Danica!

Here are the details of the package and why it is my getaway pick of the week:

Stay overnight at The Inn at Glenora and start your visit with a cheese sampler featuring an assortment of local cheeses, delivered to your guestroom with a bottle of Glenora Sparkling Wine. You will also receive a Veraisons Restaurant Gift card valued at $130 to be used during your stay. Then, get ready to share the same asphalt that many of your favorite race car drivers do annually, as you take three laps in your own vehicle around the ever popular road course Watkins Glen International. The package also includes a $25 gift certificate to The Shop at WGI where you can purchase the latest track merchandise and souvenirs. Memories will last a lifetime as they are captured on the disposable camera the Inn will provide to you as a reminder of your trip to the Finger Lakes Wine Country.

For reservations call 1-800-243-5513, as information on this package isn't yet available on Glenora's Web site. Package is valid May-October and black-out dates do apply. Prices range from $365 to $730.

Did you know?  That Sonoma Wine Country and Finger Lakes Wine Country are not only famous for their fabulous wines and warm hospitality but also for their race car road courses.  Cool huh?

***From the desk of Finger Lakes Wine Country president, Morgen McLaughlin (or as my kids call me, "race car momma.")

Geocaching in Finger Lakes Wine Country

With the sun gods shining down upon us in Finger Lakes Wine Country, setting off on a geocaching adventure is a no-brainer way to enjoy the beautiful weather and explore the countryside. A little more than a year ago, I took up geocaching and haven’t looked back since. For me, geocaching is not necessarily a raison d'être, but it is a great excuse to lace up my hiking shoes and take in a little vitamin D. Quite simply, geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting sport. There are millions of caches (treasures) hidden throughout the world and thousands tucked away in Finger Lakes Wine Country. A few favorite caches include the River Walk series along the Chemung River in Elmira, Stoned Tables in the Watkins Glen State Park, Keuka Lake Bluff View on Keuka Lake, and Near the Middle that’s close to Atwater Estate Winery.

This past weekend, my geocaching adventure was one part success and one part swallow up my pride and try again. You see, for nearly a year one particular cache has been the bane of my cacher existence. I must have actively searched for it nearly a dozen times. And to make matters worse, I would drive by the location everyday and it would taunt me with every passing. Well, Easter Sunday was the day of all days when I finally came to peace with the cache and found the little bugger. I’m pretty sure the clouds parted in the sky and the sun shone directly on me in that glorious moment. However, the bliss of my recent discovery was short lived. At my next cache, I searched for nearly 30 minutes with no luck. Perhaps my head was still enlarged from the earlier cache, which clouded my environmental sensors.

Success along with failure is part of the geocaching experience, but so too is the beauty and discovery of nature. I’m pretty sure every single person who has gone on a caching adventure gets at least a little bit of joy out of the “finds”, becomes even more driven by the “did not finds”, and grows more at peace by the view along the way. As I walked home that day, I held my head high and was reminded of a great quote by John Muir: “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

Here’s how to get started with geocaching:

1. Register for a free Basic Membership at http://www.geocaching.com/

2. Click "Hide & Seek a Cache."

3. Enter your postal code and click "search."

4. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.

5. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS Device.

6. Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache.

7. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.

8. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.

Learn more about geocaching in Finger Lakes Wine Country.

Our New 2010 Travel Guide has Arrived! Get your copy today...

Just in time for the Holiday weekend, our 2010 Travel Guide has arrived!  It is filled with pictures, travel tips, past visitor testimonials, event listings, info our new travel app, instructions on how to use our online itinerary builder AND the official pull-out Finger Lakes Wine Country map.  We want you love your vacation this year.

Click here to download your copy now or request one via email (scheduled to arrive in the next 14 days.)

Also if you live in Northern New Jersey you will start seeing our television commercial next week!

Wine Country Insider April 2-4

It is the Easter holiday weekend and Finger Lakes Wine Country has many egg-cellent events planned. This weekend's weather is expected to flirt with record breaking 80-degree temperatures! With great weather in store and lots of fun things to do, you’re sure to experience an enjoyable weekend in Wine Country. Check out these “Wine Country Insider” scheduled events:

Visit the Vintner – Long Point Winery

Easter Brunch – Red Newt Cellars & Bistro

Easter Buffet – Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant

Easter Sunday Brunch – Sheldrake Point Winery & Simply Red Lakeside Restaurant

Easter Sunday Brunch – Anthony’s Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Riverview Elmira

Finger Lakes Boating Museum Exhibit – Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

Spring Break at the Museum – Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG)

Human / Nature: Artists as Explorers in the Early American West – Rockwell Museum of Western Art

Want to see all 19 special events happening this weekend in Finger Lakes Wine Country? Search through our events calendar now and search by date, type of event, region, and price.