Cheers in Millbrook!

There will be lots to cheer about in Millbrook this weekend, as the friendly folks at Millbrook Vineyards & Winery tell me that they will be offering two-for-one wine tastings on Saturday and Sunday (May 3 and May 4) to celebrate the start of the winery’s 2008 growing season. And the winery will also be marking the release of its first 2007 vintage wines by featuring tastes of its newly released Tocai Friulano, Hunt Country Rosé and Hunt Country White. Last spring I tasted the winery's 2006 bottling of Tocai at a special Slow Food event at Terrapin restaurant in Rhinebeck. That was one yummy wine! I'm looking forward to trying the 2007 version.

Here is the winery's description of their wines:

Millbrook’s Estate Bottled 2007 Tocai Friulano is full of classic kiwi and grapefruit characteristics that fans of this wine have come to love.

Rosé wines continue to be all the rage with sales increasing at dramatic rates. For those who have not experienced a beautiful, dry rosé recently, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery encourages you to give theirs a taste. One sip of the 2007 Hunt Country Rosé will have you on the 'Think Pink' bandwagon as well.

Millbrook has again produced its Hunt Country White – a delightful blend of Riesling and Gewurztraminer with a slight touch of sweetness. Released last year for the first time, this wine was a hit with many wine-lovers and sold out before the holidays began.

Last but not least is Millbrook’s 2007 Pinot Grigio - another favorite summer sipping wine. A recent staff tasting of these wines determined that all were perfect for enjoying on the warm spring and summer days to come!

Millbrook Winery is open from noon to 5 p.m., seven days a week for guided tours and wine tastings. Cheers!

Top of the tap

In the April issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine, Jessica Bard wrote a comprehensive and just-darn-interesting article about craft beers produced in our region. We have her low-down on the local producers at the HVC Web site but you'll have to get the magazine to read the entire article (which includes a recipe for Spicy India Pale Ale Mussels that she worked on with Chef Ric Orlando from New World Home Cooking in Woodstock.) There's a link on the HVC magazine Web site that lists all the places where you can buy the magazine (it's growing!)

Anyway -- I am reminded of the HVC article because this weekend is TAP New York -- two days of what's been called the most prestigious beer and fine food event in New York. It takes place in the Base Lodge at Hunter Mountain in Hunter and you can get more info about buying tickets and the schedules at the TAP Web site or by calling 800-486-8376. I see at their Web site that tickets for Saturday are sold out and will not be available at the door -- but they still have plenty of tickets available for Sunday.

More than 30 breweries will be on hand and you can taste more than 100 beers! Those breweries include local favorites such as Gilded Otter in New Paltz, Keegan Ales in Kingston and Hyde Park Brewing Co. and its "sister" brewery, Skytop Steakhouse & Brewery in Kingston. I attended TAP two years ago and had a great time, and I'll be going again this year. Go -- have fun, and bring a designated driver (that's me this year but I'll still get to enjoy all the great food they serve.)

Here is more information about the day from TAP:

Many of the invited brewers produce their beer for sale only in their location.... whether it is a restaurant, a brewpub or a small brewery. Others are breweries large enough to distribute on a larger scale, but maintain an excellent quality through their commitment to craft-brewing their product. You won't find Anheuser-Busch, Coors, or Miller products here. What you will find are some truly remarkable beers that will tantalize your taste buds... beers that offer a variety of color and flavor that the big boys only dream of. You'll find everything from pale ales and pilseners, to weisbiers, porters, stouts, and scotch ales; from hearty Bohemian and Bavarian-style lagers to glorious Belgian-style ales and, dare we say, even more.

But TAP is more than just about the beer. It's about great food -- tasty morsels that carefully complement these rich brews. And plenty of it.

It's about education.... about beer, about home-brewing, about beer/food pairings.... it's about cooking demonstrations from some of the best chefs in the region (and beyond).... and it's about good friends coming together for a weekend of good beer, good food and good times.

TAP is also a competition. Beer experts and non-experts will judge in a competition for the "Best Beer" and "Best Brewery" in New York State. Two cups are awarded on Saturday, the Matthew Vassar Cup and the F. X. Matt Memorial Cup.

So there you have it. I hope you can go, and enjoy the day (responsibly.) Cheers!

Farewell to a master

I was sad to learn recently of master guitar craftsman Tom Humphrey's death. An Ulster County resident (Gardiner), Humphrey and his Millennium guitar design were recognized internationally by performers as diverse as Sting and Eliot Fisk. I had hoped to feature Humphrey's work in an upcoming issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur.

Over the years, I had the good fortune to attend several of the amazing concerts that the Unison Arts & Learning Center in New Paltz produced with Humphrey's assistance. One concert in particular, in 2004 with three generations of the amazing Assad family of Brazil, absolutely blew me away and pushed me closer to appreciating a genre of music that I absolutely adore today.

Stuart Bigley, executive director of Unison, wrote a tribute to Humphrey in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Here is hoping the center is able to celebrate Humphrey's legacy with more concerts of the same caliber.

Thank the firefighters!

What is being called the state's worst wildfire in 13 years is going on at Minnewaska state park.

The last report I read said more than 3,000 acres have burned but that firefighters and forest rangers have contained about 80 percent of the blaze. Here's wishing them good luck and the weather conditions they need to assist their work.

Minnewaska (and the neighboring Mohonk Preserve) are treasures for those of us living here in the valley. They are at the top of my list of favorite places to spend a day in the region, at any time of year. (That's me in the photo hiking at Minnewaska this past January.)

A BIG "thank you" to the firefighters (some of whom are volunteers from local companies) and forest rangers!

ID this craftsperson...

I bought the plate pictured at top a few years ago (well, at least 5 years ago) at either the Rhinebeck Crafts Show or the Woodstock-New Paltz show. It was made by a local person, a woman, I think. I love this piece and would love to get more. Does anyone recognize the work and can you help me ID the craftsperson? (The bowl is eggplant colored on the back, and I remember that she had made others with eggplants and peppers.) It's not signed but has a leaflike-design on back that could also be a letter or letters of the alphabet.

Any ideas?

PS the plate at the bottom is from Portugal, and the flowers are from my garden.

It's baaaaaack ...

In the February issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur, Shelly Loveland wrote a great article profiling a few of the interesting folks who knit in our region and listing some great places where they find their supplies, such as exotic handcrafted wools.

One of the most important events for regional knitters that she mentioned was the annual Chancellor’s Sheep & Wool Showcase at Clermont State Historic Site. This year it takes place on April 26, and organizers have announced that this year's event will have a Celtic flavor.

Here is more info:

Clermont State Historic Site is proud to highlight Chancellor Robert Livingston’s Celtic heritage at its on Saturday, April 26th from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. This year, the Showcase will feature kilt making, bagpiping, exhibits of historic and modern tartans, and lively Celtic music, as well as a full array of wool related crafts, vendors and demonstrations. Admission to the event is $7 per vehicle.

Vermont farmer Fred DePaul will show sheep shearing techniques across three centuries, while reenactors of the Ulster County Militia will demonstrate 18th century wool processing. Visitors will enjoy watching the highly trained border collies of Wild Goose Chase as they herd ducks on Clermont’s garden terrace.

Music from the Celtic Isles will echo across Clermont’s great lawn as bagpipers from the Capital Region Pipe Band perform at 11 a.m. and noon. The David Godding Band will present Celtic music and light-hearted dancing at 2 p.m.

At 12:45 p.m., Doreen Browning of the Kiltmaker’s Apprentice in Highland will demonstrate how kilts are made. Children can design their own family tartan at the crafts tent or round up sheep on a “Spot the Sheep” tour of the historic mansion.

Shoppers will find unique, hand-crafted items such as sweaters, scarves and jewelry for sale. Supplies for fine crafts will be available, including hand-dyed yarns and quality knitting accessories. Many of the Showcase’s best deals can be found at the Chancellor’s Silent Auction, an event to support the Friends of Clermont, who sponsor the Showcase.

The mansion at Clermont State Historic Site will also be open for tours. Tickets are $5 per adult, $4 per senior/student, and free for children 12 and under. For more information on the Sheep & Wool Showcase, vendor registration, or volunteering as a knitter, please contact Kjirsten Gustavson at (518) 537-4240, or visit www.friendsofclermont.org.

Clermont State Historic Site is a wonderful place. I used to work giving tours in its mansion years ago when I was on break from college. In addition to the mansion, Clermont has formal gardens, scenic Hudson River views and miles of hiking trails. The road leading to Clermont is just off Route 9G, near the Dutchess/Columbia county border north of Tivoli. The Friends of Clermont is a private, non-profit educational corporation, founded in 1977 to support and supplement the museum education and historic preservation programs at Clermont State Historic Site. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Clermont is one of six historic sites and 12 parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in the Taconic Region. For more information on New York State Parks, please visit the website at www.nysparks.com.

By the book

I do believe my lifelong love of reading (and writing) and my career as a word nerd are due to all the time I spent in the public library when I was a child. I was a heavy user, a voracious reader who read everything I could put my hands on. :-)

I still like to visit the library (and so does my daughter) although I have to admit that neither of us uses it as effectively as we could. Look at all the possibilities -- these days the library has much more than books to lend out. There are movies on DVD, music CDs, books on tape or CD ... even games. I need to start using it more, especially since it's so easy to browse for and borrow items through the Mid-Hudson Library System Web site.

I am thinking about libraries because this coming week (April 13-19) is National Library Week and you can support the libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System when you shop at participating Barnes & Noble stores in our region (Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Mohegan Lake, Albany, Danbury & Newburgh). During the week, B&N will donate 10% of your purchase to MHLS libraries.

More details and a voucher that you can bring to the store are here. At the same site are other promotional materials you can download -- activities for kids and a list of National Library Week events at participating libraries.

Speaking of events, I know that my local library has a full week of special events planned and it's likely that yours does too. There are links to our area libraries at the MHLS Web site.

So -- happy reading!

It's here!

The April-May issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine should be available at your local Barnes & Noble and the other shops listed at our Web site (www.hvcmagazine.com). And there's a new place to buy HVC now, Warren Kitchen & Cutlery at 6934 Route 9 in Rhinebeck.

We've included stories that are close to my heart, about growing heirloom roses and great events for gardeners. And the cover is of an heirloom rose photographed in the wonderful gardens at Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie.

Check out the new issue of HVC for other articles too -- about the best golf holes in the region, golf etiquette and golf humor; advice about buying art, the wines of Spain, choice handcrafted beer and ales of our region, visiting the Berkshires and more. We had a lot of fun putting this one together and I hope you enjoy it!

Champagne in the Shadows, Pt. 2

Here, finally, are the details for that fabulous Moët & Chandon Champagne dinner I blogged about earlier this year … a five-course dinner paired with a handcrafted Champagne cocktail and four different Moët Champagnes.

It takes place at 6 p.m. April 24 at Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. Cost is $125 per person (includes tax and gratuity). Reservations are limited and may be made by calling 845-486-9500.

Here is the menu. Yum!

Welcome Cocktail
The Moët Imperial Berry

Sesame Crusted Pan Seared Ahi Tuna
Moët White Star

Smoked Salmon and Mesclun Salad with Ginger & Shallot Oil
Moët Grand Vintage 2000

Filet Mignon Wrapped in Pancetta topped with a
Wild Mushroom jus
Moët Rose Imperial

A Cheese Plate of Baked Brie de Meaux, Mimolette and Roquefort Cheeses paired with Lavender Infused Honey and Dried Fruit Compote
Moët Nectar Imperial

Moët Nectar Sorbet topped with Caramelized Peaches and Cherries in a Cookie Shell accompanied by a Fresh Fruit Napoleon
Moët Nectar Imperial

Garden editing

I love designing – and redesigning – my gardens. (I call it “garden editing.”) And today’s weather is really putting me in the mood to do a lot of garden editing. That’s why a recent e-mail from The Clark Art Institute caught my eye. Am I interested in learning how to design a great garden by copying ideas from famous painters such as Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cézanne, and Claude Monet? You betcha!

This is a free event that’s worth the nice drive up to the Berkshires, if you’re a garden geek like me. Nationally recognized garden designer and author Gordon Hayward will explore the visual language shared between painters and garden designers during his illustrated lecture "Fine Paintings as Inspiration for Garden Design" at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Hayward is a garden designer and lecturer who has been writing for Horticulture Magazine for 25 years. He is a contributing editor at Fine Gardening Magazine , the author of nine books on garden design, and has lectured at art museums and garden organizations across the country regularly since 1995. Hayward and his wife Mary have been developing a one-and-a-half-acre garden around their 220-year-old farmhouse in southern Vermont for the past 23 years, as well as a tiny garden outside their cottage in the Cotswold Hills of England. His 2003 book, Your House, Your Garden: A Foolproof Approach to Garden Design, won a book award from The American Horticultural Society. Hayward's new book, Art and the Gardener, will be available this fall.

Here is more info from The Clark:

During this lecture, Hayward will juxtapose images of paintings and gardens to explore the many levels of similarity between how painters and garden designers construct their images. See Childe Hassam's In the Garden next to an image from Hayward's own garden in Vermont to illustrate an Impressionist passage in a garden. Uncover how Gustav Klimt's The Park shows the gardener how to keep trees pruned low to compress views under them. Among the many works of art illustrated will be the Clark's The Duck Pond by Claude Monet; Sleeping Girl with a Cat by Pierre-Auguste Renoir; Wood Gatherers: An Autumn Afternoon by George Inness; and Edgar Degas's The Dancing Lesson. Above all, this is a lecture about seeing.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November 1 through May 31. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.

Men's clothes???

A friend and I were chatting the other day about the dearth of fine stores for men's clothing in the area -- or at least, that we didn't know where to look. (Being as I am a woman, I admit I haven't looked too hard.)

Anyway, I thought I would throw the question out here -- where do you shop for good men's clothing, meaning formal, work, office-casual or resort wear?

An enjoyable evening

I spent a great couple of hours last weekend at Kingston's waterfront area. We started out by getting our names on the list at Savona's Trattoria at 11 Broadway (it's quite popular).Then we walked up the street to check out Cecilia Madden's new wine store (her family owns Savona's) while we were waiting for our table.

We found a great selection of wine at good prices in the lovely little shop. I bought two bottles I'll taste soon -- a Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel (a big, fun red wine I'd enjoyed in the past) and Polka dot, which I bought because 1. I really like German Rieslings and 2. it's packaged in such a cute bottle. My companion said it looked like a "girly wine" but I'll let you be the judge. (I had photographed the bottle for the blog but then found this great image of it at this site -- much better than my attempts!)

I'd met Cecilia Madden a few times many years ago when I worked with her husband Bill (a longtime area newspaper photographer who unexpectedly passed away a few years ago). It was nice to reconnect and to see the wonderful place she's established on the Rondout.

Back at Savona's we had a delicious meal -- real Italian comfort food at very reasonable prices in a nice setting. The menu is here. (Be sure to try the pumpkin ravioli in sage butter sauce.)

All in all, it was a great (and easy) way to spend an evening. :-)