Local, local, local!

Several opportunities for foodies and especially, locavores, to enjoy themselves in the mid-Hudson Valley ... Tonight, from 6-11 p.m., is Specialty Craft Beer night at Terrapin in Rhinebeck. You can try Capt. Lawrence Smoked Porter, a New York artisanal beer poured from a wooden pin keg by Terrapin beverage director Chris Carbone. How cool is that?

And then tomorrow night, New World Home Cooking Co. in Saugerties and Ric Orlando present Local Food and Local Wine- A "50 Mile Meal"-- their first special dinner for the fall, featuring "wines and center of the plate items that have been produced within 50 miles of New World." You can see the menu (which sounds delicious!) by clicking on the photo above to make it larger. $55 per person, 15% discount for designated drivers. Reserve by calling 845-246-0900.

What a weekend!

Sooooo many choices ...

Here are some suggestions for fun things to do this weekend. (I'm not sure I am going to be able to get to all of these events, but I'll do my best!)

Art Studio Tours in the Rhinebeck-Red Hook area on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 18-19) -- meet well-known and up-and-coming artists, view works-in-progress and purchase or commission art during this self-guided tour of more than two dozen artist studios. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. More info and maps at www.artsnortherndutchess.org

On Saturday, Michael Gallo Farrell's exhibit, "An Organic Octave Overture," opens at Mill Street Loft, 45 Pershing Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Michael is the associate director of the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft (and also happens to be married to one of my co-workers, Poughkeepsie Journal assistant local editor Barbara Gallo Farrell.) The exhibit runs through Nov. 20 and "is a now-and-then show embracing the themes of the natural world, the Hudson Valley and real organic music" through a combination of traditional and digital photography. The opening reception takes place from 5-9 p.m. with ethnic food, spirits and live music.

Celebrate the bounty of the Hudson Valley at Octoberfest 2008 -- from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday at Terrapin Catering at Dinsmore Golf Course, Route 9 in Staatsburg (just south of the village of Rhinebeck). The event, presented by Terrapin restaurant and catering and Fleishers Grassfed & Organic Meats, includes beer, wine and food samples from local producers. Additional food vendors will be selling "innovative pub grub and a slant on Octoberfest favorites like kielbasa and more." Live polka music from Brauhause Musikanten. Admission is $19.95 for advance tickets available at WDST.com and $25 at the door; $12 for designated driver/20 and under; kids 12 and under free (all minors must be accompanied by an adult).

This weekend is also the always-wonderful NY Sheep & Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck. This is the place for you, if you like crafting or eating (there are going to be fab chef demos this year!) Those into the fabric arts might also want to cross the Hudson River and swing by the Quilters Cornucopia taking place Saturday and Sunday in Stone Ridge. Quilts, quilted wearables, quilt-related vendors, demonstrations, and more. Exhibit of artist-made dolls. $6 admission. SUNY Ulster Senate Gym, Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge.

Whew. Have fun!

Gentle art of silhouette

This sounds like an amazing idea for a holiday card, gift or decor.

Artist Deborah O’Connor is dedicated to preserving the 19th century art form of silhouettes, and she will be at Boscobel House & Gardens in Garrison on Saturday, October 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day of cutting shadow portraits of all family members, including pets!

“The silhouettes are perfect for those who like to make their own greeting cards,” Donna Blaney, Boscobel’s event coordinator, said in a press release. “They can add a truly old-fashioned feel to holiday cards made online...simply scan the silhouette at home and upload to your favorite card-making website.”

Here is more information:

Each silhouette created by Ms. O’Connor is a small work of art, created freehand using paper and scissors as the only tools. There is no drawing or tracing done first, making it a vanishing art form as far from today’s digital world as you can get. The resulting heirloom-quality portraits are stunning and perfect for framing, gift giving, and more. Matting and framing will be available on site. Prices start at approximately $40.

Call 845-265-3638 x115 to make an appointment for your silhouette sitting. Visit www.Boscobel.org for more information. Boscobel is located on scenic Route 9D in Garrison, New York. From April through October, hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the last tour at 4:15 p.m. The museum and distinctive gift shop are open every day except Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Strutting their stuff, for good

Want to help raise money for a good cause? Love fashion? Or just curious about what our local Realtors look like when they are all gussied up and strutting on a runway?

The Ulster County Board of Realtors fashion show takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Hillside Manor in Kingston and will benefit the Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Cancer Fund at Benedictine Hospital. The Fund helps support local cancer patients and their families with gas and grocery cards, and medical supplies.

The fashion show will feature local Realtors on the runway modeling formal wear. Guests may enjoy appetizers and a cash bar while visiting vendors selling handbags, jewelry, cosmetics and glass creations. Tickets for the event are $30 and may be purchased from the UCBR office at 845-338-5299.

“It was important to us to keep the money we raise in Ulster County,” Broker Associate Jeanine Stoddard of Colucci Shand Realty in Gardiner, who chaired the event, said in a release. “We had a full house at last year’s event and we hope do the same this year.”

The organization represents more than 1,400 real estate professionals. In addition to helping in the fight against cancer, UCBR’s Community Services Committee has raised money for a number of local charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Ulster County Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services, Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church’s Caring Hands meal program and People’s Place. The Committee’s next event will be a wine dinner in November to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

3 wagging tails

We give 3 wagging tails to this one :-)

My daughter and I (and our dogs) had a chance to check out the Dog Park at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery (near Stewart Airport in Orange County) yesterday. What a great place! We met a friend who lives in the area and our dogs had a lot of fun running around off-leash and making doggie friends.

Here is a description of the place from this Web site. I sure wish there was something like this in northern Dutchess County (where we live). Anyone have info to share about any other good dog runs in the Hudson Valley?

Orange County opened its first dog park during the fall of 2007 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park. This fenced-in off-leash area is approximately 1.5 acres and features separate areas for "Small Dogs" and "All Dogs," water fountains, benches and shade areas. The landscape of the park has contrasts of flat open areas and rolling hills for dogs of all sizes to enjoy. This is a great venue for dogs to socialize and exercise. The dog park is open to the public, 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to dusk.

Community Foundation Garden Party

I enjoyed some great food & music, caught up with a lot of old friends (and made a few new ones) this past Sunday at the Community Foundation of Dutchess County Garden Party. The elegant event honored longtime local lawmaker Kip Bleakley O'Neill and attorney Arthur L. Gellert and took place under a large white tent on the grounds of Obercreek, the absolutely beautiful home of Alex Reese and Alison Spear in Hughsonville.

A few photos from the event are here at the Poughkeepsie Journal Web site.

Proceeds from the party go towards the Community Foundation's efforts to promote philanthropy in Dutchess, Ulster and Putnam counties.

River photo contest begins!

Have a passion for photography and the Hudson River? The Poughkeepsie Journal has launched a year-long photo contest to coincide with the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations and the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge pedestrian walkway project.

The contest is open to residents of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Columbia and Greene counties. It began earlier this week and ends on Sept. 30, 2009. A winner and runner up will be announced for each month, with one grand prize winner chosen from the monthly winners when the contest wraps up in the fall of 2009. The winners will be announced at the newspaper's Hudson Happenings Web site each month. Full rules are at the Hudson Happenings Web site.

Photo entries must show the Hudson River or an identifiable location along the river. Of course, the photos have to be your own and cannot be digitally altered. Photos must be uploaded using the form on the Hudson Happenings Web site as jpg files (see full rules for sizing), and no photo prints will be accepted. You can enter as many times as you like (though you can only win once).

The contest will be judged by the Poughkeepsie Journal's photographers. (Some of their amazing river shots are archived at the Hudson Happenings Web site.)

Here's more about it:

“During the past 200 years, the river has been a beacon for both artists, who developed the Hudson River School of painting, and photographers, who have passionately camped out along the shore at sunrise and sunset to take a beautiful, one-of-a-kind picture,” said Spencer Ainsley, multimedia director for photography and videography at the Poughkeepsie Journal. (He also is photo director for Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine.) "We know there are many photographers in the region who are passionate about taking beautiful pictures of Hudson River scenes.

“This is a great opportunity and we encourage anyone with a camera to enter the contest."

Beyond the Woods

I was able to attend the opening of Beyond the Woods yesterday at Vassar College. I wish I could have stayed longer to really study the images. I'll try to get back.

Beyond the Woods is Spencer Ainsley’s collection of 31 black and white documentary photographs depicts the striking independence and self-reliance of inhabitants of the secluded Blue Ridge Mountain region of North Carolina in the late 1980s and early 1990s. If you recognize the name, it might be because he is Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s photo director and director of Multimedia for Photography and Videography at the Poughkeepsie Journal. At left is one of the images in the exhibition: Recluse, 1991 -- Murph, 77, a hermit living near the remote and rugged community of Globe, North Carolina, peers out the front door of his license plate sided shack after flood waters washed it down a hillside. A one-time furniture factory worker, Murph lives alone with no electricity or running water. He chops firewood for a private hunting lodge in exchange for food.


Ainsley shot the series when he worked for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group in Lenoir, NC. The exhibit runs through October 22 at the James W. Palmer III Gallery, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie. Gallery hours are Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m; Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Museum Day!

An e-mail from the Katonah Museum of Art reminds me that this weekend is Smithsonian Free Museum Day, when participating museums welcome Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors for free. (The actual day of the event is Saturday, September 27 but those museums that are not open on Saturday will participate on Sunday.)

A number of cultural institutions in the Hudson Valley are participating, including the Katonah Museum of Art, Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in Poughkeepsie, Gomez Mill House Museum and Historic Site in Marlboro, and Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz. (There are many more listed on the directory of participating museums.) You’ll need the free “admission card” in the Smithsonian magazine (or to print it from the Web site) for the free admission.

This is the fourth year for the Free Museum Day, which “reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the institution’s Washington, DC-based properties.” Last year, upwards of 100,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states represented in more than 650 museums, according to the release. It sounds like a great opportunity to introduce yourself (or reconnect) to the wonderful museums in our area!

Fall flower sale

Summer may be over but it's not to late to think about gardens. In fact, now is the time to put in some fall blooming plants (such as mums) and plant others that will flower next year (such as rose bushes and tulip bulbs.)

There is a fall flower sale going on in the main lobby of Northern Dutchess Hospital on Thursday and Friday (September 25 and 26) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale is run by the NDH Auxiliary and proceeds benefit their ongoing support of Northern Dutchess Hospital.

Organizers say they'll have a generous supply of bargain-priced plants in beautiful fall colors. The hospital is located on Route 9 in the village of Rhinebeck.

We're walking ...

Rain or shine, on Saturday my daughter and I will be walking in the Paws in the Park fundraiser for the Dutchess County SPCA. Our two rescue dogs are coming along. (One of them came from the Dutchess SPCA and so he'll get to wear a big yellow bow to mark that fact.) It looks like the day's forecast calls for it to be cooler than last year's event (which was a lot of fun -- but hot!)

Michael Woyton has more info on the event on his blog.

See you there? Or if you support the SPCA but cannot make it to the walk in person, you can also donate to the cause online.

Oustanding in this field!

Noting two opportunities to celebrate local food this weekend:

Acclaimed chef Melissa Kelly (who has local ties) will be guest chef at this Sunday's (Sept. 14) Outstanding in the Field dinner at Gigi Market at Greig Farm in Red Hook.

Outstanding in the Field says its mission is to

"re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. ... the Field is a roving culinary adventure - literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. ... Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table. Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table."

Kelly is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has worked as executive chef at the Beekman Tavern in Rhinebeck and The Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Inn in Columbia County. She was named one of the upcoming chefs of the 1990s by Food & Wine magazine, and has been recognized by a lot of other national publications. She won the 1999 James Beard Foundation Award as American Express Best Chef, Northeast and also was nominated in 1998. Today, she is executive chef and proprietor of Primo in Rockland, Maine, along with Price Kushner. According to her online bio, in 2003 she partnered with JW Marriott to open a second Primo at the Grande Lakes Resort; Orlando, Florida. A third followed in 2003 at Starr Pass Resort; Tucson, Arizona.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m., costs $200 per person and will also feature host farmer Norman Greig, and the Biezynski Family of Northwind Farms. Limited seating is still available. Please call John Storm at 845-876-1007 to reserve.

And if you don't feel like forking over $200 to eat with Melissa Kelly, on Saturday (Sept. 13) from 4 to 7 p.m. there's also the opportunity to celebrate local food with the Green Pizza Fundraiser for the Family Farm Festival, with all-you-can-eat pizzas handcrafted using ingredients from local farms, at Epworth Center in High Falls. Suggested donation is $20 per adult, $10 per child ages 7-12. Kids under six eat for free. The menu includes everything you'd want for a meal, including dessert pizzas!

Here is more info from the organizers:

Pizza baked to crispy perfection in a wood-fired cob oven. Heirloom tomato tastings. Acoustic music. Tours of permaculture and edible forest gardens and straw-bale house. All in support of the continuation of the Family Farm Festival from 2009 into the future!

WHY: To gather together the initial funds necessary to incorporate the Family Farm Festival--originally organized by Dina Falconi and Jen Prosser--into a non-profit organization, and to raise money to begin staging the annual festival again in 2009.

I've been to the last few Family Farm Festivals as a member of Slow Food Hudson Valley and can vouch that it is a lovely family event that celebrates local farms and food producers. I'm looking forward to its return!
Directions and more info here: http://www.sunstoneherbs.com/festival

Fall for Art -- tonight!

It's never too soon to start thinking about holiday gift giving ... and here is an opportunity to find some unique items.

The Jewish Federation of Ulster County holds its 12th annual Fall for Art Juried Art Show, Sale and Cocktail Reception fundraiser tonight (Thursday Sept. 4) at Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston, from 6-9 p.m.

Admission is $35 advance/$40 at the door. Call 845-338-8131 or visit www.ucjf.org for more info. Fall for Art’s donation recipient is The Children’s Annex, which will develop a visual arts program for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Today I appreciate

Today I appreciate

Being here. At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for the Hudson Valley, I really appreciate that I live here. I spent last week vacationing in the Midwest (meeting wonderful people, eating way too much good food and in general, having a great time in a really nice part of the country.) But I’m still so happy to be home in the Hudson Valley. Not only is it my home, it’s just a good place to be. We have gorgeous views; great schools and colleges; excellent restaurants, farms and food producers; good shopping; and stellar recreation, entertainment and cultural offerings. Our weather’s not too bad either!

Local apples. Having been raised in a local apple-growing community, I can’t enjoy anything called “apple” that is shipped from elsewhere in the country (or world) and sold in our grocery stores. No matter the variety, Hudson Valley apples just taste better. A farmer told me once that he thought it might be our acid soils that make the local apples taste so fine. Whatever the reason, I am happy it’s apple season now! Do you have a favorite variety or local farmstand?


Only two more days until the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck. Did you see the official program and taster’s guide inserted in last week’s Poughkeepsie Journal? Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, September 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food concessions. Music. Chef demos. Art and crafts vendors. Kids activities. And of course, wine from all over New York state to sample and purchase. Visit www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com for ticket prices and options. I’ll be there on Saturday – stop by the Journal table and say “hi!” You can tell me if you spotted my photo in the program. ☺

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.


And I can’t forget that the fest’s Grand Reserve Wine Tasting on Friday (Sept. 5) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. benefits the Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation. The dinner that accompanies the tasting celebrates "The Bounty of the Hudson Valley," featuring Hudson Valley products prepared by eight of the area's most well-respected chefs. Eight wineries, (from the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and some international locations) will pair wines with each chef's creation. The dinner will be take place in the Horticultural Building at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. Michael Green, (Wine and Spirits consultant to Gourmet Magazine), will speak and will be on hand to offer wine pairing advice to guests.

Here is more from the press release:

George Verrilli, MD, Chairman of the NDH Foundation will be attending the Grand Reserve Dinner with his wife, Christine. "We are so grateful to Michael Babcock and his team for all the effort they have put forth in creating this special event for the benefit of Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation. We are honored to have been chosen as the recipient of proceeds from his event, and we look forward to seeing many community members -- from wine novices to connoisseurs -- there that night to help us celebrate," said Dr. Verrilli.


Tickets may be purchased online at www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com or by calling 1-888-687-2517. The price is $80 per person, and the ticket price includes a half price admission ticket to the Festival, good for either Saturday, September 6th or Sunday, September 7th (with purchase code HVGR08). All proceeds benefit Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation.

And I’m especially happy that school started today!!

Wine & food, short & sweet ...

Mark your calendars for the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck.

Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, September 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food concessions. Music. Chef demos. Art and crafts vendors. Kids activities. And of course, wine from all over New York state to sample and purchase.
www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com for ticket prices and options.

On the fast track

One of the articles in the August issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur looks at clubs for owners of FAST cars, where they can try out their machines legally and safely. If you're interested in watching fast cars, then you should head to the historic Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut this weekend.

This weekend (from August 29 to September 1), you can discover the glamour, glory and style of historic and vintage sports cars on the track, in the open paddock and during the prestigious Sunday in the Park Automotive Extravaganza at the Rolex Vintage Festival presented by BMW. Tickets range from $15-80. Lime Rock is at 60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville, Connecticut. 860-435-5000 or www.limerock.com

Friends & Neighbors

Local residents and legendary musicians Jack DeJohnette and Pat Metheny team with acclaimed bassist Larry Grenadier for two nights of music Thursday and Friday (August 28 and 29) in a benefit concert for the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), and Family of Woodstock, a service agency providing food, shelter, advocacy and counseling in Ulster County. Both shows start at 8 p.m. at the Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock. Tickets at www.bearsvilletheater.com/events-calendar or 845-679-4406.

I'm writing this post ahead of time (as I was away earlier this week) so I'd suggest that before heading to Woodstock you should call first to make sure tickets are still available. This sounds like a great opportunity to see some world-class music in a wonderful venue.

Real time wine

The 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition took place this month at the Mohonk Mountain House. I caught up with the group on Wednesday August 20 during a special event to unveil a new Web site promoting Hudson Valley wines, and had a chance to finally meet (in person) Hudson Valley Wine Goddess (and Poughkeepsie Journal wine blogger) Debbie Lessner-Gioquindo. Now, the Internet is great (please -- keep reading our blogs!) but there's nothing better than having a real glass of wine with a new friend!

Santo Stefano Wine Club

Catching up with August -- it's been a busy month.

I was at the August 8 ribbon cutting ceremony/grand opening of the Santo Stefano Winemaking Club in Wappingers Falls ... My understanding is that it's a club where you can buy a membership and then oversee the blending of your own barrel of wine. It's based at a beautiful event facility. This looks like an interesting and fun activity to share with friends who are "into" wine or a unique gift for your favorite wine enthusiast -- and the wine we tasted that day was pretty darn good. :-)

Here's a video of that day.

Today I appreciate

Milkshakes from the 4H booth at the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck. Yes, I know EVERYONE writes about these, but they really are *that* good. And today is the last day to get them (this year). Have fun at the fair if you go.

Fresh tomatoes from my garden, finally! Tomato sandwich for breakfast was heavenly!

The sunflowers lining the fields along Route 299 leaving New Paltz. I saw them last week when I was heading towards Rivendell Winery but didn't have time to take a photo, so you'll have to take a drive to see them for yourself.

Bright Horizons at Casperkill summer camp in Poughkeepsie. This is the third summer my child has spent here, and I'm still amazed at the super facilities, varied programs and especially, the wonderful counselors and counselors-in-training.

Whitecliff vineyards nabs honors ...

Whitecliff Vineyard in Gardiner won an award for its 2007 Traminette during the 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition, which took place this week at the Mohonk Mountain House. I caught up with the group on Wednesday during a special event to unveil a new Web site promoting Hudson Valley wines. But more about that later ...

I toured Whitecliff with Slow Food Hudson Valley last year and was impressed not only with its wines but also with its knowledgeable owners and especially, with its scenic location under the Shawangunk Ridge. I recommend it for a visit!

Debbie the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess has more on her blog about regional producers that did well during the Classic.

And here is the official press release:

Swedish Hill Winery from the Finger Lakes won the coveted “Governor’s Cup” trophy at the 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition, held on August 19 & 20 at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. The “Winery of the Year” award also went to Swedish Hill Winery.

The elegant Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice, recognizes the “Best of Show” or top prize of all 775 entries in the Classic, known as “The Oscars” of New York wine. The “Winery of the Year” award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.

This year’s competition included 775 New York wines from the Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment, Lake Erie, and other regions of New York State. The 2007 Vidal Blanc was also voted Best White Wine, and Best Vidal Blanc on its way to the ultimate award. Swedish Hill Winery received 2 Double Gold, 2 Gold, 11 Silver, and 7 Bronze awards on its way to that honor.

A new “Specialty Wine Champion” award was added this year to recognize consistent quality among the increasing number of wines made from fruits other than grapes, or honey. The 2008 winner was Earle Estates Meadery, with 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 5 Bronze awards.

The awards were based on blind tastings by 25 expert judges—7 from California, 11 from New York, and 7 from other states. Judges included prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers, and wine educators. Four-judge panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 25 judges for Best of Category and Governor’s Cup awards.

Celebrating its 23rd year, the Classic is organized by Teresa Knapp of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and is open to all 242 New York wineries from all regions. In 2008, a total of 14 Double Gold, 62 Gold, 198 Silver, and 266 Bronze medals were awarded. In addition, “Best of Category” and “Best of Class” designations were awarded to wines rated as the finest in various areas. Double Gold medals require unanimity among a panel’s judges that a wine deserves a Gold medal, whereas Gold medals require a majority vote.

The “Best of Category” awards, all eligible for the Governor’s Cup, went to Swedish Hill Winery NV Spumante Blush for Best Sparkling wine, Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc for Best White wine, Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rosé for Best Blush or Rosé wine, Bedell Cellars 2006 Musée for Best Red wine, Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot for Best Specialty wine, and Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine for Best Dessert wine.

The “Best of Class” awards for different varietals or proprietary blends, which were tasted off for “Best of Category” awards, went to Swedish Hill Vineyards Spumante Blush wine for Best Native Sparkling wine, Lakewood Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling for Best Dry Riesling wine, Hosmer 2007 Riesling for Best Semi-Dry Riesling wine, Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling for Best Semi-Sweet Riesling, Castello di Borghese Vineyard 2006 Chardonnay for Best Chardonnay wine, Macari Vineyards & Winery 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Katharine’s Field for Best Sauvignon Blanc, McGregor Vineyard 2007 Rkatsiteli-Sereksiya,Estate Grown for Best White Vinifera Blend, Whitecliff Vineyards 2007 Traminette for Best Traminette, Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc for Best Vidal Blanc, Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Silver Pencil for Best White Hybrid Blend, Arbor Hill Grapery 2007 Vergennes for Best Other Native White Varietal, Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars Liquid Wisdom for Best Niagara, Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rosé for Best Blush or Rosé, Torrey Ridge Winery Blue Sapphire for Best Concord, Barrington Cellars Baco Noir for Best Baco Noir, Swedish Hill Winery Viking Red for Best Red Hybrid Blend, Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc for Best Cabernet Franc, Osprey’s Dominion 2005 Reserve Merlot for Best Merlot, Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled for Best Cabernet Sauvignon, Bedell Cellars 2006 Musée for Best Red Vinifera Blend, Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot for Best Mead, Heron Hill Winery 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc for Best Late Harvest wine, and Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine for Best Ice Wine.

Complete results of the 2008 Classic will soon be posted under “New York Gold” at www.newyorkwines.org, which also includes Gold medal New York wines from other major competitions.

The Quad & the fair

Our area is going to be marking a major anniversary next year, the upcoming Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial as well as the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge walkway project. During 2009, communities along the Hudson River and Lake Champlain will mark the 400th anniversary (or quadricentennial) of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain's voyages along the river and lake that bear their names and the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's successful steamboat voyage and establishment of steam commerce on the Hudson River.

Also, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge Walkway Over the Hudson project is slated for a fall 2009 completion. The project, spearheaded by the nonprofit Walkway Over the Hudson, will connect communities on both sides of the river by providing public access for pedestrians, hikers, joggers, bicyclists and people with disabilities.

The Poughkeepsie Journal recently launched Hudson Happenings, a Web site about what's going on as the Hudson Valley gets ready to celebrate these events. The site has an events calendar and tourism info, as well as breaking news and feature stories, photos, podcasts, interactive Web features and videos about the river valley and its inhabitants, its history and its environment

A companion blog on the Hudson Happenings site, Quad Updates, will provide frequent bits of information about the events, including breaking news from some of the key people involved in that planning as well as a few folks here at the newspaper who are keeping tabs on what's going on.

Since I am involved with coordinating Quad info for the Poughkeepsie Journal, you're likely to see my name popping up frequently as the author of Quad Updates posts. Occasionally, I might write about the same things here on this blog and over there at Quad Updates.

Like last night, when during my visit to the Dutchess County Fair, I saw a Quadricentennial display in one of the main buildings. On the wall is a Hudson River mural celebrating the Quad created by resident-artists in the Fine Arts Program of the Northeast Center for Special Care in Lake Katrine. The Ulster County-based center serves those who are challenged by traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries and related conditions.

The charming and colorful mural depicts the Hudson River and several local landmarks in Dutchess, Ulster and Greene counties. (I photographed a small section of it, above.) It is tucked away in a corner of the building that houses the Grange cafeteria, but on the opposite end closer to the carnival rides. It's well worth checking out.

It's FAIR time!

When I am done with work today, I'll be heading out to the Dutchess County Fair, one of my favorite events each year! I'll be there with kids, so we'll be doing kid things (rides, rides, carnival games, rides, and fried fair food, of course.) 4-H milkshakes. Fried dough. Fried 'shrooms. Tomorrow we may regret it, but today we eat!

One exhibit I always try to see is the horticultural building, where amateur and pro gardeners strut their stuff. I LOVE to see what other gardeners are up to -- and if I can talk the kids into going along (or if I can sneak away), I'll get some photos of the floral exhibits to share on my gardening blog at poughkeepsiejournal.com tomorrow. (If not, I'm going back another day!) I also love the fairgrounds' landscaping, which has improved immensely over the past 10 years and is the work of the local Master Gardeners program, I believe.

By the way, those are my photos from last year's fair. The Poughkeepsie Journal just put up a gallery for folks to post their fair photos -- I LOVE looking through those. I believe the newspaper has a booth that has info to help folks post their photos.

See you at the fair!

Talking tomatoes

Great article at poughkeepsiejournal.com by my colleague Barbara Gallo Farrell about Amy Goldman, who is a longtime garden writer acquaintance of mine and who creates lovely books ... and coincidentally, I just got this note from Laura & the crew at Gigi's Trattoria in Rhinebeck: Celebrate the release of The Heirloom Tomato (Bloomsbury USA, 2009) by Rhinebeck's own Amy Goldman -- at Gigi Trattoria, from August 11th - 17th, enjoy Amy's delicious recipes on our daily lunch and dinner "specials". A limited number of signed books will available for purchase.

Today I appreciate

Fresh local corn and peaches from Migliorelli farmstand, on the east side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge

Lifehacker.com (neat blog about time management tools and just fun things on the Web)

Fresh basil and tomatoes from my garden

Yo-Yo Ma -- Schumann Cello Concerto on my iPod. I don't think I will be able to visit Tanglewood this summer so it's the next best thing.

Nalgene drinking water bottles from the Filter for Good program partnership with Brita water filters. I bought a few for my family at the local Hannaford market. Quality bottle at a good price that came bundled with drink mix packets (though I might not use the packets myself, I do know someone else who will use them). Who needs to buy bottled water when you can tote your own?