HALLOWINE CELEBRATION AT

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

Saturday

October 25, 11am-5pm

The kids shouldn't have all the fun – or goodies! Come to the winery for some devilish delights, including a special "witch's brew."
Wear a costume and get a special treat.

PARA-NORMALCY

Monday, October 27 , 6-8pm
An Evening With Stephen Wagner, the "Ghost Man" of New York

To get you in the mood for Halloween, we have invited Stephen to come to the winery to give a talk about the world of ghosts, anomalies, strange creatures, ESP, EVP and much more!! Forget the traditional scary movies - come hear for yourself what may be haunting your very neighborhood! Stephen is a writer, editor, and a researcher of paranormal phenomena, as well as a member of the Central New York Ghost Hunters.

When: Monday, October 27, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Cost: $20 (includes two glasses of wine, cheese and crackers, and the lecture)
RSVP: by responding to this email. Space is limited to the first 25 respondents.

See you at the Winery....if you dare!!

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES
AT THE
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

I was exhausted. We had the usual Farmers Markets on Friday and Saturday as well as the Saturday event at the winery, the Psychic Fair. We also had a tasting at Damiani Gallery in Hudson, NY, and a table promoting our winery at Olana. Our entire team really extended themselves this weekend.

Laura and Allison had worked all day in the tastingroom Sunday. Laura had also really worked hard Saturday with Norma and Danni, and Dominique and I, to make the weekend a success.

Now, I was returning from taking my sons to the Morris Center soccer league, where I had watched them play an entire game for the first time this season. The air was cool, the trees were on fire with fall, and the sky was bright blue, just before the sun began its descent.

Upon my return home, my wife told me there was a couple in the winery who insisted on meeting me. I was exhausted and tired. The last thing on a Sunday night was to meet new people. I just wanted to crash on the couch in the den until dinner time.

Instead I got the shock of my life. There, sitting in one of the white wicker chairs in the tasting room, was Joe Federico. I hadn't seen Joe Federico since high school. I laughed out loud. There was a time when we were very rarely seen apart back in the day.

All I had to do was see his profile, I knew immediately who it was. We had lost touch over the years, as happens to people. But seeing him was like the past rising over me like a swell in the ocean.

We sipped wine, and laughed. He and his wife, Marianne Buckley were coming back from a vacation in New England, and decided to make a detour and surprise me. By Joe's count, we hadn't seen each other in 27 years! Was it possible? He had found be through the winery, by following this blog.



We talked about old times. Our summer job painting classrooms at our old school. We also painted the old gym one summer. (What were we thinking? Hanging off of rafters and scaffolds like chimpanzees....for peanuts). Revamping the old year book office so nicely with our own sweat and blood, that the teachers took it over the year after we graduated as the new teacher's lounge. Driving through snow drifts with our old cars (I had a 63 Chevy Belair; he a 1963 Ford Falcon).




The most penetrating memory I had of Joe was when we were 17 years old. We were bored one night, and missed a late show of movie late in our senior year. We drove up to New Brunswick to see a show, and were too late, so we just kept driving. We discovered White Castle for the first time as we drove up Route 1. We just kept going and decided we would go, without telling our parents, to New York City. It was a grand adventure.

We assumed we'd sneak into a couple of bars. Maybe pick up some city chicks. We were so green. We knew nothing of the city. We decided that all the night life must be around the World Trade Center. When we got there at 12:30 at night, the streets of the old downtown, near Wall Street, were dead. Empty. Vacant. But there were the Towers. We parked and walked around the old Plaza, the old fountain and globe, and then laid down on the ground, and looked straight up at the stars, all while lying right between the two massive Towers. The stars seemed like they were hung on strings between the two white pillars. The view was breathtaking.


We never did find any hot action that night, as we thought we would, but many years later, when the Towers fell, he and I were both thinking the same thing - we remembered that silly ride and the breath-taking moment we looked up between those two incredible towers, and saw the stars.

And now here he was, in our tastingroom. And it seemed as if time hadn't skipped a beat. As wine often does, it smoothed the transition from past to present, and helped make stories funnier, talk easier. The hours past like minutes. They had to go home. I wished he could have stayed at least a whole other day. It was good to see my long, lost friend.


Thanks Joe for stopping by. And no, it won't be another 27 years.

THE NIGHT CREW
AT THE
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

Last Monday night, Steve C. showed up with three trucks full of grapes, and a cadre of friends an associates. Only problem was, it was after I had dinner and dessert. I was ready for the couch and some sleep.


Instead, we crushed grapes. Most notable of all the participants was a young man (pictured left, above) whose name was Ben, and who happened to be Steve's son.


Father and son worked and cajoled each other and the crowd. "You're dumping too much!" or "You're tipping them too fast!" which was answered by a fatherly shower of OK's and Yeah's. Ben helped direct the group when Steve was preoccupied, and always seemed to know what to do. It was remarkable for such a young man. Still, there was no denying it was the years learning at the feet of his father that was evident in all their interactions.

Almost as surprising was the fact that the cadre of friends that Steve had helping him on Columbus Day Monday, picking grapes and who helped him bring them over at the end of the day. They were very, very enthusiastic, and very gracious in their help. They were also energetic. It all happened so fast, and we all worked so hard, we were able to get everybody's names. (Sorry!)

Dominique and I, along with Steve and the crowd, worked until 9:30 Monday night. I mised part of the Giants game, which it turned out, wasn't such a bad thing. A loss to Cleveland. Awful!

Anyway, a sincere thank you to all those volunteered in the darkness to make wine deep into the night. Thank you, thank you.

Carlo and Dominique DeVito

PSYCHIC FAIR

AT THE

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

Why leave your fate up to trick-or-treat? This October, learn what’s really in your future.

The Hudson-Chatham Winery will host a Psychic Fair on Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Two psychics with years of experience will be at the winery to do tarot card readings. If you ever get that spooky feeling this time of year, why not follow up on your intuitions and let Linda or Christina reveal what’s really going on for you.

It’s an event not to be missed. For more information, call (518) 392-WINE or visit the website at http://www.hudsonchathamwinery.com./

LINDA SHIELDS

Linda Shields is a professional psychic and published author. She resides in Howell, NJ. She recently published a set of Angel Inspiration cards. It is available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

Comforting Angel Affirmations Offer Advice & Encouragement
Angels are always around us, providing serenity and guidance whenever we call upon them. Now you can connect with the angels.
Use the heart-shaped affirmation deck in the morning or at night to assess your day's experiences. Select cards from the rectangular divination deck for mini-readings about the future. Read through the book for information about who the angels are, what they dom and their hierarchy.
This gift set includes: The Power of Angels, a 64-page, all-in-color book, as well as a heart-shaped affirmation deck and a rectangular divination deck, each with 52 beautifully illustrated cards.

READINGS BY CHRISTINA

At Psychic Readings By Christina we are dedicated to using our psychic ability to help people. Whether you want to know about your professional life or love life, we will give you the answers you need in order to make informed decisions in your life. Psychic Readings By Christina, located in Schenectady, New York, offers the following services:
Aura Photography
Aura Readings
Chakra Balancing
Cleansing Negativity
Create Positive Energy In Your Life
Crystal Readings
Entry Cleansing
Leave No Question Unanswered
Palm Reading
Psychic Life
Reunite Separate
Se Alba Espanol
Spiritual Psychic Aura Interpretation
Spiritual Psychic Vibration Aura Interpretation
Tarot Card Readings
We’re here to help you on your life’s path. Stop in today for your personalized, in-depth reading!

http://psychicreadingsbychristina.com/home.nxg

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
CELEBRATES AT GOOLD'S ORCHARDS
APPLE FEST AND CRAFTS SHOW 2008
Goold's Apple Festival and Crafts Show was the first festival we ever did last year. So this was our first return engagement. And it was quite a thrill.

The Goold Apple Fest is one of our favorites. The weather was great last year and this year. The Saturday crowds were awesome...friendly, thirsty, and personable. A great time.

Here's one happy festival goer talking about our Gewurztraminer!

This festival, the cavalry that we called in was an old college friend, Rich Srsich of Lowell, Massachusetts. Rich came with his traveling buddy Winslow. Here are pictures of Rich and Dawson (our son) and Winslow below. Rich is a professional salesman, and has worked in a number of cool companies. He did this just for fun. Call him crazy.

So we packed up the stationwagon and zoomed off the Goolds. It's the closest festival for us each year, and of course we were the last winery in. A late start after some confusion about where things were...table cloths, charge slips, etc. And then a wrong turn off I-90. Oooops!





And when the kids get to go, it's always a challenge. Because we need them to help us under the big wine tent, but there's also so much for kids to do. So we let Dawson loose fora little. He went and got a hamburger and came back with ketchup on his face. He also had fries. He wondered in the apple orchard (the photo up top is by Dawson) and he went to the corn maze. Here's his corn maze picture.




Rich did a great job selling. He was simply awesome. Here he is in action selling wine, and you can see the crowds.

Thanks again to the folks at Goold's for inviting us again this year (and putting up with the late appearance - sorry!) and thanks to Rich Srsich for helping out. Great job, dude!

(p.s. Rich is single and available)

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINES

NOW AVAILABLE AT

CHATHAM WINE & LIQUOR

We are both pleased and proud to annonce that Hudson-Chatham Winery products can now be found at at Chatham Wine & Liquors in Chatham, New York.

Chatham Wine & Liquor
53 Main St Ste 1
Chatham, NY 12037-1230
Phone: (518) 392-2841

BLANC DE BLANC

NOW AVAILABLE AT

BLUE PLATE RESTAURANT

CHATHAM, NY

The Blue Plate is a wonderful restaurant located in the heart of Chatham, NY. A popular American-style bistro, it is easy and elegant, yet casual. Fresh, linen-white bead board and lots of light from outside make it it homey and comfortable.

There's no lying - our entire family loves the meatloaf! It's fabulous! But there's many other great things to try. They always seem to have wonderful live music, and the paintings on the walls are beautiful.

Don't trust us? How about Fodors?

"The paper covering the white linen tablecloths and the crayons displayed in water glasses reflect the relaxed nature of this eatery. From shrimp étouffée to hamburgers, everything here is just right. The kitchen makes the most of organic, local produce and gets its cheese and lamb from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, well known among gourmands. Vegetarian entrées change nightly, drawing aficionados from miles around."

As of today, the Blue Plate Restaurant will be serving Hudson-Chatham Winery's Blanc de Blanc, our sparkling wine. We are very, very proud and excited to be associated with such a restaurant!

Go and enjoy! And tell 'em we sent you!

Blue Plate Restaurant • 1 Kinderhook Street, Chatham, NY 12037(518) 392-7711

http://www.chathamblueplate.net/index.htm

HARVEST TIME AT
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

It's that time of year again. Ralph and Steve C. are hard at work, as are the rest of us, picking grapes, destemming, pressing and doing all that fun stuff. It's an exciting time of year, but it's also a little nerve wracking. The grapes don't always cooperate by developing the sugars at the same time each year. It's lots of phone calls back and forth trying to decide when's the right time to make the right call. So you have to watch them day-by-day, and then when they hit their peak, it's off to the races.


It's lots of hard work and late housrs.

And it's messy!
And backbreaking!

But in the end....

we have a lot of fun!

VANILLA BASIL RAVES ABOUT
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

Vanilla Basil is a wonderful foodie website. You can read the current blog at:

http://www.vanillabasil.blogspot.com/

and you can read more about us at this website at:

http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/08/have-you-eaten-it-and-days-on-triple.html

from My Mini-Vacation in the Hudson Valley August 14, 2008

...In between morning and afternoon milkings, we went to the nearby Hudson - Chatham Winery for a wonderful round of wine tasting. They have a wonderful blog you should visit. The hostess was VERY generous with her pours, but they had some great wine, including a lovely award winning Merlot (I generally hate Merlot), a great blush and a tasty raspberry port.

In addition to the wines, they had a great selection of maple and fruit syrups and locally made cheeses. I fell in love with this Camembert from Hudson Valley Sheephearding Company made with sheep and cows milk. Come to find out, it's even sold by Dean and Deluca, a sure mark of quality! I left with 5 bottles of wine, a round of cheese, a tasting glass and a big ole grin! (So far the camembert was melted down over a fresh spinach open faced sandwich, washed down with Merlot - pictured below).

We thank her for her kind words, and we do encourage you to read her site...it's delicious!