HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY AT
FINGER LAKES WINE FESTIVAL
DAY 3: THE END
Day 3 began the same as Day 2, we entered the Dragon - the Dunkin Dounuts parking lot in Watkins Glen - UGH! What a nightmare. Us, the other festival professionals, attendees, and Sunday services observers. Awful! Took 20 minutes to get a coffee and a bagel.
Then off to the tents. Another brief shower had hit. But we were good this time. And the water was starting to subside.
The drunkenness that some exhibit on Saturday generally subsides, and Sunday is buying day. The serious wine folks have tasted everything the day before. Sunday, they taste the few they missed the day before, and then make their buying decisions. They generally want to be out by Sunday around 2 to 3 pm. So Sunday morning is buying time. While Saturday had been manic and wild, Sunday mornings are for business. And we did business.
That said, Sundays start out a little subdued, so I went around, after chugging my coffee and bagel, and went and did some tasting. But by middle of the day everything was hopping. I walked away for about an hour total - about four 15 minute breaks, only to comeback to a mobbed table every time. First we sold out the Paperbirch Raspberry Fine Ruby. Then the Hudson River Valley Red. Then the Paperbirch Fine Ruby. Then the Paperbirch Palladian White. We sold lots of wine.
Met lots of other winemakers. Great overall experience.
Then comes the end of the show. It's what you're begging for - when the big, hulking state trooper steps in front of the stragglers, and says, "That's it. Show's over. Go home. No more serving!" He was our hero.
Then it's the mad dash. We look like refugees. The whole camp breaks up within an hour and half. The wine is boxed, trucks are backed in, and the stalls are broken down as fast an anyone can. Bottles are thrown in the recycling dumpster. Leftover boxes are broken down. Banners are taken down. The circus is closing up.
Then we were on the road. With 4 1/2 hours of driving to go. After two days of standing we all decided we needed a quick dinner, but a sit down one. Diner or fast food - which ever came first. MacDonalds.
David and Chris had never seen anything like it. They did a great job. We were all exhausted. We ate quickly and with little fan fare. We drank lots of soda, tea, and water replenishing our bodies.
David drove up front ahead of the van in his BMW. We had phone contact form time to time. Chris drove the van while I worked on the numbers for the winery and for the festival, and then started working on my blog entries.
We followed David deep into the night and somewhere on I-90, 3 1/2 hours later we lost sight of each other and just each made our way for home.
We finally pulled into the winery at around 10:30. I couldn't wait to get to bed. Poor Chris still had another forty minutes to his home before finally getting into his bed. We offered his our guest room, but he wanted his own bed. As the saying goes, "Familiarity breeds a better sleep." I know I slept well.
FINGER LAKES WINE FESTIVAL
DAY 3: THE END
Day 3 began the same as Day 2, we entered the Dragon - the Dunkin Dounuts parking lot in Watkins Glen - UGH! What a nightmare. Us, the other festival professionals, attendees, and Sunday services observers. Awful! Took 20 minutes to get a coffee and a bagel.
Then off to the tents. Another brief shower had hit. But we were good this time. And the water was starting to subside.
The drunkenness that some exhibit on Saturday generally subsides, and Sunday is buying day. The serious wine folks have tasted everything the day before. Sunday, they taste the few they missed the day before, and then make their buying decisions. They generally want to be out by Sunday around 2 to 3 pm. So Sunday morning is buying time. While Saturday had been manic and wild, Sunday mornings are for business. And we did business.
That said, Sundays start out a little subdued, so I went around, after chugging my coffee and bagel, and went and did some tasting. But by middle of the day everything was hopping. I walked away for about an hour total - about four 15 minute breaks, only to comeback to a mobbed table every time. First we sold out the Paperbirch Raspberry Fine Ruby. Then the Hudson River Valley Red. Then the Paperbirch Fine Ruby. Then the Paperbirch Palladian White. We sold lots of wine.
Met lots of other winemakers. Great overall experience.
Then comes the end of the show. It's what you're begging for - when the big, hulking state trooper steps in front of the stragglers, and says, "That's it. Show's over. Go home. No more serving!" He was our hero.
Then it's the mad dash. We look like refugees. The whole camp breaks up within an hour and half. The wine is boxed, trucks are backed in, and the stalls are broken down as fast an anyone can. Bottles are thrown in the recycling dumpster. Leftover boxes are broken down. Banners are taken down. The circus is closing up.
Then we were on the road. With 4 1/2 hours of driving to go. After two days of standing we all decided we needed a quick dinner, but a sit down one. Diner or fast food - which ever came first. MacDonalds.
David and Chris had never seen anything like it. They did a great job. We were all exhausted. We ate quickly and with little fan fare. We drank lots of soda, tea, and water replenishing our bodies.
David drove up front ahead of the van in his BMW. We had phone contact form time to time. Chris drove the van while I worked on the numbers for the winery and for the festival, and then started working on my blog entries.
We followed David deep into the night and somewhere on I-90, 3 1/2 hours later we lost sight of each other and just each made our way for home.
We finally pulled into the winery at around 10:30. I couldn't wait to get to bed. Poor Chris still had another forty minutes to his home before finally getting into his bed. We offered his our guest room, but he wanted his own bed. As the saying goes, "Familiarity breeds a better sleep." I know I slept well.
posted by hudson-chathamwine at 10:02 PM
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