HUDSON CHATHAM WINERY WINS TWO MORE MEDALS AT 2011 FINGER LAKES INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETION Pitted against wines from around the world, Hudson-Chatham's Empire (Silver) and Baco Noir Old Vines (Bronze) came through with flying colors! Finger Lakes wine competition has record turnout Democrat & Chronicle by Ernest LaMothe Jr. March 27, 2011 Sixty judges working in four-person panels sat around a table discussing a Chardonnay. One group of four wine connoisseurs from four different states began breaking down its oak flavors with enthusiasm and sometimes blunt honesty. Head judge Linda King described one wine as something the nostril would mistake for a burning fire in a smoky cabin and gave it no rating. Another wine, while not her preference, received a good score. "To be a good judge, you have to be able to separate a wine that you wouldn't normally drink yourself but that is well made and deserves an award," said King, a 21-year judge from North Carolina. "You have to be able to remove yourself and your taste from the equation." For the second straight year, the 11th annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition set a record for the number of entries Saturday. At the Rochester Plaza Hotel, a record-breaking 3,259 wines from 788 wineries were entered. The wines came from 19 nations, six Canadian provinces and all 50 states. Last year's entries comprised 3,010 wines from 666 wineries. Dubbed North America's largest charitable wine competition, the two-day event continues today but is not open to the public. Proceeds from the competition and a gala dinner in May go to Camp Good Days and Special Times, dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults and families battling cancer. "You find it interesting having a conversation with other people about wine, and it's a rarity where one person absolutely loves a wine and another person dislikes it and gives it no rating," said Cheryl Pitti of Canandaigua, judging for the competition for her second year. Read more at: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110327/NEWS01 /103270364/Finger-Lakes-wine-competition-has-record-turnout?odyssey=tabtopnewstextHome That brings Hudson-Chatham's medal count to five medals this year! Congrats to Steve Casscles and Ralph Cooley and the rest of the staff!

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINES NOW AVAILABLE AT IL BUCO IN NYC Hudson-Chatham Winery is both pleased and proud to announce that their wines are now available at Il Buco in New York City. While dining there, you can sample our Baco Noir Old Vines. The restaurant Gourmet magazine calls "one of the best and most exciting in America" started life in 1994 when independent filmmaker Donna Lennard and her Italian boyfriend, Alberto Avalle, opened an off-the-beaten path antique store on cobblestoned Bond Street. It was a modern day trading post dedicated to the exchange of crafts and culture between the Old World and the New. Shoppers would often join them for their midday "pranzo" prepared in their tiny back kitchen. Soon they transformed the rustic antique store into a charming enoteca with an eclectic menu - part Italian, part Spanish, part invention, dedicated to local ingredients with a wine list made up of small boutique producers. Ruth Reichl wrote in the New York Times: "The restaurant is unlike any other in New York... eating your way through this menu of tapas and appetizers is an exhilarating experience. The food is so good that with a group of six or seven it is tempting to go right through the menu." Today, il Buco is a renowned Mediterranean restaurant with the look and feel of a European country home - as natural and rustically elegant as the food - an under the radar gathering spot for designers, actors, writers, and food lovers who are inspired by great food amongst friends in comfortabe surroundings. While Donna sources ingredients from local farmers, Alberto assists from Umbria, bringing in the Italian products from the basis of their namesake artisan product line, il Buco Alimentare. Chef Ignacio Mattos works wonders with these ingredients in simple, flavorful combinations. The Wine Cellar, rumored to have been the inspiration for Edgar Alan Poe's "Cask of Amontillado," is now a converted private dining room with over 400 bottles from Italy, Spain, France and the New World adorning the space.

Food critic David Rosengarten wrote, "Lately, after a string of spectacular evenings at il Buco, I've been uttering the restaurant's name in reponse to the question 'What restaurant should I go to on my one night in New York?'. To my taste, il Buco is that good, and that special...."

Il Buco also has a tremendous wine cellar.

Wine Spectator honored il Buco’s wine list with the "Award of Excellence" several times and also named it "one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world." il Buco's Wine Cellar is the creation of Roberto Paris, a childhood friend of Alberto Avalle’s from the small town of Foligno, Umbria. He draws on his knowledge of history, language, travel and people to introduce customers to new discoveries and imaginative pairings. The selection of over 400 wines is dedicated to small lesser-known producers of artisan wines that are expressions of the soils and cultures that produce them, most notably Sagrantino di Montefalco, which we offer from various producers in numerous vintages. In addition, we feature wines from some of the world’s most renowned wineries. Roberto has been an integral part of the il Buco family for more than 11 years and has recently passed the torch of day to day operations to our current Wine Director and Sommelier Paul Lang.

Paul's resume is impressive. He impressed restaurateurs George Germon and Johanne Killeen of Al Forno Restaurant in Providence, RI and Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park in Boston, MA. He was quickly trusted wherever he was needed: managing the wine cellar, purchasing cheeses, training the staff.

Paul later moved to Italy and became the personal chef for the Count and Contessa Contini Bonacossi of the Capezzana Estate, he cooked for nobles at a Medici villa in the hills of Florence. Paul returned to America eager to utilize his experiences. He worked as sommelier with Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich at their flagship restaurant, Babbo. During Paul's tenure, Babbo received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service.

After two years Paul started his own company – A Casa - hosting personalized wine dinners. Specializing in the traditions of the Italian table, A Casa creates a singular, fine dining experience free from the formality of a restaurant. Mario Batali calls it "One of the best food and wine experiences you'll have..."

Paul joined il Buco in March of 2009 and his passion for small artisanal wines give him the perfect background to fill the shoes of founding Sommelier Roberto Paris and further build upon relationships with vintners from around the world.

Paul has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Post, Time Out New York, Bene Magazine and Food and Wine Magazine. Recently A Casa has been praised in Boston Magazine, Daily Candy, Men's Health Magazine, Boca Magazine, and Japan's Cuisine Kingdom.

Il Buco 47 Bond St # 1 New York, NY 10012-2450 (212) 533-1932

http://www.ilbuco.com/

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
RELEASES NEW MAPLE SYRUPS
MARCH 26 AND 27, 2011

Hudson Chatham Winery is releasing there new swath of freshily bottled 100% natural maple syrups.

We have Grade A Light Amber and Vanilla Grade A Amber in stock now! Available for tasting.

Today, March 26th and 27th, 2011, we are filtering and bottling Grabe B Dark and our famous Dirty Syrup, a blend of Grade A and B with a little cinnamon and local honey thrown in, it's like French Toast in a glass!

Come on down and try them this Maple Syrup Weekend!

HUDSON-CHATHAM
BACO NOIR OLD VINES
WINS AT DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Our 2009 Baco Noir Old Vines just won a Bronze Medal at the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition 2011! This is a large, international competition, and to place at all is an honor.

We’re delighted!! And of course we feel our wine thoroughly deserves the recognition. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should!

You're Invited to the Hudson-Chatham Winery
Spring Wine Dinner
Saturday, April 2 * 6:30-9:30 pm
Reservations Required

This is to let you know about a very special evening we have planned at the winery. It's an intimate catered dinner hosted by Carlo & Dominique DeVito that pairs foods with the wines
of the Hudson-Chatham Winery. Limited to six couples, this
is a chance to really learn about our wines and discover their special nuances as we show them off with great food!

Enjoy an Amazing Meal with
Award-Winning Wines

Featuring Hudson Valley "fresh" --
artisanal cheeses, greens, a meat or vegetarian main dish, fabulous dessert,
and more! Mara is fine-tuning the menu this week so it reflects not only what's fresh and in season, but also so it best complements the wines.

Hudson-Chatham Spring Wine Dinner

This very special evening is limited to 6 couples, so let us know right away if you'd like seats at the table. The price is $100 per couple, and includes dinner, dessert, and wines. Reply to this email, or email to info@hudson-chathamwinery.com.

Hudson-Chatham Winery
1900 Route 66 * Ghent, NY 12075
518-392-WINE
info@hudson-chathamwinery.com

Featured Chef: Mara Simons

Mara is the full-time owner/operator of Carlucci Simons Catering in Columbia County. The seductive flavors of well-traveled Chef Mara echo not only regional U.S. cuisines, but Italy, Morocco, West Africa and India, along with touches of the Far East. Meanwhile, her long-time local roots assure her access and use of the best local ingredients and products to create dishes that meet with rave reviews.

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINES

NOW AVAILABLE AT

HENRY'S IN NYC!

HENRY's
2745 BROADWAY @ 105TH STREET
New York City
212 866 0600

Hudson-Chatham Winery is both plaesed and proud to annouce that Paperbirch Bannerman's Castle Amber Cream is now availbe at Henry's in New York City.

HENRY’s is a Modern American Bistro located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We are a large and exciting restaurant and bar with Broadway’s largest sidewalk café. Our Dining Room and Bar are designed after Arts & Crafts masterpiece, the Gamble House, with stunning mahogany wainscoting and French doors looking out over the busiest street in the world. The walls are filled with bright, food-themed poster art from the Herman Miller Company’s “Summer Picnic” series. HENRY’s is the restaurant that one of New York City’s greatest neighborhoods deserves.

HENRY’s opened for business in October 1999 and is owned and operated by proprietor Henry Rinehart and partners Scott Snyder, Elio Guaitolini, Luigi and Mauro Lusardi. Our management team is Chef Mark Barrett in the kitchen, General Manager Tim Rucker, Service Director Adam Jaffe and Service Manager Daniel Weiner at the door, Bar Manager Randy King walking the pine and Office Manager Matilda Peragine on the bridge.

Go to Henry's, have a great meal, and either before dinner or after dinner, enjoy a wonderful glass of Bannerman's Castle Amber Cream!

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINES
NOW AVAILABLE AT
MCADAMS BUYRITE
NEW YORK CITY

Hudson-Chatham Winery is both pleased and proud to announce that our Baco Noir Old Vines, Empire, and Paperbirch Bannerman's Amber Cream are now available at Mcadams Buyrite in Manhattan.

McAdams Buyrite
398 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016
(800) 865-0982 (outside of NY)or 212 679-1224

Founded in 1934, McAdam Buy-Rite, has been one of NY's premier wine and spirit shops for almost 70 years. Priding themelves on the widest variety of wines from all over the world, lowest possible prices, and exceptional customer service. Recently rated "excellent" by Zagat and singled out for their huge selection of Long Island wines.

They were named "New York merchant of the year" by the NY Wine and Grape Foundation.


They dedicate themselves to providing the same attention to excellent service that has named us Metropolitan NY's "Retailer of the Year". Whether you enjoy shopping on-line or are looking for a certain product, you will be pleased.



McAdams Buyrite Team

Bob Fink - President
Bob is celebrating 54 years in the wine and spirit business (45 years at McAdam). A graduate of the Late Howard Grossman Sommelier Course, he brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the wine business. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Retailers Alliance and on the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Package Store Association. It's easy to see that McAdam's pursuit of excellence starts at the top.

Scott Fink - Vice President
Scott is just starting out at McAdam's, bringing a 3rd generation of the Fink family to McAdam's. An MBA graduate from the Stern School of Business, and recent IT Manager at Philip Morris USA, Scott brings a new and energetic look at the wine business. Scott welcomes feedback and your input, so please don't hesitate to let him know how we can serve you better.

Bill Rudowski - Manager and Wine Buyer
More than 25 years of skillfully guiding the building of one of the finest wine shops in NY, Bill has established himself as one of the best in the business. His keen palate and remarkable attention to detail is envied among his peers. Whether you need a good bottle of wine for dinner, or a position in wine future, Bill is your man.

Jay Stoeffel - Assistant Manager
A veteran of more than 25 years in the wine business, Jay comes to us from one of the leading boutique wine wholesalers. His background of working with some of NY's finest restaurants gives him a keen understanding of wine & food pairings.

THE BIG TREE

There is always something wrong with cutting down a tree. Especially a big one. Recently, we had no choice. The shaggy hickory in front of the winery was already half dead, and as hurricane season is coming up on top of us, our worst fear was that the dying tree might lose one of its mighty limbs right on the roof, or even worse yet, the coupla of our tastinging room, over which the tree's incredible limbs constantly hovered.

The Northern Shagbark Hickory - The main range of shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) ends just north of the St. Lawrence River in eastern North America, zone 5b. Hickory wood is very hard, very stiff, very dense and very shock resistant. As stated in the U.S. Forestry Service pamphlet on "Important Trees of Eastern Forests", "there are some woods that are stronger than hickory and some that are harder, but the combination of strength, toughness, hardness, and stiffness found in hickory wood is not found in any other commercial wood."[6] It is used for tool handles, bows, wheel spokes, carts, drumsticks, lacrosse stick handles, golf club shafts (sometimes still called hickory stick, even though made of steel or graphite), the bottom of skis, walking sticks and for punitive use as a switch (like hazel), and especially as a cane-like hickory stick in schools and use by parents. Paddles are often made from hickory. Baseball bats were formerly made of hickory, but are now more commonly made of ash. Hickory is replacing ash as the wood of choice for Scottish shinty sticks (also known as camans).

Hickory is also highly prized for wood-burning stoves, because of its high energy content. Hickory wood is also a preferred type for smoke curing meats. In the Southern United States, hickory is popular for cooking barbecue, as hickory grows abundantly in the region, and adds flavor to the meat. Hickory is sometimes used for wood flooring due to its durability and character.

A bark extract from shagbark hickory is also used in an edible syrup similar to maple syrup, with a slightly bitter, smoky taste.

The nuts of some species are palatable, while others are bitter and only suitable for animal feed. Shagbark and shellbark hickory, along with pecan, are regarded by some as the finest nut trees.

Ralph and Craig and friends came over and felled he tree in a few minutes, and then within hours thwo-thirds of the tree were loaded onto a truck and shipped off to a wood furnace used to heat a shop down the road.

Hard to beieve a tree that stretched more than 100 feet high, and whose trunk had to weigh a good 4-5 tons was gone within 24 hours, with little evidence of it to show but a wide, low stump.

That tree had been on this property for more than 70 years, easy. A lot of time and poeple had talked, laughed, and fought underneath it's boughs. It had seen a lot of history. Sad to see it go. But it makes room for new things....

ALL OVER ALBANY

RAVES ABOUT

HUDSON-CHATHAM BACO NOIR RESERVE

Baco Noir Reserve from Hudson-Chatham Winery

By Daniel B

Clearly there is something deeply flawed with the people involved with the Hudson-Chatham winery. Not only because they're making wine from grapes grown just an hour outside of Albany in the heart of apple country -- but they are making wines nobody has ever heard of.
Whatever they are afflicted with must be contagious, because I think that's a great idea.
All of those famous grapes grown in France, Italy, Australia, Argentina and California are the ones most people seek out. They are the names you know by heart: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Malbec, and Zinfandel. It turns out they don't fare too well up here in our cooler climate.

One of the varietals that does grow well in the region is Baco Noir.

The grapes in this bottle come from winemaker Steve Casscles' home vineyard in Athens. They are hand picked, hand pressed, and aged in French oak barrels. Three lots are produced and the two that will work best together are blended into this reserve bottling. A whopping 70 cases are made. Kendall-Jackson probably spills more wine than Hudson-Chatham produces.

Read the rest at:

http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2011/03/15/baco-noir-reserve-from-

hudson-chatham-winery#more

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
BRINGS HOME TWO MEDALS
FROM 2011 GRAND HARVEST AWARDS

Hudson-Chatham Winery, 08 Empire Red Reserve, $21.95 Bronze
Hudson-Chatham Winery, 09 Baco Noir Reserve, Casscles Vineyard, $19.95 Bronze

2011 Grand Harvest Awards to place at Villa Chanticleer, Healdsburg,on March 1-2, 2011.
Established in 1990, it is the only wine-judging event in North America that is based on terroir - a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.

In other competitions, this factor is ignored. At the Grand Harvest, judges taste wines with other wines of the same appellation. Thus, with cross-regional competition removed, the inherent quality of wines can be seen without the influences that sometimes eclipse even a wine of very high quality.

According to wine competition chairman, Bill Traverso, "There are two reasons why this judging is different from any other wine competition. 1) Wines are judged by region and 2) you'll now receive Judges' Notes that give you professional feedback on your wine."

A goal of Grand Harvest is to learn more about how terroir contributes qualities of excellence and distinctiveness to wines. Over the course of this event, judges have learned to recognize when terroir is - and is not - a factor of wine quality.

The competition included lots of big California, Washington, and Oregon competitors, as well as those form the Finger Lakes.

We are thrilled to be in their company. Congrats to our winemaker, Steve Casscles, to our manager Ralph Cooley, and everyone at Hudson-Chatham Winery.

ICE STORM HITS
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY


Mother Nature paid us a wicked visit over the weekend. All day Sunday we were pelted first with snow, which then turned into a massive down pour, which then resulted in flash floods from the combination of the rain and the still melting snow that had never gone away.

This last bout of rain also froze on everything as the temperature dropped suddenly. While the world looke beautiful, as if all of nature was coated in the finest crystal, the only problem was that the ice weighed heavilly on many local trees. As a result, the county experience lots of downed phone and power lines.

It looked beautiful, but it was deadly. We lost many tree limbs, and small creeks or babbling brooks suddenly ran through the property, we even had a small moat surround he tastingroom.

Well, I guess they don't have this in Napa! It truly was gorgeous!

p.s. Thanks to Natalka for the wonderful pix!

FUSSY LITTLE BLOG

WRITES ABOUT

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

A Refreshing Idea From a Local Winery
FUSSYlittleBLOG

March 6, 2011
by Daniel B.

I’ve been hard on New York wine. My suspicion is that given the sweetness of much of the wine grown in the state and some of the grapes that seem to grow well in the area, New York could eventually be a world-class producer of brandy.

Given the state’s recent adoption of craft and farm distillery licenses, all that remains is finding someone who can do it well.

But there are some wines that stand out from the mass of fruit-infused, sweet and simple bottlings that rightly or wrongly have largely defined New York wine for the American consumer. And some of those wines are right in our back yard. Just last night I happened to stumble upon a blog written by the owner of the Hudson-Chatham winery in Ghent, NY (Google says it’s a 45 minute drive from Albany).

Carlo DeVito is growing grapes in the Hudson Valley and using them to make wine. Maybe not necessarily the wine he always dreamed of making, but the best wine he can coax from the land. And for that I salute him.

I really encourage you to read his entire blog post, but here is a bit in Carlo’s own words:
Personally, I always dreamed of making a big Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot. A Robert Parker fruitbomb par excellence. But in order to make the best red wine the land itself will give you, you have to bend your back a little, or you will miss it.

From the time since Stuyvesant ruled the state with all the powers of a supreme ruler, people in the Hudson Valley have struggled to make Bordeaux styled wines. And some of the best wines in the Valley right now are made with grapes from the Finger Lakes or Long Island. Nothing wrong with that. I drink a lot of them.

But people outside the Valley, who are asking for Hudson Valley fruit in the bottle, are talking about our most approachable reds. These seem to be the ones breaking through. People are doing a double take and saying, “Wow!”

These grapes that grow locally are not the ones most wine writers gush about. Despite their lack of cachet Baco Noir and Seyval Blanc are no slouches in the wine world. Given that I have an unnatural love for obscure grapes, I will share these varietal’s entries from the Wine Lovers Companion.

READ THE REST AT:

http://fussylittleblog.com/2011/03/06/a-refreshing-idea-from-a-local-winery/

REGISTER STAR PROFILES

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

CRYSTAL APPLE NOMINEE

CRYSTAL APPLE NOMINEE: Area winery boasts local flavor

Carlo and Dominique DeVito, proprietors of Hudson-Chatham Winery, pose with some of their wine. The business has been nominated for this year's Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Crystal Apple Award. (Lindsay Suchow/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers)

By Lindsay Suchow

Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Published: Saturday, March 5, 2011 2:07 AM EST
GHENT — Carlo and Dominique DeVito were drawn to Columbia County for many reasons, but it was mostly their passion for all things culinary — local produce, artisanal cheeses, fresh syrups and, most of all, their one true love: wine.The first of its kind to ever be established in the county, the Hudson-Chatham Winery on Route 66 — one of the six finalists for this year’s prestigious Chamber of Commerce Crystal Apple award — is in expansion mode.

“We’ve got a lot of big plans we’re trying to execute by the end of this year,” said Mr. DeVito, including adding onto the building which houses their tasting room and bottling/corking/labeling/storage area. “So far, so good.”

The DeVitos, who live in a circa 1780 farmhouse located on the winery property with twin 12-year-old boys, began their operation in the fall of 2007 and have been experiencing a steady increase ever since. Not only have they created countless award-winning wines — including their famous Baco Noir and local favorites like Hudson River Valley Red and Lindenwald White — but they’ve partnered with numerous local food producers to offer everything from maple syrup to preserves, cheese and caviar.

READ THE REST AT:
http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2011/03/05/news/doc4d71b7e8df57b184266831.txt

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY WINES

NOW AVALABALE AT

BLUE RIBBON RESTAUARANT

(Sullivan Street)

Hudson-Chatham Winery is both pleased and proud to announce that their Baco Noir Old Vines 2009 is now available at Blue Ribbon Restaurant on Sullivan Street, in New York City.

“Here's why it's worth the stress: a snappy dining staff that skillfully handles the cacophony without joining in. Tremendously vibrant raw seafood at a fair price. And above all, a menu that has no roots or rhythm other than its chef's passions. The only thing that sweet and spicy catfish, paella basquez, foie gras terrine, and pupu platter have in common is their yumminess. So make it easy on yourself-go to Blue Ribbon with a party of five or more. Then you can make a reservation and avoid the wait.”
- Hal Rubenstein, New York magazine

The Blue Ribbon Restaurants are incredible. There are eight great locations! But Hudson-Chatham Baco Noir Old Vines can only be found at the original location on Sullivan Street.

Cheers to the folks from Blue Ribbon!


Blue Ribbon
97 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012-3663
(212) 274-0404
Hours: Daily 4:00 PM – 4:00 AM