HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
MAY 26 WINE DINNER SOLD OUT!!!
SIGN UP FOR THE NEXT TWO!!!

If you've already enjoyed Hudson-Chatham's wines in the tasting room on a regular visit, here's a way to experience them on a whole other level - paired to a unique menu created in collaboration with a first-class local chef!

We take pride in our wines, and we love to talk about what makes them special. So much of that is the experience of sharing them with others over a delicious meal. We started our winery dinners over a year ago as a way to set the stage for the most thorough enjoyment of our wines. It's an evening of talking in-depth with owners Carlo and Dominique about how the wines are made and why; sources of flavor; trying different vintages; comparing and contrasting a white and a red with the same dish. It's a culinary safari - done in style.

The dinners are limited to 16 guests. A large table is set with fine china, silver, candles and flowers in the tasting room, and dinner is served. We pair the wines with five courses.

The chefs we invite to cook for our guests are exceptional - if we do say so ourselves! Like us, they take tremendous pride in the ingredients they use, the preparation, and the presentation of each of their dishes.

If we've whetted your appetite for a one-of-a-kind gourmet experience, make reservations to attend a dinner soon. More information follows.

See you at the winery!


SOLD OUT!!!

Kick Off the Summer Wine Dinner with Chef David Robinson

A former Vice President at a Manhattan ad agency, Chef Robinson started as a passionate home cook. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York (High-Impact Leader Scholar and Dean's List), and studied catering at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City. He is an owner of Bezalel Gables Fine Catering & Events, the premiere destination for luxuriously handcrafted food from the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. He was a founding member of Columbia County Bounty, which helped showcase the produce of local farmers across the county. He has cooked for a "who's who" of internationally known politicians, artists, and entertainers. A published writer, Chef Robinson has a library of 1,000 cookbooks and a love of gardening, the Hudson Valley/Berkshires, and the laughter that comes from warm hospitality.

Chef Robinson will be preparing a menu to celebrate the vibrant tastes of late spring/early summer, paired at all stages with Hudson-Chatham's wines.

Date: Saturday, May 26
Time: 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Place: Tasting Room, Hudson-Chatham Winery
Price: $60 per person; $50 per person for Case Club Members
Reservations Required. Email us at info@hudson-chathamwinery.com or call 518-392-WINE.


TWO MORE DINNERS IN 2012!

So Long to Summer Wine Dinner
Saturday, August 25

The Flavors of Fall Wine Dinner
Saturday, November 10

Hudson-Chatham Winery
Featured in New York Times Article
by Eric Asimov




The Pour
Buying Local Wines: Does the Idea Travel Well?
By ERIC ASIMOV
Published: May 14, 2012

ONE of the pleasures of working in wine retailing is pointing customers toward new and exciting wines, and especially to bottles that mean something to you. The sense of discovery and the sharing of a pleasant experience help to bolster a notion of community that can be fragile in a mobile society.

But Jeffrey Wooddy, the general manager of Rochambeau Wines in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., a Westchester County suburb, feels a little frustrated that his customers are not always receptive to his advice.

“People can’t wait to rush off to the farmers’ market for local produce,” he said. “But when they come in here and ask what I have, and I say, ‘A beautiful white wine from Long Island,’ they say, ‘What else do you have?’ ”

Food authorities have argued convincingly that the public benefits politically, environmentally, ethically and culinarily from eating local ingredients and supporting local agriculture. But where does that leave wine, a peculiar example that is surely both a food and an agricultural product but does not fit neatly into any category?



First of all, wine is not a fresh ingredient. With the rare exception, it is not fragile. Tender greens and delicate berries will deteriorate if transported or treated to improve their shelf life. But wine is more like cheese. Both are born as ephemeral ingredients: milk and grapes. Then, through human ingenuity, they are transformed into something more stable as well as more interesting, complex and transportable. As an old epicurean once put it, “Both cheese and wine represent man’s effort to transmute the perishable into the durable.”

Throughout history most wine was consumed locally. But even in ancient times wine was a commodity, transported great distances to trade for other goods. The United States did not forgo good wine in the days before its own wine industry developed.

Wine may be portable, but its production is not. Though wine is now made in all 50 states, the quality and characteristics of a wine depend on where it is produced. So while you will have access to a fine Colorado wine if you live in Denver, if you want Chianti it must come from Chianti. The same goes for any other great wine that reflects its origins.

If local wines are not necessarily superior ingredients, other reasons remain to favor them. Certainly, the planet would benefit environmentally if fewer hydrocarbons were burned shipping wine.

But why single wine out? The carbon footprint of shipping wine can certainly be improved (by eliminating heavy status bottles, for one), but environmental fears are not a sufficient moral imperative to stop buying a diversity of wines. It’s an impossible notion for most people anyway. If New York City were to drink nothing but Long Island wine, it might consume the region’s annual production in a week.

Perhaps a better reason for drinking local wines is to help foster a sense of community. When Max Dannis and Linda Gatter opened their restaurant Local 111 almost six years ago in Philmont, N.Y., a former manufacturing town in the Hudson Valley about 40 miles south of Albany, they envisioned a smartly designed gathering place for the town’s eclectic mix of longtime residents and city transplants. They would feature local ingredients and support the local farms. The only ingredient they omitted was local wine.

“We had customers who wanted local wines, so a couple of years ago we made an effort to add them,” Mr. Dannis said. A dozen New York wines are now highlighted on the concise list of 35 bottles, which also includes wines from France, Italy, Spain, California, Australia and Chile.



Mr. Dannis noted that the Hudson-Chatham Winery was a mere five miles away in Ghent. “In terms of our mission, to not have a good restaurant where people can go and drink their wines is a crime,” he said.

While he feels a duty to offer good local wines, he doesn’t believe that his diners are obliged to drink only those wines. “Wine is about offering people a choice,” he said. “We don’t offer people a choice on where the steak comes from, but we do with wine.”

Local wines may strengthen community ties, but David Page, who with his wife, Barbara Shinn, owns Shinn Estate Vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island, goes further. He believes pairing local wines with local foods is crucial to the development of a local culture.



“Over time the wine of a region and the food of a region creates the cuisine of a region,” said Mr. Page, who previously was a chef in Northern California and New York City. “That can take decades, sometimes centuries, to build.”

“I watched it develop in California in the 1970s and ’80s,” he said. “I’m seeing it happen all over again, albeit in a much smaller way.”

Paradoxically, in the first decade of the new century, as California chefs became finer and more nuanced, many California wines evolved in a different direction, getting bigger, riper, plusher and fruitier. In reaction, many of the Bay Area restaurants most dedicated to local ingredients offered wine lists dominated by European bottles. Perhaps as a result, a significant backlash is under way, in which many California producers are now emphasizing more restrained, balanced wines.

“It’s not a straight line to perfection,” Mr. Page said. “There are going to be zigs and zags along the road. But people are learning and the cuisine in this country has come a long way really fast.”

Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/dining/buying-local-wines-does-the-idea-travel-well.html?_r=1

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
SHINES AT CATSKILL WINE & CHEESE 2012


Fortnightlys help Catskill wine and dine

A variety of fine wines were showcased for tasting Saturday at the Catskill Wine and Cheese Festival, including Hudson-Chatham, Warwick Valley, Cascade and Thousand Islands. Rob LeDonne photo

By Rob LeDonne
For Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

Published: Sunday, May 13, 2012 2:07 AM EDT

CATSKILL — The Fortnightly Club of Catskill held its annual Wine and Cheese Festival at the Historic Catskill Point Saturday afternoon on the shores of the Hudson River. Fantastic weather brought out large crowds who mulled around the Freightmaster’s building which was decked out with a variety of vendors, and consumed everything from smooth beverages and gourmet food to local goods, and even some live music to boot.

A variety of fine wines were showcased for tasting, including Hudson-Chatham, Warwick Valley, Cascade and Thousand Islands.

Catskill resident Ed Morralli attended with Grandpa Pete’s, a line of sauces and pasta made right here in Greene County. “This is a very worthwhile fundraiser,” said Morrelli referring to the fact that money raised at the sixth annual event goes straight to the Fortnightly Club, which is devoted to improving the community and holds a variety of events throughout the year. One of the Fortnightly Club’s most notable functions is November’s Festival of Trees.

“We do craft and food shows all over the place, so it’s nice to come to something in our own backyard,” explained Morralli.



“This is great, we’re really impressed,” said Tyrone Chrisjohn, who was at the festival with Cafe Tango, an Argentinian/Mexican restaurant out of Saugerties that his wife Analia owns. “We didn’t think it would be this big of a success, so many people came,” said Chrisjohn, who was busy serving piping hot empanadas. “It’s a nice crowd too; everyone is relaxed, friendly and laid-back.”

Greenville resident Carol Peters from High Hill Horse Haven was also on hand to share information about her farm for rescue horses, as well as offer bottles of wine. “This is my second time coming and I always enjoy it,” said Peters, who made up bottles of wine adorned with pictures and logo of the Haven, which she was giving away for a donation. “We had them made up through a site online; it’s just another way for us to get our message out there.”

Theresa’s Crafts and Totes namesake owner Theresa had nothing but praise for the event. “I love it, this turnout has been wonderful,” she said noting that this was her fifth year in business.

“Catskill needs events like this. When we lost the Farmer’s Market, it made us stop selling. With the economy the way it is, small businesses need all the help they can get."

Read the whole thing at:
http://www.thedailymail.net/articles/2012/05/13/news/doc4faf2292c55d6642412167.txt

LIPPERA'S AT CHATHAM HOUSE
PROUDLY SERVES
HUDSON-CHATHAM WINES


The other night, to celebrate our sons birthday, we decided to go out to dinner. Dominique suggested Lippera's at Chatham House. I often go to the barrom there. They carry Hudson-Chatham wine and Chatham Brewing ales. I'm pretty happy right there.



So we sat down, and of coursee right at the top of the menu, we are mentioned!


The occasion was the boys 14th birthday. Dylan and I had steaks, Dominique had chicken marsala, and Dawson had a wonderufl pasta dish. Everything was excellent. Great job! Wonderful dinner!

Thanks, Lippera's, for a wonderful celebration!