Thursday, February 28, 2013

Hudson Bershire Wine & Food Festival May 25 & 26, 2013

                     

Hudson Berkshire Wine & Food Festival

THE OFFICIAL HOME PAGE OF THE

HUDSON BERKSHIRE WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

MAY 25 & 26, 2013

Columbia County Fairgrounds

Route 66

Chatham, New York

SATURDAY, NOON TO 6PM

SUNDAY, NOON TO 5PM

The Berkshire Wine & Food Festival is an exciting culinary event, marrying the best aspects of the Hudson Valley and Berkshire Mountains. The rich fabric of the countryside is home to artisanal bakers and cheese makers, numerous CSAs, organic meats and vegetables, small and large family owned farms, and a host of other small artisnal food producers. The region is also host to a number of wineries, distilleries, and craft brewers.
 
hbbt banner final
 
The festivals will feature delicious food products, wine, beers, and spirits tastings, as well as cooking demonstrations and other activities to celebrate the culinary diversity of the valley and the Berkshires.
 
 
MORE TO COME!!!!

DOWNLOAD VENDOR APPLICATIONS NOW!!!

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED! AVAILABILIY IS LIMITED!

Read more at:
http://hudsonberkshireexperience.com/hudson-berkshire-wine-food-festival/
 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Fred Tregaskis Raves About Hudson-Chatham Empire 2010 on WHDD/NRP





Fred Tregaskis is the Host at Wine-Jazz, The perfect pairing, in Hartford, Connecticut
He is the owner of  New England Wine Cellars, and writes about wine for Berkshire Home Style. He is the host on WHDD/NPR radio of Wine-Jazz, The perfect pairing. He recently interviewed Dominique about Hudson-Chatham Empire 2010.

He's something first about Fred....

"It might seem a stretch to jump from the visual arts to writing about wine, but his interest in wine is longstanding," reported the Litchfield County Times. "He explained that he was raised in New York state, where “I went to college on an art scholarship. But I needed more money, so I went to work in a vineyard for one of the early vintners in the Hudson River Valley. It was wine-making 101, and I remember sitting on a tractor on a hillside at 7 o’clock one morning, watching the sun come up over a field of seyval vines. [They] gave me a little sip of wine to get my heart into the project. I thought, ‘I like this farming.’”

"As a young artist, he made ends meet by moonlighting as a bartender, where he learned more about wines. “I was given a lot of wines to taste,” he related, “and I knew a lot of sommeliers in New York. So when I tried out for the job as a taster and writer for the magazine, I described the taste of one wine as ‘a ’57 Chevy patching out at a stop light.’ They loved it because they wanted descriptions of wines that people would relate to, not the kind of thing you usually see in wine terminology. I got to write the silliest things, but I loved it.”

He rode the crest of the rising popularity for wine in the 1990s. “Wine was hugely popular,” he recalled. “Australian wines were coming on the stage and the Chilean stuff was happening. The South African embargo had been lifted. The wine world was exploding and it was great to ride that wave.”

It was shortly after he departed from the wine magazine that, while talking to a sommelier friend, he was asked to recommend someone who could design and build a 28,000-bottle wine cellar for the Lespinasse Restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. “I grew up working with my hands, so I decided I could do it,” he said. “I did a drawing and put in a bid and got the job.”


While interviewing co-owner Dominique DeVito, Fred tasted the Hudson-Chatham Empire 2010 on air. Empire is the first New York state super-blend, combining 33% Merlot from the North Fork, 33% Cab Franc from the Finger Lakes, and 33% Baco Noir from the Hudson Valley. The wines are made separately, then combined, and aged in small separate lots of French oak, American oak, and stainless steel. And then the wines, after a total of 24 months are blended and bottle aged for six months. This produces a Bordeaux-styled wine with incredible complexity and tremendous, long lasting flavors that can be drunk now or aged for 5-7 years.

LISTEN TO FRED'S INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIQUE AND HIS COMMENTS!!!

http://podcasts.am1020whdd.com/~am1020wh/shows/play.php?id=21736


Saturday, February 23, 2013

MOUNT HOLYOKE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHT HUDSON-CHATHAM MAGAZINE


 
Mount Holyoke Alumnae magazine, in their Winter 2013 issue, highlighted Dominique DeVito and the Hudson-Chatham Winery. Great photos and a great interview with Dominique! The article also interviews other alumnae who have joined the winemaking ranks. Lots of fun!
 


 



Sunday, February 10, 2013

THE WHY WINE BLOG RAVES ABOUT HUDSON-CHATHAM EMPIRE 2010


Hudson Chatham Empire Red Reserve 2010
Why Wine Blog
Saturday, February 9, 2013

About a week ago I received a nice package from the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY.  The Hudson-Chatham Winery is the dream of Carlo and Dominique DeVito, both publishing professionals who have long shared a love of wine. This exciting new winery, which specializes in small hand-made batches of wine, is dedicated to the richness of the Hudson River Valley, particularly its wine, agriculture, literature, art, history, and many other attractions that make it a rich and special region. The Hudson-Chatham Winery, located  between the historic towns of Hudson and Chatham, is the first winery in Columbia County.
The package contained three Hudson-Chatham wines.  A 2011 Old Vines Baco Noir, a 2011 Baco Noir Reserve and a 2010 Empire Reserve Red Table Wine.

About two years ago, I reviewed the 2009 Old Vines Baco Noir and I'm very excited about tasting Carlo's latest release, but I am going to hold my excitement until we return from Florida in early March. The Empire Red, though, is being opened before our trip with a dinner of chicken breast filets done in a sauce of cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, corn starch, bouillon and apple slices served with fresh green beans and black rice.  The Empire Red is a blend of 33% Hudson Valley Baco Noir, 33% Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc and 33% Long Island Merlot.
Very fruit forward aromas of black cherry and currant with a little earthy like herbal and hints of vanilla added on the palate. Finish was mid range, smooth with dark fruit and herbs.  A very nice wine to sip on it's own, but really showed off with dinner. Will do very well with grilled meats and Italian sauces or cheese filled manicotti.

Read the who thing at:
http://www.whywineblog.com/2013/02/hudson-chatham-empire-red-reserve-2010.html