Sunday, May 18, 2014

Capital Region Living Magazine Names Hudson-Chatham Winery Best in Region!!!




Hudson-Chatham Wine Dinner With Chef David Robinson and Culinary Command

 Last night we had another one of our intimate wine dinners. The theme was southern...and we had okra, and corn muffins with honey butter, and Virginia ham. It was amazing. And the guest were equally amazing, and  good time was had by all. Click on the menu to read the foods!
 

 







 
And of course the wines were amazing.  The most popular of the night was a 2010 Baco Noir Reserve Casccles Vineyard from the cellar. Spectacular. But the Rose' an the Rivers Edge and the Cab Franc were all alo very popular s well as our estate Seyval Blanc.

 



 

The chef this evening was David Robinson.
 
Chef David’s roster of clients and supporters is impressive. He has created menus and events for President George W. Bush, Vice President Al Gore, Senator & Mrs. Edward Kennedy, MTV Networks, The Public Theater, Governor Sarah Palin, Brides magazine, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Academy-Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, legendary artist Elsworth Kelly, oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens, Real Simple magazine, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Prime Minister of Great Britain Gordon Brown, New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan, Senator Chris Dodd, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, and Anthony Scaramucci of SkyBridge Capital.
 
Chef David created and hosted a 14-part cooking series on Weekend Today on NBC/Albany – and has also made over 50 live appearances on the TV program.   Additionally, he and Learn How to Cook are now teaching huge numbers of people across the country about the in’s and out’s of simple, easy, fun and delicious cooking – all in a simple and profound “Can-Do” style – now including users in Canada, Australia, South Africa and Japan.


 
Hoever, his most impressive accomplishment is the founding of Culinary Command. Culinary Command Training is a rigorous, elite, intense and extremely fulfilling 45-day program for a select number of U.S. military veterans or active-duty soldiers who are committed to learning and/or re-tooling for a career in the culinary arts. We salute Chef Robinson for his efforts to work with the people who have given their lives in service to the United States, and ask that you consider donating generously to this fine organization which now seems to have taken on a life of it's own.
 


Saturday, May 17, 2014

A New Day at North Creek Vineyard!

 
North Creek Vineyard is the estate vineyard of Hudson-Chatham Winery. It is so named because the front of if follows the North Creek which flows south right across the street from Block 1. In the past we have shared with you the planting of Blocks 1 & 2, our original vineyard, Block 3, the Baco Noir block, the first wine of which will be released this year.
 
 
This year we planted Block 4. And Block 4 is all Chelois! Chelois, like Baco Noir for us, before it, hass been in short supply across the state. Much more so than Baco Noir. It seems we're the only people crazy enough here to plant it. But that's what we do. We love playing with heirloom and obscure grapes.
 
Steven Kolpan from the Culinary Institute of America said on WAMC of our Chelois Casscles Vineyard, "If I were to taste this wine blind, I would tell you this is a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France. And really a great food wine. So for me, the story here is unusual grape, very small amount of it produced, and a successful hybrid, which I think is rare." High raise indeed. And that's why we are doing this."

 
So Block 4 is Chelois from a well known Finger Lakes nursery. But while we were at it, we replanted half of Block 2 (we ripped out Chancellor which was not happy there) and planted more Chelois, this time with nursery plants from Steve Casscles vineyards. With the beige grow tubes on, it's ready to face the summer. Very exciting stuff!


 
In the meantime Block 3, Baco Noir, sprang to life this last week. Always an exciting time!!!!!




















Thursday, May 15, 2014

Edible Manhattan Raves About Hudson-Chatham Winery May 2014 Issue

 
New York Cork Report Lenn Thompson wrote a feature piece for Edible Manhattan about our stellar Baco Noir made by Steve Casscles. A great article...and what's more exciting?
 
We'll be releasing five different single vineyard appellation Baco Noirs this fall! Be on the lookout.
 
And meanwhile...Thanks Lenn Thompson!
 
 
 
 
 

 

Another Busy Spring Season at Hudson-Chatham Winery

 
If it's spring, there's always something going on over at Hudson-Chatham Winery. Here's a picture of Mike putting mulch on our blueberry bushes. Our blueberries continue to be highly sought after, but this year we might be making something different with them....sorry folks! But still, very exciting!!!

 
So this year there are a number of big changes. They started with the barrel room, and now the vineyard is experiencing a huge upgrade. First, we got a new barn. Small though may it be, a new barn was just what the doctor ordered, for all our next equipment. Last year we got new netting, to increase the quantity and quality of our grapes (and keep them from beers and deer) and now we we have some company for the netting.


 
That blue thing off to the right is our new (new to US, any way) tractor. It's a compact, to fit up and down our rows, but it's a solid little beat with enough power to move earth and tow as sprayer. A sprayed is what we also got!!! Brand new! This will help with the ever increasing demand of the vineyard as its grows.
 
Here's some pictures of the barn as it gets put up!
























 
Ralph Cooley III created the pad for the new barn, and oversaw it's construction. He looks pretty comfortable here...but the day before he was cursing and working with a two man crew getting the new pad ready!


















 
NEXT? The NEW vineyard!!!