Great New York State Food and Wine Festival Begins Today in Clayton

The Great New York State Food and Wine Festival is this weekend.

It is in Clayton at the Cerow Recreation Park Arena. Times are 3 to 8 p.m. today; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $10 for adults; $9 for military; $5 for children and ree for those under age 12.

Go to http://www.1000islands-clayton.com/foodwinefestival/ to check out more details.

Magazine Names Finger Lakes Top Wine Region for 2015

From the New York Wine and Grape Foundation:

Wine Enthusiast has named the Top 10 Wine Destinations of 2015, with New York's Finger Lakes region right at the top of the list.

Anna Lee Iijima, who has written about the region and tasted extensively (including as a judge at our New York Wine & Food Classic competition), has written a great piece about the wineries, wines, other attractions, and recommendations on where to stay and eat.

New York state has also been selected by the magazine as Wine Region of the Year based on the ever-increasing quality of its wines, close partnership with the state and strong growth. The Finger Lakes is by far the largest single region, with 128 wineries, hundreds of top awards in 2014 and about 4 million tourist visits annually.

The region's growth in all respects has commanded widespread attention in the world of wine.  

In 2004, there were 73 wineries, compared to 128 today, with the growth rate strong and increasing, especially in the past five years (38 new wineries). Similarly, in the past few years the number of Gold medals and ratings of 90 or above has steadily increased (from 557 in 2011 to 886 in 2014), reflecting the ever-increasing quality of wines.

The Finger Lakes led the top 10 list of wine country destinations, with the others being Piedmont, Italy; Hawks Bay, New Zealand; Rhone Valley, France; Orlando, Florida (for restaurants); Galicia, Spain; Okanagan, British Columbia; Loire Valley, France; Mendocino, California; and Isrtria, Croatia/Slovenia/Italy.

Great New York Food & Wine Festival June 14-16 in Clayton

Photo from1000islands-clayton.com

Got nothing to do this weekend?

Head to Clayton on the beautiful St. Lawrence River and check out the Great New York State Food & Wine Festival beginning today.

The festival is open 1 to 8 p.m. today, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults $4 for military and $3 for children.

According to the event website, "This is an event celebrating quality “Made in New York”  food and wine products including candy and cheeses, nuts, sauces, herbs and spices, maple syrup and other maple products, apple cider, cookies and ice cream and of course, NYS wines.

About 75 participating exhibitors will come from Long Island to Buffalo and the Finger Lakes to the upper reaches of the state along the Canadian border. Already, it is a full fledged NYS product showcase."

The event is being held at the Cerow Recreation Park on James Street.