Yesterday spring seemed to have sprung, and although it was still too chilly for the convertible (and Bernie has it in the garage anyway) I took off with my old friend Rebecca to explore Canandaigua with our other friend, Dodie.
We intended to go to the the Spice Shop and then Wegman's and north to visit my sister, but Dodie had other ideas. She thought we should see the New York Wine & Culinary Center (www.nywcc.com). She is the town supervisor for East Bloomfield and wanted to see it for herself, but also because Rebecca is an expert chef, specializing in gluten-free products and food design.
We were all thrilled with the place! We walked in to see a wine and cheese tasting seminar in the educatonal theater. Down the hall in the Viking Range Hands-on Kitchen a group was learning about sushi in a lengthier class. At the end of the hall looking out to the lake was their wine-tasting room. It felt as if we'd been transported to Napa Valley! Except, of course, all the products were produced in New York State.
Upstairs was the restaurant - every table at a window. In the summer they open up the deck and balcony for more tables. The bar was luxurious, dark wood and metal tables. It was just a beautiful building filled with wines, cheeses and beers from the micro-breweries around the state. In the summer there's an outdoor garden with native plants and over 70 fruit trees that grow in upstate New York.
This is truly a great destination for an afternoon, about an hour's drive west of Skaneateles.
