Sam Daleo
(right), of Hurley, samples the brandies of Harvest Spirits from Valatie. The
award-winning distillery, with spirits like Cornelius Applejack, Core Vodka and
Pear Brandy, was a big hit at the Rip Van Winkle Wine & Cheese Festival. (Kyle Adams/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers)
In Good Spirits
Posted:
Sunday, May 12, 2013 12:30 am
By Kyle
Adams
Hudson-Catskill
Newspapers
CATSKILL —
Renee and John Peckovitch were pleasantly surprised Saturday afternoon as they
sampled a Riesling from Clermont’s Tousey Winery at Catskill’s seventh annual
Rip Van Winkle Wine & Cheese Festival.
The Catskill
residents, like many of the more than 500 guests packed into the Freightmasters
Building at the Historic Catskill Point, were discovering Tousey for the first
time.
“It’s nice
to find out that there are local wineries we didn’t even know about,” said
Renee. “These guys are right across the river.”
Kimberly
Peacock of Tousey, who was serving up the samples with plenty of info and
advice to a never-ending line of patrons, said events like this are good
exposure for local wineries.
“I think a
lot of people go away on vacation and visit a winery but maybe don’t even know
their neighboring destinations,” she said.
The more
than 40 vendors at the festival included 10 Hudson Valley-based wineries like
Tousey and the Hudson Chatham Winery, as well as the Cask and Rasher brewery
out of Coxsackie and Valatie’s Harvest Spirits distillery, which offered
various brandies and vodka. There were also about 10 food vendors, from cheese
and honey to cupcakes and sauces, as well as a variety of handcrafted goods —
jewelry, tote bags, goat milk soap, candles, shoes and so on.
“I think
we’ve had the largest number of vendors ever and I think we’ve had the largest
crowd so far ever,” said Teri Weiss, co-chair of the festival and member of the
Fortnightly Club of Catskill, which hosted the event. “We did exceptionally
well this year. Our local sponsors have been amazing.”
One hundred
percent of the proceeds from the event benefit Catskill’s parks, said Weiss.
Last year’s event raised about $10,000 she said, and this year they’d raised
that before even counting ticket sales.
Money from
previous years had been used to re-construct the playground at Elliott Park.
This year, she said, they’re planning to finish Elliott Park, replace some
equipment at Dutchmen’s Landing, and possibly build an outdoor gym for adults
with walking paths and basic equipment like chin-up bars.
Throughout
the day, local musicians volunteered their time and talents to entertain guests
as they perused the handmade goods and sampled the spirits.
Weiss said
the festival has come a long way from its humble beginnings with about two
wineries at the Beattie-Powers Place.
“It’s just
taken off,” she said. “It’s growing, it’s getting a great reputation.”
Raj and
Minni Sharma, of Monroe, N.J., were taking a leisurely drive through the Hudson
Valley when they found themselves at the festival, and in Catskill for the
first time.
“It’s a
great event,” said Raj. “People should come out and support local farmers and
manufacturers. We’ve got to support our local producers.”
Weiss noted
that the event, which is held the Saturday before Mother’s Day every year, is a
great way to treat mom to a special day or find a gift.
“You can eat,
drink and shop all at once,” she said. “Nothing’s better.”
***
Read more
at:
http://www.registerstar.com/news/article_8abce34e-baa6-11e2-920d-001a4bcf887a.html
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