Grape Expectations

Go ahead, drink it in: Several local
restaurants are participating in New York Wine Month with the intent to
highlight all of the fine wines produced in-state. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

The NYWGA actually staged a
limited-region beta run of a New York Wine Month-like event last April,
which went over like gangbusters, so they decided to make it
all-inclusive and promote it throughout the entire state. Trezise,
believing that “success breeds success,” thinks this event could become
an annual October happening.

Trezise elaborated that the way the
event came to fruition was by contacting the wineries and charging them
a small fee to sign up, then having their wholesalers contact their
restaurant accounts, or potential accounts, and inviting them to
participate at no cost. By agreeing to be part of New York Wine Month,
restaurants, as well as select retail outlets, would be mentioned in
all advertisements—a free plug for just saying “yes.” And the New York
wines offered is at each individual restaurant’s personal discretion...
no menu-changing necessary.

Trezise notes that the main emphasis is
to promote the vast amount of quality available in New York, yet
there’s also an underlying cause that seems to echo two major
sentiments—regardless if they actually mean them or not—of both
presidential candidates in this 2008 election. “When you buy New York
wines,” says Trezise, you’re supporting your own economy while also
keeping people’s jobs intact. And you’re helping the environment,
because the wines made in the Finger Lakes don’t have to travel far
when distributed throughout the state, so you’re also supporting using
less energy which causes less pollution.” 

Restaurants participating in New York Wine Month in the immediate Syracuse area, are: Ale ’N Angus Pub, 238 Harrison St. (426-9672); Calypso Cay, 11 Dockside Drive, Brewerton (668-5108); Canale’s Italian Takeout, 7421 Oswego Road, Liverpool (701-4323); Dominick’s, 1370 Burnet Ave. (471-0474); Edgewater Grill, 2 Oswego St., Baldwinsville (638-3342); Kelly’s Restaurant and Bar, 5076 Velasko Road (478-6773); Lock 24, 33 Water St., Baldwinsville (635-2794); Nestico’s, 412 N. Main St., North Syracuse (458-5188); Pastabilities, 311 S. Franklin St. (474-1153); Pronto Joey’s, 6594 Thompson Road, East Syracuse (432-0620); Spaghetti Warehouse, 689 N. Clinton St. (475-1807).

For a complete overview of all the
restaurants and retail outlets participating throughout the entire
state of New York, visit www.newyorkwinemonth.com.

—Dino Vino D’Augustino