Fall Finger Lakes Events Near My Upstate New York B&B

Fall is a great time to visit Trumansburg!  Leaves begin turning in late September, the air gets crisp in the mornings, and the heat finally takes a hike!  The air smells magically of grapes as all of the wineries prepare for harvest season (don't go home without trying a grape pie: a specialty in the Finger Lakes Region)!  Some believe that autumn is the perfect time to spend outside here, as this is truly one of the most beautiful seasons:  take walks among the kaleidoscope of colored leaves seeing the natural geological beauty and waterfalls, and attending the great fall festivals in the area.

In preparation for your Finger Lakes inn getaway, consider The Inn at Gothic Eves for your B and B lodging when you attend the area festivals through early November (before the Christmas Season begins) below.

Right Now!

Winery Events along the Cayuga Wine Trail and Seneca Lake Wine Trail
While a few, more publicized events are listed below, most wineries do have small events and specials throughout harvest season in celebration of bringing in the bounty of what will become their wines in the upcoming year!  Just ask, and I'll fill you in on the best options!

Farmer's Markets
Featuring the area's bounty, the markets are open until Thanksgiving.  During the fall you can find wreaths, pumpkins, gourds, and many of the ingredients needed to prepare your favorite fall treats and decorate around the home!

T-Burg Mini Golf's Annual Corn Maze here in Trumansburg
Lose yourself in 3 miles of corn-lined paths.  Two challenges await to be completed within the maze:

• Which Way game:  11 checkpoints with trivia questions that lead you to the next checkpoint with the correct answer.
• You Found It game:  8 WELL-HIDDEN checkpoints.  You can write down the word at the checkpoint, or scan with your phone.  Find all 8 to be entered in a contest to win a hot air balloon flight at Liberty Balloon!

September 8-9, 2012:  Fall Fever Days
Swedish Hill Winery and Goose Watch Winery
Romulus, NY (19 miles from Gothic Eves)
Celebrating the start of harvest time, enjoy case specials, and a Jazz Festival at Goose Watch Winery with 4 jazz bands, food, wine, and wine slushies!

September 14-15, 2012:
Finger Lakes Cork and Fork
Rodman Lott & Son Farms in Seneca Falls, NY (30 miles from Gothic Eves)
Food made from locally-grown produce paired with great Finger Lakes Wines.  Food and Wine Pairing instruction, cooking instruction, wines, and beverages.

September 15, 2012:
Harvest Hoedown
Montezuma Winery in Seneca Falls, NY
Celebrating the harvest season with live country fiddle music; barbecue; food and wine pairings; locally-made jams, jellies, honey, maple products, baked goods, and more!  A family-friendly event complete with kids activities.

September 28-30, 2012:
30th Annual Downtown Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival
Downtown Ithaca, NY (12 miles from Gothic Eves)
Everything apple!  Apple Pie eating contest, craft show with over 50 artisans, farmer's market, live entertainment, Finger Lakes wine, food, cider, and more!

October 6-8, 2012:
Fall Festival in Trumansburg
T-Burg Mini Golf
Small, family-friendly activities to go along with a Mini Golf outing... or for a parent to enjoy with their younger kids while the older siblings enjoy the corn maze.  Enjoy the Apple Slingshot, Bounce House, Face Painting, Hay Rides, and more activities offering the flavor of small-town backyard fun.

October 20, 2012:
Chestnut Festival at Goose Watch Winery in Romulus, NY
It's chestnut harvest time at Goose Watch!  Sample chestnut-based foods, fresh roasted chestnuts, wine, and enjoy live music.

October 27, 2012:
Haunted Corn Maze at T-Burg Mini Golf  here in Turmansburg.
On Saturday, October 27th, the Corn Maze goes HAUNTED for one night only with over 40 characters hidden in the maze!  Find your way through while avoiding the spooks that await!

November 3, 2012:
Sparkling Wine & Dessert Festival at Swedish Hill Winery in Romulus, NY
Sparkling and dessert wines paired with desserts.  What a sweet way to spend a day!

Allow me to host your weekend getaway during the most beautiful season in Trumansburg.  Any of these events are all within 30 miles of my Finger Lakes inn.  Enjoy a hearty breakfast in the morning before venturing out for your day of fun, and I will have your cozy guest room ready for your return!


Innkeeper Rose Hilbert
POB 95, 112 E. Main St.
Trumansburg, NY, 14886
info@gothiceves.com
1-800-387-7712 | 607-387-6033

Hosmer Winery on Cayuga Lake Fall Event: Some Like It Hot

Do you enjoy pairing food and wine?  How about food and music?  What if I told you that you can enjoy all three during a single fall event?  Reserve your favorite Gothic Eves guest room for early September now, and enjoy Hosmer Winery's Some Like It Hot fall extravaganza on September 8, 2012!

Spend the afternoon at a beautiful Ovid, NY winery, located just 20 minutes from my bed and breakfast in downtown Trumansburg.  Featuring over 60 acres of vineyard land, Hosmer Winery has been in the wine-making business for over 25 years.  Based on the belief that "great wine starts in the vineyard," the business produces 20,000 gallons of wine each year while focusing on wine-making excellence.  Hosmer's has earned recognition and awards for many of their excellent vintages.

Some Like It Hot is a FREE event featuring:

• Hosmer Wine by the glass or bottle.
• Great food from Tastes of Wine Country Cafe, an Ovid, NY business featuring locally made specialty foods.  Enjoy pulled pork, Italian sausage, vegetarian quesadillas, and more!
• Music by Ithaca-based Robin Burnett and "A Band".  Robin's rich vocals and acoustic backed by three Finger Lakes area performers will entertain you through the afternoon with well-known rock, country, and folk offerings.
• Hand-crafted goods by local artists.
• A spectacular setting overlooking Hosmer Winery vineyards on the shore of Cayuga Lake.

What better way is to spend a NY Saturday in the fall than at an award-winning winery enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of Upstate New York?  After you return to my Trumansburg inn, enjoy an evening spa treatment or soak in the Snorkel Hot Tub for a perfect post-event evening before retiring to dreams of grapes, distant music, and sunshine on vineyards!


Innkeeper Rose Hilbert
POB 95, 112 E. Main St.
Trumansburg, NY, 14886
info@gothiceves.com

1-800-387-7712 | 607-387-6033

Food and Wine: Local Finger Lakes Wineries with Restaurants

You might know about the vast amount of wineries in the Finger Lakes area.  But what if you want to get a bite to eat?  Whether it be during your winery tour, or just a lunch or dinner out during your Trumansburg getaway, there are many options for both wine tasting and dining.  Because there are so very many wineries with restaurants in the entire region, I'll keep it between the lakes for the easiest and most direct winery/dining experiences!  While one or two may not be exactly close, this makes for the easiest drive back to your Upstate New York inn lodging at Gothic Eves!

In April I introduced you to the New York growing cooperatives, specifically Sweet Land Farm.  While they are the local favorite, they are certainly not the only one in the region!  Self-sustainment and fresh food are a huge deal in our area, and I am pleased to say that all the eateries on this list use local fresh produce when in season, and even sometimes out of season.  Similarly, many menus do change throughout the year, depending on what local ingredients the chefs can obtain.

Another good thing about Finger Lakes Winery/Restaurants is that they all have terrace seating options featuring either lake or vineyard views, and sometimes both!

With that, I'm going to jump into the between the lakes options.  Here we go!

Just over 3.5 miles from the inn is Americana Vineyards with Crystal Lake Cafe in Interlaken.  The Winery produces a wide range of 20 different wines throughout the year, ranging from dry to semi-sweet.  Crystal Lake Cafe is open daily for lunch and dinner, with a brunch option on Sundays.  Reservations are recommended.  "Full-flavor" is their boast, presumably to best complement their wines.  The menu has a good selection of items with limited vegetarian options (including soups, salads, and a vegetable fajita).  If you find them on the menu, consider trying the Lamb Burger (with feta, rosemary aloi and olive tapanade), and the Cuban Sandwich.  And while you're eating, be sure to note the homemade condiments and bread!

Just over 13 miles north in Ovid is the Thirsty Owl Wine Company with Bistro.  The winery offers 20 wines from dry to semi-sweet.  The Bistro is open daily for lunch, and  Fri/Sat dinners in July and August.  They have a surprisingly full menu with good vegetarian options in the form of soups, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads.  If the weather is nice, try eating on their terrace with a breathtaking view of Cayuga lake.  Menu offerings to consider include the homemade Macaroni and Cheese, and the Turkey/Cheddar/Apple Sandwich with Cranberry Mayonnaise.  The flatbreads are also a hit if you're in an especially Italian mood.

Also just over 13 miles north of the Inn is Knapp Winery and Vineyard Restaurant in Ovid.  The winery offers 32 different wine/cordial offerings including sweet ice wine, limencello, sweet flavored wines, champagne, and a wide variety of reds and whites.  Their restaurant serves lunch only, 7 days a week, and has a surprisingly sophisticated menu.  If you see them offered, try the Wild Mushroom Soup, Lamb and Bison Burger, and the Crab Cake.  One night each month from August through December , Knapp Vineyard Restaurant offers a reservations-only dinner that is worth attending - I can help you determine if a dinner will fall during your stay!

15.5 miles away is Wagner Vineyards and Ginney Lee Restaurant, a winery, restaurant AND brewery in Lodi.  The winery offers a large variety of reds and whites, a handful of dessert wines and blushes, and sparkling/non-alcoholic options.  The brewery boasts 6 standard beer brews from light to dark, and 5 specialty seasonal options..  Ginny Lee cafe is open daily from May - October for lunch only.  Specializing in Sandwiches/wraps and pizza, there is a little something for everyone food-wise with amazing views of Seneca Lake from their terrace.  Don't want to drink?  Try their real draft root beer made in-house!

21 miles away is Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro in Hector.  This winery offers over 60 varieties of wine in total, with selections varying depending on season.  This is one place where Riesling lovers should definitely stop, as theirs are superb.  The Bistro is open daily for lunch, and dinners are offered from Wednesday through Sunday.  Things to try on this seasonally changing menu include Local Egg Pasta Ravioli,  Curry Chicken Soup, Red Newt Gyros made with lamb, Pulled Pork Wrap, and the Pumpkin Gnocchi in cream sauce.  Red Newt has great vegetarian options!  Order a 3-wine 'flight' with your meal, or just a single glass.

A longer drive means more beautiful views, right?  While this last winery is on this side of the lake, it is still 30 miles to the north, just this side of Geneva.  Ventosa Vineyard offers Ice Wine, a small variety of blends, and a few vintages of their own making 15 in total, spanning the tannin scale from very dry to very sweet.  Their Cafe Toscana offers light Italian fare of soups, salads, pizzas and paninis, with a chicken salad wrap kicker.  I recommend the Escarole and Bean Soup paired with any of their paninis.

While not wineries in their own right, I would like to also recommend a few eateries that specialize in wine-food pairings, in case you desire a formal dining experience:

• 15.5 miles away in Lodi, Suzanne's Fine Regional Cuisine, offers dinners from Thursdays through Sundays, and a 5-course tasting menu that can be paired with Finger Lakes Wines on Thursdays and Fridays.  With a very romantic atmosphere, this restaurant has a pack porch, amazing food, and impeccable service.  Turning ordinary ingredients into extraordinary fare, chef Suzanne Stack offers an entire seasonal menu that will satisfy.  Reservations are recommended.
•  Dano's on Seneca offers Viennese cuisine just south of Lodi.  Cordon Bleu chef Dano Hutnik is well recognized in NYC's James Beard Foundation.  Dano makes the sausage and cheese featured in some of the dishes, and his wife, Pastry Chef Karen Gilman, makes all the desserts.  Offering small, a la carte portions, you can taste your way through the menu, or order more of a favorite!  Dano also offers a small selection of traditional entrees.  True to his Viennese roots, Dano makes a mean Schnitzel and Sauer Braten when available!  The staff will point you to excellent wines to pair with your meal of choice.
•  Hector is home to the Stonecat Cafe, just 21 miles away.  Open from April through the start of August, Chef Scott Signori and his wife Jessica off lunches from Thursday through Saturday, a Sunday Jazz brunch, and dinners from Wednesday through Sunday.  Offering rustic cuisine with notes of brightness, the owners are known for their home-smoked foods, bringing in local produce to complete the dishes.

And there you have six choices for winery/restaurant pairings, and three wine/food specialty options for great dining options during your bed and breakfast escape.  If you would like more information during your visit, just ask.  I can help you with directions, reservations, and I might just know what is on some of the seasonal menus for a personalized selection at the time of your visit!



Innkeeper Rose Hilbert
POB 95, 112 E. Main St.
Trumansburg, NY, 14886
info@gothiceves.com
www.gothiceves.com
1-800-387-7712 | 607-387-6033

Tasty Sweet Treats: Desserts in Upstate New York

Sometimes, there's nothing more satisfying than a great meal.  And sometimes, there's nothing more decadent than an amazing dessert!  If your sweet tooth demands to be satisfied during your B&B vacation, I would like to offer you five great choices for amazing desserts here in the Finger Lakes area!

1.  Madeline's in Ithaca
This sleek, Euro-Asian restaurant in the Commons is known as a great eating experience because of all the choices of food.  And that goes for desserts as well, as this restaurant has two entire showcases filled with delectable treats.  This restaurant prides itself in using the best ingredients to provide the best possible food.  Well they must use a lot of ingredients because their menu touches on a huge variety of sweets, and that's BEFORE the "variety of cheesecakes" and "variety of bread puddings!"  Please note that their offerings rotate, so if you see something on the menu that isn't in the case, just try another time!  And what goes better with dessert than coffee?  They have plenty of options there as well!  Sitting outside on the commons with a latte and dessert is a great way to end your day!

2.  Not My Dad's in Trumansburg
Ice cream, anyone?  This locally owned walk-up is known for its amazing vanilla soft-serve:  Forget the others because this is a rich and delicious option.  Have it incorporated into a great sundae (try the hot fudge or triple-berry toppings).  They also offer hard ice cream and shakes.

3.  Purity Ice Cream in Ithaca
A little further away from your bed and breakfast accommodations, this is the place to stop during a day-trip to Cornell or an Ithaca event.  The lines are always long, as this is a favorite with students, but the treats are worth the wait!  They offer a wide selection of rich ice creams and ice cream confections, and they offer delicious baked treats, coffee, and hot cocoa during the winter.

4.  Cayuga Lake Creamery
Another option for a treat during a day trip, this eatery takes advantage of its location along the Cayuga wine trail to offer sorbets made from local wines!  They offer a wide variety of small-batch production of both more traditional ice cream flavors (based on available ingredients), and some artistic offerings including lavender, maple bacon, and sea salt caramel (to name a very few).  MANY gluten-free options are also available in flavors like coffee & toffee, Irish cream, rum raisin and more.  Sugar-free and soy-based options are also available.  Located just a few minutes from my Finger Lakes inn!

5.  Sarah's Patisserie in Ithaca.
Offers Homemade cakes, house-made chocolates, and amazing artisanal dessert creations. Watch what you order, because it might just be too pretty to eat!  This is also a great cake source for your B&B event!

Wow, all this talk of dessert has made me hungry.  While you plan your stay my Upstate New York accommodations, I'll just step out and get some ice cream... or some cake... or some sorbet... oh dear...


Innkeeper Rose Hilbert
POB 95, 112 E. Main St.
Trumansburg, NY, 14886
info@gothiceves.com
www.gothiceves.com
1-800-387-7712 | 607-387-6033