WBC15 Pre-Con Overnight with Seneca Lake Winery Association

Wine Bloggers Conference attendees have the opportunity to make the most of their WBC experience each year by participating in optional, pre and post-conference excursions.  This year’s pre-conference adventure explores the northern half of Lake Seneca and represents the conference’s only outing to this part of the Finger Lakes wine region.  Our 2015 partnership with the Seneca Lake Winery Association has resulted in a robust, educational, and exciting overnight tour of Lake Seneca that begins in Corning on Wednesday, August 12, overnights in Geneva, NY and ends on Thursday, August 13 back at the Radisson Hotel in Corning.  Cost is $50 for Citizen Bloggers, $100 for all others + cost of hotel room in Geneva.

The Seneca Lake Winery Association has put a lot of thought, time, and energy into building this in-depth tour of the wine region of Lake Seneca.  The pre-conference excursion is capped at 50 participants – please consider joining us on this awesome tour before the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference begins!

ITINERARY  2015 Pre-Conference Overnight Excursion with Lake Seneca Winery Association

Wednesday, August 12

• 1:00 PM         Pickup at the conference host hotel, the Radisson, in Corning
• 1:30 PM         Pickup at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport
• Afternoon      Visit with the owner of Villa Bellangelo + four, separate tastings and education stations
• 4:30 PM         Check-in at the Hampton Inn in Geneva, NY
• 5:30 PM         #FLXWomen at Ventosa Vineyards.  Panel seminar led by Cornell Asst. Professor of Enology, Dr. Anna   Katherine Mansfield
• Evening        Dinner by local chef, Heather Tompkins

Thursday, August 13

• 10 AM            Depart for “A Family’s Winemaking Lifestyle” at Anthony Road Wine Company with the owners and winemaker
• Afternoon     “Analysis of Terroir” at Fox Run Vineyards + lunch in the barrel room
• 5 PM              Return to the Radisson Hotel in Corning

The Wednesday afternoon visit to Villa Bellangelo is a Finger Lakes blitz with winery owner, Christopher Missick.  All attendees will receive a copy of Christopher’s book, “A Sense of Place”, upon arrival and then be treated to a presentation on the history of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.  After our meeting with Christopher, guests choose to attend one of four, separate tastings and education stations:  1) King’s Garden 10 Year Vertical Tasting of Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon 2) Bellangelo Riesling Experience 3) Side Hill Acres and Schtayburne Cheddar Cheese samplings 4) “Others” – a tasting of the experimental and alternative wines Villa Bellangelo is making.  All followed by a tour of the cellar.

Wednesday’s evening activities are all hosted at the top of Seneca Lake and at Ventosa Vineyards.  The event is full of tastings and education about the food and farming movement across the Finger Lakes and with the theme of “Finger
Lakes Women” (#FLXWomen).  Women now run about 14% of the nation’s farms and the dynamic group of scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs, winemakers and professionals included in this evening’s event will make it a fantastic opportunity to get to know the female faces behind the Finger Lakes.  Included is a short seminar led by Dr. Anna Katherine Mansfield, Assistant Professor of Enology at Cornell University + dinner prepared by Chef Heather Tompkins.

After a night’s respite at the Hampton Inn in Geneva, NY, pre-conf guests are treated to a morning session at the Anthony Road Wine Company and a presentation on “A Family’s Winemaking Lifestyle” with owners, Ann and John Martini, who are in their 25th year of production.  Winemaker, Peter Becraft, will introduce his philosophy of winemaking and the challenges he faces while on the lifelong journey of learning about the wine climate in the Finger Lakes.  Tastings include small batch wines that are treated differently and wines Anthony Road has not produced in the past, like Gruner Veltliner and a barrel-fermented Pinot Gris.  Local beers, ciders, and food products will also be tasted (bonus!).

We head to Fox Run Vineyards in the afternoon for an “Analysis of Terroir” with the vineyard managers who will dive deep (literally!) into the unique terroir of Fox Run as compared to other wine regions and different parts of the Finger Lakes.  Guests will learn what the owners and managers monitor to promote better flavors in the grapes, see examples of various soil types in the vineyard, and understand the different shorelines that existed as modern day Seneca Lake was formed.  After the vineyard tour we head to the barrel room for a light lunch that includes local ingredients (everything paired with wine, of course) and continue the discussion with respect to how the local terroir affects other types of farms.

LOGISTICS & REGISTRATION

The pre-conference excursions is open to registered conference attendees and is limited to 50 people.  The cost is $50 for Citizen Bloggers and $100 for all others.  The cost of the hotel in Geneva, NY is not included in the cost of the excursion.

A block of rooms has been reserved at a discounted blogger rate of $145 at the Hampton Inn in Geneva, NY for the night of August 12.  This rate includes a hot breakfast.  Use this link to book your own room and please, book your room no later than July 8th.  Looking to share a room on the excursion?  Check out the WBC Group on Facebook for Alumni & Registered Attendees – it’s a GREAT place to look for roomshares and find out what your WBC15 friends are up to.

If you have NOT yet registered for the conference (we think you should!) and would like to register for the pre (and/or post) conference excursion + the conference itself, please use this WBC registration form.

If you are already registered for the conference, fantastic!  Thanks for that.  Please then use this, special, WBC excursion registration form to sign up for the pre and post-conference wine adventures.

We are picking up pre-conference guests up at the WBC15 host hotel, the Radisson Hotel, in Corning, NY at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, August 12 and/or at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport at 1:30 PM.  We spend the night in Geneva, NY on August 12 and return to the Radisson in Corning on Thursday, August 13 by 5 pm – conveniently in time to check in and freshen up for the Opening Wine Reception.