papazoid Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 has anyone gone to this ?.....and how was it ? SABRES ALUMNI FALL WINE FESTIVAL The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association and the Sabres Foundation are hosting the Sabres Alumni Fall Wine Festival on Thursday, Nov. 10 at First Niagara Center from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. The event, presented by CoBANK and co-sponsored by First Niagara, Labatt and BlueCross BlueShield of WNY, will feature wineries and restaurants from Buffalo, Niagara on the Lake and beyond. Tickets for the event are just $75. Sample some of the finest wines and food that the Western New York and Southern Ontario regions have to offer while socializing with Sabres legends and their wives. The festival will include live music and a silent auction with unique items from the Sabres Alumni and wives along with current Sabres wives and girlfriends. All proceeds from the event will benefit breast cancer care centers in the Western New York area. All attendees are asked to dress in business attire for the evening. There will be complimentary parking in the ramp adjacent to the First Niagara Center. Please use the 100 level bridge entrance to enter the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 It was great last year. There are plenty of wineries and good food stations. Beer and some spirits. You can get your $ worth for sure. I discovered Leonard Oakes winery there and probably gave them $500 worth of business because of it. A lot of the alumni were there and it is very relaxed, even though everyone is dressed up a bit. Plenty of neat things up for auction. Basket raffle last year as well. I ended up dealing with some of the guys after the event, and that is why I can say they are first class in what they try and do for the community. I don't know if it will be crowded this year because of the renewed energy, but last year there was plenty to do and enough room to mingle around without being trapped anywhere. Anytime you have an excuse to get drunk for charity....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I discovered Leonard Oakes winery there and probably gave them $500 worth of business because of it. Leonard Oakes makes a damned tasty tramminette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Leonard Oakes makes a damned tasty tramminette. Where is Leonard Oakes out of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Where is Leonard Oakes out of? Rt. 104 north of Medina in Orleans County. They are the eastern start to the Niagara Wine Trail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Rt. 104 north of Medina in Orleans County. They are the eastern start to the Niagara Wine Trail. Most of their stuff is good. I like the Red Oakes. Their ice wine is nice. Really, all their stuff is good and not priced to kill. There are probably 10-12 places at the event, and then Premier has tons to sample from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Most of their stuff is good. I like the Red Oakes. Their ice wine is nice. Really, all their stuff is good and not priced to kill. There are probably 10-12 places at the event, and then Premier has tons to sample from. Yeah, you pimped this event in the whisky thread. It's got two things working against it for me. I don't drink on work nights and it's a long drive for me. Shame cuz I luv me a good wine tasting event. I don't get to participate in them very often since I moved out of Erie County. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Rt. 104 north of Medina in Orleans County. They are the eastern start to the Niagara Wine Trail. That's why I don't recognize it. I am familiar with most of the finger lakes stuff, but haven't done the Niagara Wine Trail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 That's why I don't recognize it. I am familiar with most of the finger lakes stuff, but haven't done the Niagara Wine Trail. For the most part, the Niagara Wine Trail wineries aren't quite up to the standards that the better Finger Lakes wineries are setting. There are a couple of exceptions though. Leonard Oakes is definitely one of them. And they make a killer English style hard cider too. Supposedly with old English cider apple varieties. My impression is that, on average, the NWT wineries are about where the FL wineries were about 10 years ago, focusing more on sweeter wines and more NY climate favorable grape varietals. But they are catching up fast. It seems like every year the dry and traditional vinifera varietals increase and increase in quality as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I don't drink on work nights On a stack of Bibles?? B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 For the most part, the Niagara Wine Trail wineries aren't quite up to the standards that the better Finger Lakes wineries are setting. There are a couple of exceptions though. Leonard Oakes is definitely one of them. And they make a killer English style hard cider too. Supposedly with old English cider apple varieties. My impression is that, on average, the NWT wineries are about where the FL wineries were about 10 years ago, focusing more on sweeter wines and more NY climate favorable grape varietals. But they are catching up fast. It seems like every year the dry and traditional vinifera varietals increase and increase in quality as well. There are still many, many wineries in the finger lakes selling native varietals. I would guess that Catawba and Niagara probably outsell every vinifera except riesling. Times are changing though. The good folks at Cornell have done wonders crossbreeding grapes that can survive and produce a quality grape in our climate. The niagara area, despite its proximity to the great lakes, has to be brutal on grapes. I know that our winters are much milder here than what I experienced growing up in the snow belts. I can't imagine what its like in Medina when the wind comes whipping down from Canada and across Lake Ontario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 The niagara area, despite its proximity to the great lakes, has to be brutal on grapes. I know that our winters are much milder here than what I experienced growing up in the snow belts. I can't imagine what its like in Medina when the wind comes whipping down from Canada and across Lake Ontario. Actually, the Niagara Escarpment really does increase the growing season, not unlike the Keuka and Seneca basins. That is why it is such a prolific apple and pear growing region. Lake Ontario rarely freezes and usually just close to shore so any wind whipping off Ontario is going to be a warming wind in Fall and Winter (wind chill factor aside). There was one winery on the Niagara Escarpment that was very successfully growing Pinot Noir, and that is a damned tough grape to grow in upstate NY. Even alot of Finger Lakes wineries are getting Pinot Noir juice from Long Island. The wineries up in Niagara County are just starting to play with vinifera in the last few years, and if you ask, many of them will tell you they have just started planting and are buying the bulk of their juice from Finger Lakes sources right now. Time will tell how different in character NWT varietal wines will be from FL wines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Cheese and rice. We got ourselves another booze/vice thread. :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 On a stack of Bibles?? B-) I didn't say "I swear". :P :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I don't drink on work nights and it's a long drive for me. S Wine's not drinking. And it's not a work night if you call in drunk the next day. Actually, the Niagara Escarpment really does increase the growing season, not unlike the Keuka and Seneca basins. That is why it is such a prolific apple and pear growing region. Lake Ontario rarely freezes and usually just close to shore so any wind whipping off Ontario is going to be a warming wind in Fall and Winter (wind chill factor aside). There was one winery on the Niagara Escarpment that was very successfully growing Pinot Noir, and that is a damned tough grape to grow in upstate NY. Even alot of Finger Lakes wineries are getting Pinot Noir juice from Long Island. The wineries up in Niagara County are just starting to play with vinifera in the last few years, and if you ask, many of them will tell you they have just started planting and are buying the bulk of their juice from Finger Lakes sources right now. Time will tell how different in character NWT varietal wines will be from FL wines. Well color me suprised. I guess I always imagined the southern shore of Niagara as a wind swept Taiga from Halloween until Easter. Cheese and rice. We got ourselves another booze/vice thread. :blink: All about Tawny Port, Vanilla Cream Sherry and Meritage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Well color me suprised. I guess I always imagined the southern shore of Niagara as a wind swept Taiga from Halloween until Easter. Oh, it is a wind swept taiga all right. A few degrees warmer than the surrounding area wind swept taiga. :P It's all relative. All about Tawny Port, Vanilla Cream Sherry and Meritage? You start this one. There might be still be a couple of members left who don't think I have a problem. :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 You start this one. There might be still be a couple of members left who don't think I have a problem. :beer: It's only a problem if you're putting alcohol infused whipped cream on your wife. Well, then again, carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Amerk Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Sounds like a Chet and Muffy event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I heard that the organization and specifically Mrs. Pegula got a lot more involved this year so it will be interesting to see what changes were made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted November 11, 2011 Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 I heard that the organization and specifically Mrs. Pegula got a lot more involved this year so it will be interesting to see what changes were made. She was all up in the business! It was funny seeing her sitting on a concession stand after getting her wine on. Good for her. Lots of cool stuff and some bigger items thanks to the Pegulas. I got out fairly cheap with a jersey and some small stuff. I tried getting the Danny Heatley jersey if only for the irony of it being offered at an all you can drink event. Best food...and forgive me for forgetting who it was....it looked like something your dog puked up, seriously. It was like a mix of pulled pork, ham, sausage, and maybe prosciutto, with what I assume was potato and a frothy spiced foam on top. Leonard Oakes again the best, but plenty of decent places. Merritt had a couple good ones. RedStag/Canadian Club had a stand to help lubricate things. But in true grunt fashion, the night ended up in line downing texas hots behind Playfair and Razor, and loitering at the MacKenzie's hard cider stand where they were very generous with their product. I think they might be auctioning off alumni jerseys from the event for breast cancer online. I always pimp this event, but really....you can't lose. Yeah, a little Chet and Muffy, but the alumni are always up for a good time and a lot of the guys love rehashing war stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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