Damiani Winery hosts "Wine, Swine & Dine", which leads to "Wine, Bovine & Dine" Feb. 27th!

Lou Damiani, left, of Damiani Wine Cellars on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

Glass and Ear art, center, and right.

Damiani Winery kicked off the new year in fine style this January 2011. In an event that is sure to be re-created, hopefully annually, the wine-maker played host alongside The Piggery, Preliminaires Chocolat, Six Circles Farm, Full Plate Farm Collective, Fingerlakes Farmstead Cheese, and Autumn's Harvest Farm, to roughly 100 guests (open to the public) who arrived on a bitter cold but beautifully bright winter Sunday, to partake in one of the best and most enjoyable tastings I've ever encountered anywhere!

The setting of Damiani Winery is not to be beat - sweeping, unobstructed views of the lake gave us all plenty of ooh-ahh moments as the sun lit into the tasting room, dancing off all of the glassware and boucing energy around the room of merry-makers. My crew of 3, including me, stopped at each tasting station to sample small bites of yumminess from our local farm and treat scene, some of which were completely new to me - (I love this part - new GREAT STUFF to know about)! At each station, we were able to also sample tastes of the Damiani current offerings, paired to enhance the food samples, to great effect!

The man who rocked the show, left, with his tasty truffly concoctions!!! THANK YOU CHRISTIAN!!

Garlic Scape Pesto, center, and Matthew from Harvest Cafe/Six Circles Farm, at right.

You know what those things below are!!! TRUFFLES!!! Getouttadaway!!!

As a result of our adventurousness that day, I now have a NEW FAVORITE chocolatier, Prelimaires Chocolat, who swept me off my feet with their fine ginger truffle, and hot perivian truffle - I honestly would not want to have to choose one or the other here, they are both SCRUMPTIOUS!! We did a fair bit of damage with gift shopping for our more reluctant friends who did not make the drive out with us - our bags were full with raw Red Meck cheeses, Damiani wines, and one totally new find - Rosie's Garlic Scape Pesto, by Six Circles Farm (I was lucky to get their last jar)! There is a grandmother angle to the garlic scape pesto, as I recall, but I don't actually recall the entire story - the folks at the farm will be able to tell you when you show up at their door to purchase your own bottle next spring, can't say enough good things abou this little bomb jar of pesto!

Photo uploader seems to be on the fritz today, so check back for photos later - however, I can sneak in this tidbit for you - the NEXT FREEVENT at Damiani is ON THE CALENDAR, for Feb. 27th, 1-4 pm, and it shall be called "Wine, Bovine, & Dine"! Will we see you there? I hope so, and please help spread the word, bring in the business for these hard-working farmers and vintners of the Fingerlakes!!

Farmstead Cheeses included an outstanding Red Meck!!

The author and her sweetie!

For "The Short Report by Santos", this is Agent Santos reporting,

on a frigid 8 degree overcast day in mid-January, from the slopes of South Hill, Ithaca, NY!!