World-record wine tasting bid planned

GENEVA, NY – The 2nd annual Finger Lakes Music & Wine Festival will have a twist this year: Sample for a Cause.

The event, scheduled for Saturday, August 18, in this Seneca Lake city, will be the setting for what organizers hope will go in the record books as the largest wine tasting event in the world.

The current world record for such an event is 5,095 participants who visited the Plaza de Toros in Arando de Duero, Spain, on September 15, 2006.

With more than 100 wineries, the Finger Lakes region will be able to offer many different wines to festival visitors. And, $2 from every wine tasting ticket sold will go directly to Geneva’s Happiness House to help fund local programs.

If you’d like to get a group together to join the record attempt, here are the details. Wine tasting hours: 3 to 8 p.m., admission to the attempt; 7 to 8 p.m., call-up to all participants.

• Participants are to gather in the designated, fenced-in tasting area to count toward the world record attempt A digital counter above the gate will display the number of patrons in the t area at any given time. 

• During the attempt period all entries and exits by patrons are automatically recorded by an electronic counting system. Specific focus will be placed on the 7 to 8 p.m. period, unless the record is broken before that specific time. 

• An official adjudicator will be present and witness the attempt. If the record is broken, the adjudicator will publicly announce the success of the attempt and hand a plaque to the mayor of Geneva on the main festival stage. 

Wine tasting tickets are $15 per person, 21 and over only. They may be purchased online or at the festival gates on the day of the event. No admission to those under 21. Tickets can be purchased online or at the festival gates on the days of the festival. Full details are available online.

'Taste of Buffalo' extravaganza coming up

BUFFALO, NY -- The "Taste of Buffalo," billed as the country's largest annual two-day food festival, will roll for its 29th year on Saturday and Sunday, July 7-8.

The event, which features local foods and restaurants, will be held in an area that runs from Delaware Avenue and Niagara Square in the downtown area. This year, 51 restaurants, four food trucks and seven wineries as well as a culinary stage, musical entertainment and other special offerings will be included in the event.

More than 200 food items, ranging from Asian to barbecue to Italian to sweet treats will be available for sampling.

Restaurants participating for the first time will include the Buffalo Tap Room, Cabaret, Dehli Chaat Sweets and Restaurant, Dibella's, Francesca's, Friar's Table, Iris Restaurant, Mr. Bones, Manhattan's, The Original Soup Man and Romanello's. Food trucks, on hand for the first time, will be Lloyd's Taco Truck, The Roaming Buffalo, R&R BBQ Food Truck and The Cheesy Chick.

Wineries will be Glenora Wine Cellars, Hazlitt Vineyards, Knapp Winery, Merritt Estate Winery, Niagara Landing Wine Cellars, Spring Lake Winery and Woodbury Vineyards.

All food items will range in price from $1 to $4 in food tickets. Each restaurant also offers a taste-sized portion of a signature menu item for only $2 or 4 tickets. By purchasing $20 in food tickets, guests can get a "taste" at 10 different restaurants. Pre-sale food ticket vouchers, available in $10 certificates, can be purchased right at the register at participating Tops Markets through July 8.

Buffalo firefighters are also getting into the action this year with the "Smokin' Hot Buffalo Firehouse Cook-off" on Saturday at 5 p.m.

The week before the festival, prospective attendees will be able to download the festival guide and restaurant map.

Expanded restaurant ownership bill advances

ALBANY -- A bill that would allow brew pub owners to also open a restaurant today is before the New York State Assembly after passing its first major hurdle.

A bill sponsored by Senator Mark Grisanti, R-North Buffalo, on Tuesday passed the State Senate. It now needs to pass the Assembly before being sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo for approval.

The bill (S7110) would allow an individual to own a license for both manufacturing alcohol and an alcohol retail license.

Grisanti said the present law, which has been in place since the end of the Prohibition era, has restricted owners of an alcohol manufacturer license from also having a retail license, limiting the ability to open the two types of businesses. The restrictions carried over to owners of brew-pubs who manufacture their own alcohol and also serve food, restricting them from also owning a second restaurant.

"This bill would clear the way for more economic activity and job creation," said Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos, who supported the measure. "Small businesses that are looking to expand should be encouraged and allowed to grow."

Wine & Cheese Weekend on the Niagara trail

If you have trouble getting your fill of wine and cheese, mark June 15-17 on your calendar. That's the long weekend for the Niagara Wine Trail's "Wine & Cheese Weekend."

In addition to sampling wines at 15 of the 16 member wineries (Spring Lake Winery will not participate), a lengthy list of New York artisan cheese from event sponsor Yancey's Fancy will be available.

The event will run from noon t 6 p.m. Friday, 10 am. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $25 per person in advance or $30 the days of the event. Tickets are available online. For non-drinkers, cheese sampling only admission is $15.

The event was scheduled to mark both Father's Day and National Dairy Month. Tickets are valid for all three days and include a wine tasting and cheese pairing at each winery and a souvenir wine glass from the first winery you visit.

• Arrowhead Spring Vineyards: Sharp cheddar, white 
• Long Cliff Winery: Extra sharp cheddar, yellow 
• Black Willow Winery: XXX-tra sharp cheddar, white 
• Freedom Run Winery: XXX-tra sharp cheddar, yellow 
• Chateau Niagara Winery: AALSBRUK smoked gouda w/bacon 
• Niagara Landing Wine Cellars: Bergenost 
• A Gust of Sun Winery: AALSBRUK smoked gouda 
• Eveningside Vineyards: Double cream cheddar 
• Schulze Vineyards & Winery: Aged cheddar w/hickory smoked bacon & horseradish Victorianbourg Wine Estate: Aged cheddar w/Finger Lakes champagne 
• Honeymoon Trail Winery: Aged cheddar w/peppadew sweet & spicy peppers 
• Vizcarra Vineyards: Aged cheddar w/ Finger Lakes strawberry chardonnay 
• Midnight Run Wine Cellars: Smoked tangy applewood double cream cheddar 
• Leonard Oakes Estate Winery: Steakhouse onion 
• The Winery at Marjim Manor: Norwegian dill & herb crusted double cream cheddar