Category Archives: Hudson Valley

The Wine Media Guild Does…Cider!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews It may sound a bit like “man biting dog”, but at the Wine Media Guild of New York’s (WMG) recent October tasting/lunch, the focus was on…cider! Justifiably so. “Hard” (i.e. alcoholic) cider is one of the hottest beverage … Continue reading →

Posted in At Our Farmhouse, Beer + Cider, Hudson Valley, NY craft beverages, NYC Events, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Unexpected Plums? Clafouti!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Our ancient red plum tree served as an early muse here at Upstate-Downtown. And we’ve received lots of plum goodness from it over the years. It has, unfortunately, fallen on hard times recently, a victim of “black knot” plum tree disease and … Continue reading →

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Ramp Fest Hudson 2015: Gone in a Flash

Posted on May 8, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews On one of the most beautiful days of the year upstate (so far), the fifth annual Ramp Fest, a culinary celebration of “the wild onion of myth and mystery”, took place last Saturday (5/2/15) at  Basilica Hudson in Hudson, NY. … Continue reading →

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Dutch’s Spirits Takes Shape in Pine Plains

Posted on October 24, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Dutch’s Spirit’s, a farm distillery in-the-making in Pine Plains, NY, located on the very same grounds where infamous mobster Dutch Schultz bankrolled an elaborate Prohibition-era bootlegging operation, is nearing (physical) completion. Last weekend, on the 82nd anniversary of the Federal raid that shut down Schultz’s illicit underground booze … Continue reading →

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2014 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition: Millbrook, Clinton Vineyards Stand Out

Posted on September 8, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews For the third year in a row, Millbrook Vineyard and Winery, the Hudson Valley’s perennial wine flagship, won the Hudson Valley Winery of the Year award at the 2014 Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits Competition. But it … Continue reading →

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Hudson Valley (Belated) Blooms, 2014

Posted on June 1, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Winter 2014 went into overtime in the Hudson Valley. Then spring sputtered; cool weather lingered. Daffodils and tulips came up more or less on schedule, but the second wave of spring blooms, like irises and peonies, have … Continue reading →

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Got Glögg? Hudson Valley has Hetta

Posted on March 31, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews In the early part of this Interminable Winter of 2014, I received a fitting assignment for the season from Edible Hudson Valley: to write a piece on Hetta Glögg, a bottled mulled wine in the Nordic tradition, produced in … Continue reading →

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Bargain German Pinot Gris: Villa Wolf

Posted on January 23, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews I’m always looking for quality, inexpensive wines…with some character (which is the tricky part). And, truthfully, I have found quite a few such bargains at Sipperley’s Grog Shop, a somewhat disorganized, but bustling shop in the center … Continue reading →

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What Wine with Rabbit Pappardelle? A Mercato Test

Posted on October 4, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Last week was completely exhausting for me — and for many others, too. It was the annual madness of the United Nations General Assembly Ministerial Week, where a record number of world leaders descended on Manhattan’s Turtle Bay, bringing heavy security … Continue reading →

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Gold Galore at 2013 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition

Posted on September 13, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Last weekend I had the honor once again to be a judge at the Hudson Valley Wine and Spirits Competition. The tasting started early on a gorgeous September morning at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, where the golden sunshine outside was matched by … Continue reading →

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