My wife Shirley and a best family friend Donna set out to taste some great wines, enjoy some great scenery, have a delicious diner and spend a little cash in one of the most beautiful regions of New York. This is another of the new wineries in the region that is producing some of the Finger Lakes best. mean Damn! mean O sh*t. MORE >>

Tonight I added another favorite place to eat in Syracuse, Joey's Italian Restaurant. The only downside is the lack of New York wines on the list and no NY reds. Shirley and I have been dining here for the last 10 years and it seems that the food just keeps getting better and better. As usual, she always gets it right. MORE >>

It was a "soft" opening for a new Thai restaurant downtown in the old Cru space. As we sat down I took out the wine I brought along, the 2008 Pierre Gonon St Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers , $32, Fruit of the Vines Imports. We agreed that it smelled, tasted, and really felt like Chenin Blanc - an old Montlouis, Levi said. MORE >>

It had been a long flight from New York, and Ana’s enthusiasm to show me her vineyard makes it all worth it. As we arrive a the winery Carlos proudly shows us his “new and old” cellar … one part dates from 1910, and the other part(s) they had built in stages, with the most recent part built just last year. “Welcome!” Around $13. MORE >>

"So here i am, at Ken Forrester's 96 Winery Road restaurant in South Africa!". first met Ken Forrester in New York at a trade event in New York City focusing on wines from South Africa. The basic message is that Chenin Blanc is a quality grape in its own right, and deserves respect. Chenin Blanc has been S. MORE >>