ITHACA, NY – Every winter, Experience! The Finger Lakes, LLC offers a Winter Wine Series
that takes advantage of the unhurried pace during the off-season to provide intimate experiences
with local producers. This year Laura and Alan Falk are proud to offer a new tour that
collaborates with three eminent purveyors of the Finger Lakes region: Sheldrake Point
Vineyards, Lively Run Goat Dairy, and Chef Samantha Izzo-Buyskes of Simply Red.
The 6 and ½ hour tour begins with a visit to Sheldrake Point Vineyards, where guests will tour
the barrel room with winemaker Bob Madill, taste wine right out of the barrel, as well as taste
unreleased bottled vintages. Next stop is Lively Run Goat Dairy, where guests will meet the
cheese makers, learn how they make their fabulous goat milk cheeses, and sample several
varieties. The tour culminates with a cooking class and meal experience with regional celebrity
chef, Samantha Izzo-Buyskes, who has been cooking in the Finger Lakes since 2002. Alongside
Chef Samantha, guests will discover the bounty of ingredients grown right here in the heart of
the Finger Lakes. During the three-hour class, they join Chef Samantha in her own kitchen as she
prepares and demonstrates the creation of a three-course meal featuring the cheese and wines
tasted earlier in the tour. Guests will receive all the recipes prepared during the class so that they
can recreate the meal at home.
The goal was to build a tour that creates a true Farm to Table experience. This tour builds a meal
from the ground up, by going to the winery where the meal’s wine is produced, and then
continuing to a farm to experience the production of one of the ingredients featured in the meal.
“For me, the obvious places to debut the tour are Sheldrake Point Vineyards and Lively Run
Goat Dairy,” said Laura Winter Falk, president of Experience! The Finger Lakes. “Once Sam
decided to close Simply Red Bistro at Sheldrake Point and start Simply Red Events, she
approached me with the idea of collaborating, and I immediately loved the idea and said ‘Let’s
do it!’”
Chef Samantha’s new venture allows her to be a part of the guests’ experience from start to
finish. She is able to truly guide the meal as it unfolds, and create an intimate learning experience
for her guests. The combination of Sam’s cooking class and the Experience! tour gives guests a
unique opportunity to learn about, explore, and taste what the Finger Lakes region has to offer.
"This tour is all about celebrating the success of the Farm to Table movement in the Finger
Lakes," says Laura. Throughout the tour, the Experience! The Finger Lakes tour guides share
stories of how it all started, honoring the pioneers of the movement, such as Gary Redmond of
Regional Access and Deb Whiting of Red Newt Bistro. For locals, the tour provides a wonderful
way to experience the products that they already know and love in their grassroots setting. “This
tour is another way of saying thank you to all the wineries and farms that enrich our lives here in
the Finger Lakes, and to provide a direct way for us to ‘share the love’ with those who visit the
area,” says Laura.
Tours depart from La Tourelle Resort and Spa in Ithaca at 10:00 am on the following dates.
Each weekend features a different menu theme created by Chef Samantha:
• Saturday January 21st or Sunday January 22nd – Discovering the Power of Spice
• Saturday February 11th or Sunday February 12th – Power Foods to Nourish the Soul
• Saturday March 10th or Sunday March 11th – Taste of Spring
Based on the success of the winter wine series, Chef Samantha and Laura look forward to
making the Let’s Get Cooking tour a series that will run once a month, year round - changing
which wineries and farms are featured in Sam's kitchen.
About Experience! The Finger Lakes - Based out of Ithaca, Experience! The Finger Lakes,
LLC prides itself as being a full-service concierge to the Finger Lakes region. Offering a
selection of standard tours, custom tour development, and personal itinerary planning,
Experience! The Finger Lakes ensures that guests have the opportunity to explore what makes
Ithaca and our region truly unique, from its culture, to its natural beauty and historical
significance. Experience! The Finger Lakes is owned and operated by Laura and Alan Falk, of
Ithaca, NY, residents in the Finger Lakes for over 25 years. Contact Laura Winter Falk, President
info@experiencefingerlakes.com or 607-233-4818; www.experiencefingerlakes.com for more
information.
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