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Fairport, NY - On July 23, Casa Larga Vineyards will celebrate the birthday of its late founder with special treats in the wine shop, a new wine dedicated to his memory and a restored tractor. In 1974, Andrew Colaruotolo (Mr. C), an immigrant from Gaeta, Italy, founded Casa Larga Vineyards as a hobby, seeking to create wines reminiscent of those produced by his family's vineyard in Italy. In 2004, Mr. C. passed away and was succeeded by his wife Ann, who assumed the role of Casa Larga Vineyard's President. His son John assists in winemaking. His daughter Mary Jo manages the Finance Department and his daughter Andrea is the Director of Operations. The Colaruotolo family honors Mr. C this year with a wine called "Andy's Harvest," a sweet white table wine. The wine is made in a style reminiscent of Italian coastal summer wines - fruity and light. The label features an image of a tractor on top of a hill in the vineyard. The tractor was the first tractor used to start the winery. The Colaruotolo family went out into the fields and picked rocks out of the soil to start the vineyard, putting them into a wooden crate mounted on the tractor's front. Then it was used for everyday tasks in the vineyard - the kids would ride on the back with Mr. C driving and then they would help putting in posts and with the harvests. The tractor eventually fell into disrepair and was left in the garage for almost 10 years. This year, a new employee saw the tractor and knew how to fix it. The tractor received a full restoration - the engine was fixed and tuned, the inner workings were adjusted and lubricated and the outside was buffed and repainted. On the anniversary of Mr. C's birthday, July 23, Casa Larga will release the new wine in the wine shop. They will also serve chocolate chip cookies and apple pastries, two of Mr. C's favorite treats from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mr. C's tractor will be outside and available for pictures. The Casa Larga wine shop is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily with public tours leaving at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. every day throughout the summer. |
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Located in Fairport, NY, Casa Larga Vineyards is New York's premier wine producer, highly regarded for its production of award-winning, world-class Ice Wines. Casa Larga produces a wide range of wines, including Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling and other proprietary table wine blends. For more information call (585) 223-4210 or visit www.CasaLarga.com.
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