Geneva, N.Y. - Under the leadership of former White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib (1994-2005) five of the Finger Lakes' best chefs will collaborate on an exceptional five course wine and food exploration for the luncheon of the inaugural Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes, March 23, 2013. Featuring regional cuisine, each chef will present their dish and pairing with Finger Lakes wine. Participating Finger Lakes chefs are: Carl Bray, lead chef Geneva on the Lake; Brud Holland, executive chef Red Newt Bistro; Vachel "Mitch" Mitchell, chef Ginny Lee Café; Orlando Rodriguez, executive chef Veraisons Restaurant; and Heather Tompkins, executive chef and co-owner Opus Espresso and Wine Bar.
"I am looking forward to working with this great roster of Finger Lake Chefs," says Scheib. "The recipes they have created not only highlight their top level culinary abilities but also demonstrate the excellent food and wine that is currently being produced in the Finger Lakes region."
Scheib, as keynote presenter during the luncheon, will entertain and inform attendees about a side of food and wine few individuals have the opportunity to experience - cooking in the White House for two presidents, over an 11-year span (1994-2005), and for world leaders as well as the First Families.
"The Finger Lakes is developing a national reputation for cool-climate white and red wines paired with local foods," explains Bob Madill of Sheldrake Point Winery, co-chair and host of Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes. "This is a key part of a Finger Lakes wine country experience that we are bringing to the Wine Symposium luncheon with Chef Scheib and our five local Chefs."
Aimed at wine enthusiasts, the inaugural Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes will be an exquisite wine and food experience held in the heart of the Finger Lakes, in Geneva, N.Y., in March. Attendees will learn from and taste wines alongside international experts and, in the process, learn about the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the context of the world's key wine producing regions. The Wine Symposium of the Finger Lakes is the collaborative effort of Geneva Growth and the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, with support from the New York Wine and Culinary Center, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the City of Geneva and the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.winesymposiumfingerlakes.com.
Chef Biographies Follow:
Carl Bray, Geneva on the Lake
Carl Bray has been the lead chef at Geneva on the Lake for more than five years. He started cooking at the age of 15, working first as a prep cook at a fast-food restaurant and a YMCA camp before receiving formal academic training. He went on to earn his degree in Culinary Arts from Alfred State, SUNY College of Technology, in Alfred, N.Y. Bray was previously chef at Lloyds Limited, in Penn Yan, N.Y.
Under his leadership, Geneva on the Lake takes part in the Medley of Tastes event annually and in 2012 earned the accolade, "Best Presentation." In 2010, Bray was named "Slice Dice and Spice N.Y." Champion. In the competition, chefs from around the Finger Lakes led teams of amateur foodies to create themed-dishes using Finger Lakes and New York State ingredients.
Chef Bray is a member of Culinary Bounty, an organization that promotes the region's culinary identity through its local food and wine.
Brud Holland, Red Newt Bistro
Brud Holland is Red Newt Bistro's executive chef. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montepelier, Vt., Holland has enjoyed more than 20 years in the field from professional cooking to food service management to education.
He has previously held the position of baking and pastry instructor at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona, and was founder of gourmet bakery and delicatessen Glen Mountain Market. He later became owner and president of Della Terra, Inc., a vegetarian food manufacturer located in Dundee, N.Y. He has also served as executive chef and owner of the Watkins Hotel; the executive chef of Corning Incorporated; and the executive chef of the Corning Country Club before joining Red Newt. He continues to provide culinary and wine education instruction at 171 Cedar Arts in Corning, N.Y.
At Red Newt, Holland's focus is on developing innovative menus that are representative of the Finger Lakes Region, its four distinctive seasons and the amazing products that are grown by its farmers.
Vachel Mitchell, Ginny Lee Café
Vachel Mitchell, "Chef Mitch," is a native of New York's Southern Tier region and is the chef at the Ginny Lee Café at Wagner Vineyards. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., his experience ranges from intimate café dining to corporate food service. He was previously executive chef at O'Brien's Inn, Waverly; London Underground Café, Corning; Holiday Inn Executive Tower, Ithaca; and the Black Diamond Room, Sayre; as well as corporate chef for Woods Dining Service-Coach USA. Prior to joining Ginny Lee Café, he was executive chef at Logan Ridge Winery.
Mitchell is inspired by French and American cuisines while infusing local ingredients and styles.
Orlando Rodriguez, Veraisons Restaurant
The Executive Chef of Veraisons Restaurant at Glenora Wine Cellars, Orlando Rodriguez is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y. Rodriguez's professional experience includes executive sous chef at The Elms Restaurant and Tavern in Ridgefield, Conn. The restaurant was rated "Excellent" by The New York Times during his tenure.
Rodriguez came to Glenora in 2007 from the Mediterraneo in Greenwich, Conn., where he was the chef de cuisine. Over the past 5 years, he has established a rapport with area farmers asking them to produce the finest, freshest products for Veraisons.
Heather Tompkins, Opus Espresso and Wine Bar
Heather Tompkins is executive chef and co-owner of Opus Espresso and Wine Bar, in Geneva. N.Y. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., she was one of the first interns to open The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California. She has previously worked as the sous chef at The Martin House in Cape Cod, Mass., and then opened her first catering business, Cosmos Catering, in Wellfleet, Mass. She moved to Los Angeles, Calif., and became the first executive chef for start up, Eat Great Food, which specialized in providing a healthy and local option lunch program for children. Upon returning to the Finger Lakes, she opened and became the executive chef for Halsey's Restaurant in Geneva, N.Y., then served as executive chef for Fox Run Wineries.
Through Opus, Tompkins continues to cater extensively on the wine trail. In the spring of 2013, she and her partner are opening Seneca Brew and Smoke house on the Seneca Wine Trail.
Tompkins' focus is to keep her cuisine current with the attention to detail.
