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RIT Catering Joins the NYS Ice Wine & Culinary Festival

Jan 22nd, 2013

Fairport, NY - This year, the New York State Ice Wine & Culinary Festival is expanding its culinary offerings by employing RIT's Brick City Catering, the self-owned and operated catering company that is part of RIT's larger Dining Services. Brick City employs over 100 RIT students in addition to 13 full time staff members. For the past four years, the Festival has paired the ice wine experience with gourmet foods, local products and educational seminars. 

Production Coordinator Autumn Geer is developing the recipes infused with Ice Wine and incorporating as many New York State ingredients as possible. She works on each recipe with her student staff. In fact, her student workers are part of each step of the process.

They learn how Geer comes up with a recipe and then help in the recipe's development. "It's almost like chemistry class," says Geer, "with all the precise measuring to balance the flavors."

Most of the recipes substitute Ice Wine where you might typically find a sweetener like sugar or honey, in both sweet and savory dishes. "It's surprising to taste the end result," Geer points out. "It's such a unique ingredient and it's so sweet, that makes it interesting to taste a savory dish made with sweet Ice Wine."

Prior to the Festival, Geer will be holding a final "class" to discuss the recipes and make sure students are prepared to make, serve and talk about the recipes at the festival.

Brick City Catering pastry chef Tracey Burgio is also developing dessert recipes that use ice wine as an ingredient. Guests will be able to sample her ice wine pastries including s'mores and cupcakes.

"Brick City Catering is a great addition to the Festival," says Andrea Colaruotolo O'Neill, Director of Sales and Marketing at Casa Larga Vineyards, who organizes and hosts the event each year. "Having food infused with ice wine is part of our vision for the Festival's growth and we are excited that guests will be able try this newest ice wine experience."

The Festival has worked with RIT since it's inception, utilizing RIT Hospitality students at the Festival, under the tutelage of full-time RIT Lecturer, Certified Wine Educator and certified sommelier Lorraine Hems.

Previously known as the New York State Ice Wine Festival, the hosts have updated the name to the New York State Ice Wine & Culinary Festival to signify the increased emphasis on foods at the Festival. Attendees will have a chance to sample each of the Brick City creations, along with other gourmet foods and products, and of course, New York's Ice Wines, at the Festival, which is February 16 from 11:00am-6:00pm at Casa Larga in Fairport. Aspiring chefs can also make Brick City Catering's Festival dishes themselves, using the actual recipes, which are posted on the NY State Ice Wines Facebook page

 

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About the Festival

The New York State Ice Wine & Culinary Festival will take place on February 16, 2013 from 11:00am-6:00pm at Casa Larga Vineyards, 2287 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY 14450.

 

Tickets for the festival are $55 in advance, $65 at the door. They are available for purchase at Wegmans, the Wine Shop at Casa Larga and online at casalarga.com. For group sales, call Cathy Fabretti at 585.223.4210 x121. For event updates and more information, go to www.NYIceWineFestival.com or follow NY State Ice Wines on Facebook.

 

 

About Brick City Catering

Brick City Catering, Rochester Institute of Technology's self-owned, self-operated catering service, is proud to be one of the few remaining independent college campus caterers in the Rochester area. While originally founded to host RIT events, the catering company has since expanded to host a number of off-campus functions. In fiscal year 2011, Brick City Catering provided catering service for over 2200 events, generating more than $1.4 million in revenue. Brick City Catering offers a wide array of services for any event, from boxed lunches for small meetings to elaborate receptions and dinners for over 1000 guests.

 

To learn more about Brick City Catering, please contact Cathy Rappazzo, Sales and Marketing Manager, cirfsa@rit.edu, (585) 475 3995

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