Finger Lakes News and Notes

-- Jeff Richards latest column gives you some tasty ways to use Finger Lakes wine in recipes for Christmas Dinner

-- A Miami Herald writer reports on her trip to the Finger Lakes and how she fell in love with Finger Lakes Riesling

--I challenge all of the Finger Lakes wineries to take a look at the top ten winery websites rated by Winery Website Report and then re-evaluate their own websites. Winery Website report will even evaluate your winery's website and tell you where your website ranks. Just look below the top ten winery website rankings and submit your website.

-- Tony at the ijamming blog recaps his wine buys from his Finger Lakes trip

--The Seneca Lake Wine Trail has announced the Wine Trail Events for 2006. Along with the traditional events, they have announced some very interesting and unique events for 2006. Two that interested me were The Golden Nose Wine Judging Weekend April 8-9 and A Riesling To Visit Passport from May 1 to September 1. The Golden Nose event is a unique opportunity to learn from regional wine professionals how to professionally taste and judge wine, and then actually judge and select winning Finger Lakes wine. The Riesling To Visit Passport gives you free Riesling tastings at all participating wineries with the chance to win a special prize at the end of the event. Also, don't forget the upcoming Bargain Bash event January 14-22 where participating Seneca Lake wineries "clean house" for the New Year by offering extraordinary bargains.

-- We are getting word that www.nystatewine.com will be having a wine sale from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, so be sure to check out their website after Christmas.

-- During this Christmas season, please be sure to give to those less fortunate. I know we have all been asked to give a lot this year with Katrina and other disasters, but a lot of local charities are still in need of donations, especially during this time of year. If you don't know what charity to give to, The Charity Guide website has a search feature where you type in your town and a list of charities for your area is listed.