Come in from the cold today for Wine on Ice at the arena

The timing for this year's Wine on Ice event couldn't be more appropriate. With the extremely cold nights recently, the whole town feels as if it is on ice.

Tina Hazlitt, special-events coordinator for the event, has taken the wintry weather conditions into account for those lining up outside the main entrance this year.

The lobby will be open for attendees to get out of the cold while tickets are taken and wine glasses and tasting guides are handed out. The price for the event has gone up a few dollars since last year, but the tasting guide adds value throughout your visit.

Each winery is listed in the tasting guide, in alphabetical order and by booth number. On the back inside page is the layout of the rink so that you can find your favorite winery right away.

In addition, five different wines are listed for most of the participating wineries, with space next to each wine to make notes during your tasting. What a great way to record your impressions of the different wines in a handy reference booklet.

There seems to be a growing trend to provide more sweet wines at this event. While Arcadian Estates winemaker Dave Shope was setting up Friday afternoon, he told me about several fruit wines that will be offered. They will be pouring blueberry, cranberry, cherry and dandelion wine in addition to grape wines such as Patriot's Red.

Arcadian also will be pouring red port, white port and a solera process sherry from 1998. Even though each winery has space for only five wines in the tasting guide, there will be bunches of unlisted wines to check out. Laura Wagner Lee from Wagner Vineyards Winery will pour their Alta B series of wines today. All three wines -- red, white and blush -- are finished at 5 percent residual sugar, just the way her grandmother liked when she used to sample blends years ago.

For those looking for something drier, Laura will be pouring their 2001 cabernet franc. That should be a treat.

For those looking for other drier wines, Dale Nagy, president and winemaker for Nagy's New Land Vineyards and Winery, may have just what you are looking for. His banner proudly states that all of his wines are made from vinifera grapes.

"It's a nice event; its grown and grown," Dale says. "I've had people visit the tasting room and ask if I am coming to Wine on Ice."

Located on the east side of Seneca Lake near Waterloo, Nagy's can be a bit of a hike, especially in winter. "It gets local people to taste our wine and see what they are missing," Dale says.

Despite the efforts to get people to try European wines that are more difficult to grow in the Finger Lakes, a lot of wine drinkers simply like the native grape varieties such as Catawba and Niagara. The No. 1 seller at Knapp Vineyards Winery is the Kat Knapp made from Catawba grapes.

"People really love it," says Knapp retail manager Leslie French.

With wine glass and tasting guide in hand, everyone should find several wines to enjoy.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears each Thursday on the Twin Tiers Life Food Page. For comments or questions, he can be reached at 607/271-8279 or 800/836-8970, ext. 279, or e-mail: jrichards@stargazette.com. Wine on Ice
Noon to 4 p.m. ($20 at door) and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. ($25) today at First Arena on Main Street in Elmira. You must be age 21 or older to attend.