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Alex Baldwin Tom Seaver, left, with City Winery’s Michael Dorf showed off two 2007 cabernets from his California vineyard Friday at the winery in SoHo. Tom Seaver has never lacked for words, confidence or enthusiasm. With little prompting, he can launch into stories about pitching to Henry Aaron, winning it all with the 1969 Mets or any of a thousand other moments in his Hall of Fame career. Late Harvest Chenin Blanc (dessert Wine) At 65, Seaver has not lost that passion, only now he has rechanneled it into wine making and his Seaver Family Vineyards . After several years of planting, pruning and planning, Seaver’s two cabernets – GTS and Nancy’s Fancy – are coming into their own.Central Otago, the region around picturesque Queenstown and Wanaka is internationally known for its fabulous snow-capped mountains, plethora of skifields and heart-stopping activities – it is the home of bungy jumping, after all. But over the past few years, this newest and fastest-growing of New Zealand's wine regions has been luring food and wine-lovers to sample, buy and enjoy their wines at cellar doors and in the increasing number of good winery restaurants. In this, the most southerly grape-growing region in the world, pinot noir is the hero, closely followed by white aromatic wines – pinot gris, riesling as well as chardonnay and methode traditionnelle sparkling wines made from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. It's not surprising these wines are proving so outstanding, for at 45 degrees south, Central Otago shares similar climatic conditions with some of the most prestigious wine-producing areas in the world – such as Burgundy and the Rhone Valley in France and the Willamette Valley in Oregon, in the USA. Late Harvest Chenin Blanc (dessert Wine) There are few events that manage to give such an authentic slice of leading-edge culinary Texana , for which Texas chefs, winemakers and grape growers (even potential grape growers and the viticulturists who guide them) are willing to drive sometimes hundreds of miles just to participate and show support. , a man who built the first Prohibition-era winery in the basement of the chemistry building at Texas Tech in Lubbock. Brennan Vineyards Syrah 2007 (keep your eye on this rising Texas star). Brennan's viognier is already on tasters' radar. More Photos Woodbury Vineyards near Fredonia has a variety of wines from grapes and other fruit. The words “lake effect” can have a chilling consequence on Western New Yorkers. But for grape growers along its shore, Lake Erie provides the opportunity to fill glasses with delightful fruits of the vine. And through New York’s Chautauqua County, and Pennsylvania’s Erie County, that fruit turns into some excellent wine. With 30,000 sandy soil acres dedicated to growing grapes, the region enjoys a mild climate moderated by “lake effect” weather. Cool springs keep buds from growing too soon, and warm late summers and mild autumns extend the growing season while reducing the risk of frost. Days of wine — and mud in Calistoga It's not that I don't like wine; quite the contrary. My problem is with tasting rooms: I never know what to say. I don't know if it's performance... Lincoln Avenue is the main street in Calistoga, a Northern California town known for its hot springs and hotel-spas. For the ultimate in luxury, Calistoga Ranch (800-942-4220, www.calistogaranch.com ) has private lodges starting at $550 per night.
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