TASTE OF NEW YORK SERIES SHOWCASES NEW YORK AGRICULTURAL BOUNTY

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristin Tutino, (585) 258-0253

TASTE OF NEW YORK SERIES SHOWCASES NEW YORK
AGRICULTURAL BOUNTY
Series Premieres on WXXI-TV Saturday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m.

(Rochester, New York) March 21, 2008 – Few people know that farming is New York State’s #1 industry, or even that farms are where our food comes from. To change that, WXXI Public Broadcasting in Rochester and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation have co-produced a 13-part series— Taste of New York — which crisscrosses the state talking to the winemakers, farmers and restaurateurs who produce some of the finest wines and foods in the world. Taste of New York premieres Saturday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV 21 (cable11).
            “We are proud to be able to present the fascinating story of New York agriculture, and the colorful personalities responsible for bringing their fine products to us,” said Norm Silverstein, President of WXXI. “The depth and breadth of wine and food production in New York State far exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to sharing this fascinating discovery with our viewers.”
            Each segment begins and ends at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, a new world-class gateway to agri-tourism and culinary tourism. Series host Susan Hunt and Executive Chef Dan Martello introduce the region Sue will visit and, when she returns, they create a special dish using the food ingredients and wines from that region.
            “Susan and Chef Dan are the perfect guides for this journey,” said Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. “They have a great way of tying everything together—the regions, the personalities, the foods and wines—so that it’s all integrated and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
            The first episode focuses on the New York Wine & Culinary Center—its origin, mission, activities, and outlook. Initiated by the world’s largest wine company, Constellation Brands, the New York Wine & Culinary Center is a partnership with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology and Wegmans, with support from the State of New York. It provides extensive education and training to diverse audiences from school children to wine students and chefs in training.
            “We have a unique mission and a unique facility,” said the New York Wine & Culinary Center’s Executive Director Alexa Gifford. “We serve as both a physical and electronic gateway to New York wines, foods, agri-tourism and culinary tourism, so it was a natural that this wonderful series is anchored here.”
            The second segment provides an overview of New York’s burgeoning wine industry and its major regions, while the third episode offers a glimpse of New York as a large, diverse farm state and the importance of farming to the economy.
            Episode four begins the traveling road show, with a focus on New York City and how country and city meet at greenmarkets, New York-centric wine shops, and restaurants whose chefs focus on local, seasonal products.
            The next seven episodes highlight the winemakers, food producers and restaurants of the major agricultural regions: Long Island, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes (east and west), Niagara/Lake Erie, North Country, and the Capital/Saratoga area.
            The final two episodes focus on “Farming: A Team Effort” and “Taste of the Future”, with some fascinating people, research, and science along with very basic practices like organic farming.
            The Taste of New York series was made possible by a grant to the New York Wine & Grape Foundation from the State of New York, with leadership by Senate Agriculture Chair Catharine Young, support by Assembly Agriculture Chair Bill Magee, and approval by former Governor Eliot Spitzer.
            WXXI produced the series in high definition, and it will be available to public television stations across the country. The series is distributed by NETA. Taste of New York will air Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV 21 (cable 11), beginning April 5. To learn more about the series visit <WXXI.org/tasteofny>.

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