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Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:13 pm
by Matt
Fox Run
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Glenora
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Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:28 am
by HaloGirl
I really like the Glenora wine bottles.

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:50 pm
by wtd
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(photo of some grapevines in Hemlock, New York - with edit)

today in the "Livingston Country News" [newspaper]
it said:
'Forgotten Wineries' topic of slide show
The Dansville Area Historical Society is presenting a slide show and wine tasting event called "Forgotten Wineries of Livingston County."
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23th 2008 at the Moose Lodge at 6 Main Street, in Dansville at 7:30 pm. Who knows, maybe it could be interesting... You never really do know with Dansville.

Perhaps, I'll share some photos later on of the Eagle Crest wine operation http://www.eaglecrestvineyards.com/ above Hemlock Lake. Perhaps also, some of the "forgotten wineries" of Livingston County are due to the fact of poor growing conditions, whereas wineries along some of the larger Finger Lakes are within a more appropriate growing climate. For instance, Eagle Crest vineyards are not really that big, they are also a ways above Hemlock Lake, maybe it would be different if the vineyard was a little closer to the lake shore...? Just some thoughts.

I think Eagle Crest has a bit of interesting history related too it...
On a hill high above the west shore of Hemlock Lake, a square, staunch, four-story stone building stands out in bold relief against the woods. It is St. Michael's Mission House, where for ten years have dwelt and labored members of the order known as the Brothers of the Divine Word. The order was founded in Holland and has few branches in the east. At St. Michael's high school pupils and graduates receive preparatory training for mission fields.

On the grounds of the mission house the good brothers have carved out of the rocky soil two grottos that house statues of the saints. They are the result of many hours of devoted toil. The dim light in the caves, the sacred shrines - there is a medieval air about this mission overlooking Hemlock water.

The site was once the country home of the most Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid, first bishop of Rochester. There he planted a vineyard on the slopes along the lake to provide the sacramental wine for the diocese. The Borthers of the Divine Word have expanded this vineyard until today they have a flourishing commercial wine business, besides supplying churchly needs. http://www.wemett.net/hemlock/beautiful_hemlock.html
Its an older article, so now, I believe the vineyard is under different ownership(?), but they still do make the alter wine there (and its taste is enough to make you want to stop going to church).

Sorry if all this writing is inappropriate for the monthly photo challenge, but perhaps this information will inspire some photographers to think harder, or perhaps no.

ps. ive found that Japanese Beetles seem to be attracted to the grape vines over other edibles in their diet. it's too bad, because they can really make short work of killing even the oldest grape vines.

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:59 pm
by Matt
thanks for posting that. I forgot there was one on Hemlock.
There's also another "little Finger Lake" winery on Conesus: Deer Run

Is anyone planning on getting out to a winery this weekend?

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:39 pm
by hit_thetrails
Well, my pics are almost identical to Chris' (copy cat). I guess that can happen when you've been married for as long as we have (ok, so 4 years is not long enough to say that). Maybe it has more to do with, "Pull over, I want to take a picture here." instead. :lol:. Anyway, I am computer illiterate and can't get them small enough to post, so you're spared from looking at duplicates.

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:54 pm
by wtd
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the picture above is of the mysterious monks kingdom. i dont know who lives there now, perpahs the same order of religious folks or maybe someone who bought the property. its a pretty huge place, it would be so much fun to live there, kinda creepy though. around 15 years ago, i went there and knocked on a back door and smelled pizza and chicken wings and heard a radio/tv going. (eagle crest still makes alter wine and their vineyard is just down the road)...

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[schild=1,1,000000,C0C0C0]the wine aint so bad either[/schild]

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:17 pm
by Matt
that monks kingdom interests me.
I did some quick research and found out it is the St. Michael's Mission House, which is an educational center for the Society of the Divine Word, a Missionary group founded in the Netherlands, with a surprisingly low membership (6 thousand), but apparently a lot of money. This is were they train teenagers to recruit people for God. The grounds are also used as a vineyard for production of sracremental wine (AKA Jesus's blood).

The site was the former summer retreat for Bernard McQuaid, the first Bishop of Rochester, and apparently a greedy bastard.

http://www.wemett.net/pics/mission1.JPG

supposedly there is a sizable gorge on the property too.

Here's a bird's eye view of the compound.

Re: September Photo Challenge: Wineries

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:32 pm
by wtd
By quick research, do you mean... just rephrasing what I wrote in the previous post, or did you miss that? ;)

It is an interesting place, and indeed I believe a ravine does cut through the area. I'm pretty sure that The Nature Conservancy has some land in the area that is accessible to "members". Their website says:
In 2002, we purchased a 200-acre property of forests and gullies on the west side of Hemlock Lake, where the City’s ownership along the lake is at its narrowest—roughly 200 feet from the shoreline. Known as the Eagle Crest Preserve, the property is located in the Town of Conesus and adjoins City lands for more than one mile. Incompatible logging or residential development of this property could have had severe impacts to water quality in Hemlock Lake. The Eastman Kodak Company provided The Nature Conservancy with funding to acquire this property.
Both the east and west sides are brimming full of deep ravines.