12/16/2021
Tickets are on sale for Finger Lakes Community College’s annual winemakers dinner, Vintners and Valentines, scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, March 18, 2022 at the main campus.
Participants enjoy a gourmet dinner in the company of a local winemaker who pairs wines with the courses while discussing the vintages and the winemaking process.
The event is a fundraiser for the college’s hospitality and viticulture and wine technology programs, which require specialized equipment. Live auction items include a cooking class for six at New York Kitchen and a dinner for two at Kindred Fare. The event also features a wine pull for library, cellar or gold medal wines. A library wine is one kept by a winery for reference and comparison with other vintages; a cellar wine is one kept in a collector’s or winery’s cellar for its particular quality or characteristics.
Due to the pandemic, guests have a choice between attending the dinner in-person and participating virtually.
The in-person event includes an optional curated tasting, which gives participants a deeper look at the winemaking process. This may include samples of red and white wines that have yet to be bottled, referred to as tank and barrel wines, or a vertical tasting, which features samples of the same wines over successive years. Vertical tastings give insight into how a wine can change from year to year based on the growing and harvesting conditions and other factors.
Tickets are $150 per person for the reception and wine-pairing dinner, starting at 6 p.m. The curated tasting starts at 5:30 p.m. and costs an additional $30.
For the in-person event, FLCC will require a government-issued ID and proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a recent negative test for COVID-19. In addition, all visitors must wear masks that cover the nose and mouth (except when eating and drinking).
Virtual attendees will take part in small-group discussions with winemakers and will have the ability to participate in the live auction. Online tickets for the virtual option are $100 per person, which includes two bottles of wine that can be picked up or delivered, and the culinary arts program cookbook. A virtual couple’s ticket for two attendees costs $160 and includes three bottles of wine.
Purchase tickets online at give.flcc.edu by phone at (585) 785-1205 or email at foundation@flcc.edu.
