Wine and tourism intersect at Canandaigua center

CANANDAIGUA — Canandaigua has a long history with the regional grape trade that is being kept alive by a culinary center, among other sites.

In the 1800s, farmers growing the fruit on the slopes surrounding Canandaigua Lake would transport their crop by steamship to the city port, where the grapes were packaged and sent on their way to markets in Buffalo, Rochester and points east.

John Brahm, the owner and wine master of Arbor Hill Grapery & Winery in Bristol Springs, Ontario County, is an unofficial historian of the Canandaigua Lake Wine trail. He said the area used to be called "vine valley."

"The Canandaigua pier that's now basically a tourism area then had a railroad track that went down to the end," Brahm said. "The boats would pull up to the side of the pier and unload their grapes into rail cars."

The city is also now home to the New York Wine & Culinary Center, a nonprofit operation created to educate and introduce visitors to New York wines and agriculture.

"It gives people a place to come to experience New York agriculture either through a hands-on cooking class, through a demonstration, or up in the restaurant or in the gift shop to take a little of New York home with them," said Executive Director Alexa Gifford.

The center is a busy place most of the year. There are private group events and special dinners with local winemakers. It also conducts about 400 classes a year. All have a distinct focus on New York produce.

At first glance, the center looks like a culinary school. Through large glass windows, you see an auditorium for instruction.

Through another set of windows is a stylish kitchen/classroom with oak walls and several cooking stations with professional stoves, granite countertops and polished fixtures.

Walk down a hall and there is an oak tasting room stocked with wines from across the state.

The restaurant dining room on the second floor has an outside balcony that overlooks a garden.

Gifford said she wants people to leave the center knowing about the variety of New York wines and what that means for New York state.

"Sourcing local and eating local is very easy when you know where to look," she said.

Visitors also might leave knowing more about the etiquette of wine.

The reason, for example, that you hold a wine glass by the stem is because your hand around the bowl will heat up the wine, which you should try to avoid.