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“I had a little hot sauce,” the 46-year-old resident of Stratford, Conn., said Saturday. “It was good. I love the variety here.”
The two-day event bills itself as a celebration of the “foodie” lifestyle in the Hudson Valley, and continues today at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.
The event is presented by WineRacks.com and sponsored by 100.7 WHUD, the Poughkeepsie Journal and Camping World of the Hudson Valley.
This year’s event features something no other has before — craft beer, cider and fine spirits. The addition of distilleries such as Dutch’s Spirits in Pine Plains follows the passage last fall of legislation allowing licensed farm distillers to sell their products at events.
“All of us who enjoy the foodie lifestyle have a more robust opportunity,” festival spokeswoman Marybeth Cale said. “Some people love wine. Some people love beer. Some love cider.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had planned to make a surprise visi
t Saturday, but canceled due to an unspecified personal issue.
In his place, Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy presented the 2013 Best Overall Hudson Valley Wine award to Millbrook Vineyards and Winery for its 2012 Tocai Friulano.
“It’s challenging to make wines here, but when we have good vintages, it produces great wines,” Millbrook winemaker John Graziano said.