A Grape Adventure

I've long been fascinated by regional food specialties. Philadelphia has its cheesesteaks. Buffalo has its chicken wings, New Orleans has beignets, Maryland has crab cakes, Kentucky has bourbon...well, that's not a food, but you get the idea.

But perhaps one of the most unusual (and apparently one of the best-kept secrets) are Upstate New York's Grape Pies.

Yep, you heard me right. Grape pies.

I had never heard of them when I first moved to the region, and when I mentioned them to some out-of-state friends recently, they acted as if I had told them of some new exotic species roaming the woods nearby. That gave me the idea to seek out the best example of this regional specialty and report back here. You know...for science and stuff.

As it turns out, Upstate New York farmers grow two things really, REALLY well: Apples and Grapes. In the fall, you can't swing a stick without hitting a roadside stand that sells one or the other. Wineries are popping up in the Finger Lakes region with alarming regularity, and the regional winemakers long ago moved on from the sweet Concord grapes and cheap "jug wines" that used to characterize NY State wines as recently as a few decades ago.

But those sweet, delicious grapes still grow extremely well here, and they make a heckuva pie.

When I started asking the locals for their recommendation for the region's best grape pie, I expected to get all sorts of answers, ranging from the local diner to "my grandmother," but almost to a person, I got the same response everywhere I went:

"You need go to Naples, NY."

Naples is a town (and an adjacent village) that, like so many small towns Upstate, is tucked away amongst the hills in a valley cut by long-ago glacial activity. As of the 2010 census, the population of Naples was just over 2,500 (keep this in mind for later). Grapes were first planted there in the 1760's, and noted Finger Lakes producer Hazlitt Winery has a large production facility there. But what really puts Naples on the map is the annual Grape Festival, held annually since 1961.

They take their grapes seriously here (there's a purple theme going on everywhere), and the whole town gets in the spirit. With vendors selling all things purple and fruity, the faint but unmistakable smell of grapes permeates everything.

Yep. A purple ambulance...

...and a purple fire hydrant. 

For two days each September, Naples plays host to an estimated 60,000 people over a two-day period. That's for a town that normally holds 2,500, in a sleepy small town in Upstate NY that most people couldn't find without a map. It's pretty impressive. What's even more impressive is that they manage to pull it off without a hitch.

This is just a small section of the crowd, and on the second day

I arrived on Sunday morning, having been advised to show up early. Since I was traveling from the South, my guide told me to park near the Southern end of town and walk North to the central area where the "official" festival grounds are held. What I didn't know is that every business and home for nearly a two-mile stretch has a vendor or display out front; I walked the entire route and logged nearly five miles in the process.

And, as is usual in these parts, the people are fantastic. Despite the huge crowds, everyone I met was friendly, talkative, and patient with the sometimes-long lines and with each other. Oh, and this guy:

..but back to my purpose. My mission, if you will. Grape Pies. I had to seek out the best grape pie I could find.

Little did I know what I was up against.

If it can be made from a grape, it's available in Naples. I not only found grape pie, I found grape bread. Grape tarts. Grape cookies. Grape jellies, jams and preserves. Grape twizzler-style candy, Grape Popcorn and Grape flavored candied apples...even wine ice cream and (believe it or not) grape soap (I am not making that up).

To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Clearly this was more than I expected. So I started to look for things that had a story. Something interesting, something that stood out. I've been to a lot of festivals and shows, and thought I was pretty jaded (well, I am), but Naples really took me by surprise. Wherever I went, there was something new and interesting to see:

And aside from all the grapes, there were unique handcrafted items, some of which I'd never seen the likes of before (see the end of this post for more information).

Oil lamps made from Adirondack river rocks.

Original Mexican-style folk art

Wine country cork art

But, once again, getting back to the pies:

With so many choices, I knew I was going to have to narrow it down to a few that looked interesting or caught my eye in some way; as much as I like pie, I clearly wasn't going to be able to eat my way through Naples. As I struggled with this quandary, the following sign caught my eye:

That, I thought, was provocative. You just don't proclaim yourself to offer "Mom's Pies" without there being an actual "Mom" involved, and it seemed that the scale of an operation required to feed a potential 60,000 hungry visitors precluded that possibility. This had to be a marketing gimmick, and I had to find out.

As it turns out, I was...wr...wr...well, I can't bring myself to say the actual word, but let's just say I wasn't as right as I could have been. There IS a "Mom" at "Mom's Pies," and she turned out to be pretty awesome, along with the rest of her family.

That's Barb Haefele in the center, the "Mom" of "Mom's pies." It's a family operation, and her son tells me that they shipped in family members just for this festival to make her special pies from her own original recipe. In Barb's own words:

"These are homemade pies; my husband and I make them together. We hand roll out every single one ourselves...we make this crust in very small batches by hand, which is the only way you're going to get a nice crust, and we also do grape chocolate chip bars, which have become a big hit from people from all over. My whole family's here, my daughter from Arizona (and) West Virginia, so we're all here working together at the stand.  

"Every pie is touched by someone in the family, and this year, the grapes are just wonderful; perfect for our pies. And we only make our pies when the grapes are ripe, because if you do them before that you have to add a lot of sugar and we don't like to do that, so our pies, people tell us, taste like real grapes and not jam."

That's the kind of story I was looking for. The best part? They offered "curbside service", which meant that I could drive up on my way out of town, order a pie, and they'd bring it out to my car. With a lot of walking to do, this meant I didn't have to cart around a pie all over the festival. The best part? I didn't show up to retrieve my pie until almost an hour after I talked to Barb, and when I pulled up in my car, everyone remembered my name. Amazing. That's service!

Writing about everything I saw and did during the day would be beyond the scope of this blog; I have enough material for six or seven posts! I found some great handcrafted items, picked up a few gifts, and then prepared to leave. But I had one more stop to make.

Aside from mentioning Naples as a destination for grape pie, many of the people I spoke to had a more specific destination in mind: A place called "Monica's Pies".

Monica Schenk is known as the "Grape Pie Queen" in Upstate NY, and that's no small feat in a region known for that particular specialty. From her small shop just North of Naples, she bakes over 25 varieties of pies, along with jams, jellies and seasonal items, and has been doing so for over 30 years.

This was a destination I had to see for myself.

I really didn't know what to expect, but just two miles up the road from the bustle of the Grape Festival, I saw a cluster of cars surrounding a small nondescript store with a sign out front. I had arrived at the legendary "Monica's Pies."

It quickly became clear to me that there would be no time to talk, no in-depth interview, and no story to learn here. My biggest challenge was finding a parking spot; the lot was jam-packed (no pun intended). In addition to the store, there was a tent set up outside for hungry pie-lovers. There was a long line to get inside the actual store, but it moved quickly, and the staff was incredibly pleasant and helpful. People weren't just buying grape pies, either...I watched as a variety of, well, varieties flew off the shelf. What an operation. I left with a large grape pie, a coffee mug (I'm a sucker for coffee mugs), a brochure and a bar of grape soap. Where else are you going to find grape soap but in Naples?

So, I know what you want to know. Did I find the best grape pie in Upstate NY (and therefore, probably in the world?

shrug 

I have no idea. But I'll tell you this much: I can honestly say that a Grape Pie from Naples, NY is a little taste of heaven. I won't tell you what my favorite is; that would be blatantly unfair to the efforts of all the people mentioned here. What I will tell you is that this sleepy little burg deserves your attention, and if you ever find yourself in a position to visit, you need to get yourself a grape pie.

You won't be disappointed.


- Rich
  September 27, 2015


If you go (links open in a new window):

Naples NY: Official Website
Monica's Pies: Official Website
Mom's Pies:  Naples, NY (585) 374-2038
"Only One River": St. Lawrence River Rock Candles: onlyoneriver@yahoo.com
Folk Art: John Finnan Woodworker, Rushville, NY  finnanjjb@gmail.com

Pro tip: Show up early for the best parking opportunity, and wear comfortable shoes. There are a large number of vendors, so if you plan on doing a lot of shopping, bring a large bag, a small wagon, or a helper to carry your items. You probably won't want to make a lot of trips back and forth to your car. Parking is free if you can find a spot (they fill up fast); off-street parking is available in several places at a cost of $5, which is well worth the convenience.

There are food vendors galore, selling everything from regional specialties to barbecue, county fair fare, even oddities such as "Breakfast Pierogies." In addition, Naples has several fine restaurants, all of which are open all weekend.

Navigating the Finger Lakes Wine Festival

On Sunday, July 13, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Finger Lakes Wine Festival, held on the grounds of the Watkins Glen International race track in Watkins Glen, NY.

Located at the Southern tip of Seneca Lake, Watkins Glen is the perfect location to host a festival that showcases the best wines the region has to offer. The Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY has seen a massive expansion of wineries both large and small, with quality wines that hold their own with any wine-producing region worldwide. The festival offers an excellent opportunity to sample wines from a variety of producers.

The festival hosted over 90 wineries, plus vendors showing off artisan foods, cheese, honey, arts and crafts...all in all, three giant tents on the grounds plus a number of smaller tents on the perimeter provided plenty to see and do from an almost overwhelming number of vendors.

Along with the opportunity to engage in wine tasting, the festival offers wine seminars, live music, custom "experiences" and even pace car rides on the famed Watkins Glen International road course.

Clearly, one afternoon isn't enough to see everything, so I limited my experience to a visit to the heart of the festival...the giant tents hosting the wine and food vendors. The sheer size of the festival becomes quickly apparent when you walk in the first tent:

Keep in mind...this is just a small section of the wine tents

One lesson I learned in my college Advertising class is that "something for everyone" really means, "nothing for anyone". Or as Ricky Nelson sang, "you can't please everyone...". The sheer magnitude of the selection here seems to make both those aphorisms flat-out lies.

Upstate NY, a region once known for its cheap, sweet "jug wines" has definitely come into its own as a winemaking region. Much of that progress is owed to the efforts of Dr. Konstantin Frank, who planted the first successful vinifera (European wine-style) vines in the Finger Lakes. Dr. Frank successfully grew these vines in the often-brutal cold Upstate NY climate, and his fingerprints are all over the modern region; today, it is almost impossible to find an Upstate NY winery that does not produce some form of Riesling, the white German grape that has become the Finger Lakes' signature wine.

Quite the haul!

In shopping for wines and food at the festival, my goal was to seek out some some new wines that I hadn't been exposed to, and pick up some old favorites if they presented themselves. Since many of the wineries are within an hour's drive or so of where I live, I didn't feel the need to explore their offerings in depth, preferring the joy of the hunt and finding something new. I was quickly rewarded.

My favorite with Tilapia

I stopped by Dr. Frank's booth for a bottle of a completely different wine, my "go-to" wine for pairing with fish, Rkatsiteli, one of the oldest grape varieties known, and rarely grown in the United States. Dr. Frank's version is exceptional, and I often have a hard time finding it outside the winery, and never at this price. Win!

The best red
in the Finger Lakes, IMO

Most wine snobs (and budding wine snobs such as myself) will tell you that the cold Upstate NY climate is terrible for producing great red wines. While that was definitely true 20 (or even ten) years ago, the vintners' craft is changing rapidly, and there's no better example of that than the very fine Meritage from Ravines Wine Cellars on Keuka Lake. The Ravines Meritage is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot...three varietals that don't immediately come to mind when you think of Upstate NY. This small craft winery, however, makes my absolute favorite red wine in the Finger Lakes Region.

Incidentally, "Meritage," (rhymes with "heritage") is trademarked; created to avoid infringing on the legally-protected Bordeaux name. It must be licensed by the winemaker, and must meet specific criteria.

An unexpectedly
tasty Riesling

Rieslings are, of course, everywhere here. After tasting several (mostly very good, with some notable exceptions that shall remain unnamed to protect the guilty...I'm sure you know who you are), I managed to find an unexpectedly nice Riesling in the form of a "North Block"-labeled version from Standing Stone Vineyards. I've enjoyed their wines in the past, but this particular tasting was surprisingly complex; more than I'm accustomed to from this vineyard.

A great bargain at $8

Because I'm always on the lookout for a bargain, I managed to find one in the form of an $8 bottle of "Cayuga White" from Highland Cellars. This crisp white wine is much better than its low-end price would indicate. Can't wait to pop the cork on this one.

Honestly, I was on the hunt for some out-of-region wineries, but they weren't well-represented here. That's probably just as well, since this is at its heart a regional event, but to be honest, many of the newer Finger Lakes wineries that are sprouting up seemed to be shooting for the "new" wine drinker with sweet fruity wines that just don't do it for me. That's fine; to each his own. I will admit to getting weary of cute labels and catchy names that seemed to have more to do with clever marketing on the label than the product inside. But I digress.

Seriously, the best Catfish dish
I've had outside New Orleans

A variety of food rounded out they day's purchases: Amazing Jalapeno and Buffalo Wing cheeses from Yancey's Fancy, delicious wild honey from Hilker Haven Farm in Ithaca, NY, Salsa and Seasoning mix from JD's Salsa, pasta from Northern Farmhouse Pasta in Roscoe, NY, and an unexpectedly fantastic Peanut Butter Fudge topping from "Nana's Topping" out of Syracuse. A bargain at only $2.

All in all it was a pretty great excursion. And it was all topped off with a visit to one of my very favorite regional restaurants, the amazing Wildflower Café, where I enjoyed their amazing Catfish Tacos, with chipotle slaw, roasted corn salsa, and lime sour cream.

But that's another blog post in and of itself.

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Submitted by Rich on Monday, July 14, 2014