New York State's Finger Lakes region attracts over 25 million visitors every year, making it the state's second-largest tourist destination behind New York City. Besides its beautiful lakes, stunning foliage, and welcoming people, the Finger Lakes has long been known as one of the country's - let alone world's - greatest winemaking regions. And, beyond Rieslings and Chardonnays, IPAs, ciders, gins and whiskeys have risen the ranks in central New York. The Finger Lakes Beverage Guide is a comprehensive guidebook to every major winery, brewery, cidery, and distillery in New York State's Finger Lakes region. At the heart of this book are true pioneers - friends and neighbors, many of whom author Michael Turback has come to know during his nearly three decades as a restaurateur in Ithaca, NY. The Finger Lakes Beverage Guide features almost 200 establishments, including detailed maps and photos, lively profiles on purveyors, addresses and contract information for each location, as well as tasting notes and personal interviews that highlight the identity and personality of each winery, brewery, cidery, and distillery within. Whether you are a local or a visitor to the FLX region - or a reader with a reverence for artisanal wines, beers, ciders, and spirits - this guide will enlighten and entertain even the most seasoned drinker.
Michael Turback was the visionary operator of Turback's of Ithaca for nearly three decades, setting the standard for what we now call "New York State Cuisine." He not only created and nurtured one of the region's first destination restaurants, he built his reputation around his ability to stalk, procure, and support the best of New York State's food and wine. Turback was trained as a restaurateur at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and opened Turback's of Ithaca at age 22. Combining inventiveness, passionate cooking with local ingredients, and the novel concept of a wine list with exclusively New York State products, the concepts pioneered Turback's sparked "localvore" trends that are seen throughout today's restaurant industry. Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Turback's "one of the wine-friendliest restaurants in America" and the restaurant was awarded "Best American Wine List" by Restaurant Business Magazine. Turback is the author of many books on the Finger Lakes food and wine scene, including Greeting From the Finger Lakes: A Food and Wine Lover's Companion.
