Can I say one word that sums up my latest experience with Taverna Banfi? WOW!!! (And yes, I am including the exclamation points in that one word.) It is truly a pleasure to sit and enjoy an incredibly nice meal with my friends and colleagues at the end of harvest.
The Pumpkin Sage Foccacia with the cinnamon butter was delicious, and because Brandon doesn’t eat carbs, I just had to eat his portion as well.
The 2009 Dry Riesling was the perfect accompaniment to the salad. After having a bite of the sauteed pears and field greens the aroma of pear drifting off the Riesling was enough to show me how wonderfully this meal was paired.
The Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce was tremendously well paired with the 2007 Red Newt Cellars Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer. The spiciness of the Gewurztraminer played so well with the slight sweetness of the squash. If you can put butter and sage into the mix, well…yes!
Now, I am a huge fan of venison, and Gewurztraminer with venison is one of my favorite pairings, so yes I saved a small sip of Gewurztraminer to have with my venison. Still glad I did! However I must say that the 2007 Glacier Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Franc with the stuffed venison and roasted root vegetables was scrumptious. Of course it doesn’t hurt that the Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite wines that Red Newt has ever produced, but truly a remarkable pairing. The currants in the stuffing showed so nicely with the fruit of the Cabernet Franc, and those earthy root vegetables brought out great depth in the wine.
For dessert the Maple-Gingerbread Layer Cake with the Spiked Cider was the perfect way to end this autumn style meal. And again, Brandon doesn’t eat carbs, so I got more than just my share.
Truly an incredible meal with great friends. I am very privileged to be included in the Red Newt Cellars family and all the time we get to spend together around great wine and great food is more than enjoyable.

Though harvest has slowly come to an end in Finger Lakes Wine Country, the hustle and bustle of the region shows no signs of slowing down come Winter. I have boldly decided to make myself the Guinea Pig for all the wonderful events that have been taking place in this region. Last week was one of the busiest event filled weeks of my life. I only wish I could have as much fun every week.  Last week I had the opportunity to sample what we call the Culinary Bounty of the Finger Lakes.

I’ve always wondered if too much of a good thing could be bad. Is it possible to overdose from too much great food, wine and music? I doubt it, but I’m going to give it a try. I certainly put my own tolerance to the test last week. In part one of this on-going blog I will tell you a bit about my Tuesday Night.

Every school-year semester since I have been working for Red Newt Cellars, David and Debra Whiting assist students involved in the Cornell Hotel School’s class on Restaurant Management in creating a “tantalizing four-course dinner.” Every semester the food and wine pairings get better and better.

Currently, I do business administrative work for Red Newt Cellars and Bistro. Owners David and Debra Whiting, in my opinion, produce the most delicious and innovative food and wine in the Finger Lakes. As a treat/thank you to many of their employees they invited us out to dinner. However, for me, this wasn’t just any dinner. This is my third time attending this collaborative dinner, and each event serves as my own personalized homecoming. You see, I graduated from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations which is located adjacent to Statler Hall (aka The Hotel School). I spent many years working a variety of different jobs in the Hotel School which served as my bedroom during what was my hell week when I was in school, Final’s Week.

This past dinner was unbelievable. I could talk to you about how each wine fit seamlessly into the palate portfolio of each dish presented to us. I could talk to you about how delicious and refreshing it was to taste proteins and vegetables from nearby local and sustainable growers. I could talk to you about how awesome it was to have ambiance music performed by one of Taverna Banfi’s Student Chefs (wearing a bow-tie)!!!

The thing I enjoyed most about this meal was the one thing served from minute one through the final bite. THE BREAD. Debra Whiting has a fine knowledge of breads, and she showcases this on a daily basis in the Bistro at Red Newt Cellars. Deb’s food has this motherly quality to it. I say this because she is the only chef, other than my Mom, that I know who can get me to eat my vegetables. This year’s choice of bread was a pumpkin-sage focaccia bread served with a sweet cinnamon butter.

This was the most unique take on bread and butter I have tasted. The focaccia had the perfect moistness (my favorite word ever). The pumpkin flavor was exceptional, as it was very similar the flavor of my families pumpkin pie passed down by generations. It showed a savory elegance provided by the addition of fresh sage. To balance the savory flavor of the bread I slabbed on the cinnamon butter. I ate roughly 9 pieces of bread throughout my meal. Call it classless, but I like to use bread as my edible spoon. I dipped my bread in the sage butter sauce with the butternut squash ravioli, killer. I topped my bread with hazelnuts and pears from my salad, amazing. I took two slices of bread and made my entree into a stuffed venison sandwich, superb. Lastly, there was a maple ginger layer cake for dessert that went perfectly atop the bread and butter combination that I can’t stop raving about.

I have spent a number of years in the restaurant and hospitality industry. I suggest that this cinnamon butter is a great example of why the Cornell Hotel School is on the cutting edge of service. Restaurant Owners and Chef’s take note: if you make me unwrap a package of Land ‘o Lakes butter at my table to put on my bread I will never recommend your business to my friends. When I sit down for a meal I want to know unequivocally that the people responsible for my edible satisfaction have left no stone un-turned. I hold this same principle to mayonnaise. If you are slapping straight Hellman’s on my sandwich, then it is obvious to me that you could care less about how good my sandwich tastes.

Taverna Banfi is perfect at creating that “One-of-a-Kind” feeling. Many of the Chef’s and Servers are Hotel School Students who aim to be the future pioneers of exemplary service. A Truly Fine Dining Experience is much like a jig-saw puzzle. Each piece stands on its own individual merits, but also needs to effortlessly fall into its respective place in order for the guest to clearly see, smell, taste, and feel the big picture of their service experience.

Posted by Greg Tumbarello

Hey there Red Newt fans! Red Newt recently teamed up with Taverna Banfi to create an evening of innovative cuisine and perfectly paired wines. It was my great fortune to be invited to the Red Newt table to enjoy said evening.
I must say I’m a bit of a “nerd” when it comes to wine and food. There are few things that I enjoy more than having a dinner and discussing how the food and wine works together. Also, the only way to be proficient at creating your own food and wine pairing is to… practice, practice, practice. Yup, you must suffer through the process of trying foods with wine. Aha, what more could you want from life?!
Enter the first course… A delicious salad with sauteed pears, hazelnuts, and chevre with the RNC 2009 Dry Riesling. As a team, we made short work of the course. It was subtly elegant and expressive of our local bounty. Unfortunately I didn’t pause long enough before digging in to take a picture, but it was a beautiful presentation.
The second course consisted of the butternut squash ravioli was paired with the 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyard Gewurztraminer (WS rated 90!). I personally wasn’t sure about this food and wine pairing, but upon tasting it…I was a believer! The ravioli seemed a little understated at first, but when the Gewurztraminer came into the picture it was perfect. The wine didn’t outshine the food and vice versa. This course I went through a little bit slower having taken the edge off my hunger and really savored the delicacy of the ravioli.
Stage right, the third course of Venison stuffed with pecans, currants, sausage, and apples with some winter root vegetables is paired with the 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Cabernet Franc, a staff favorite of Red Newters. This was by far my favorite course. For those of you who haven’t had venison, I suggest taking a page from Banfi’s book and preparing it the same way. I opted for a little bit more wine to go with this course. One glass of Cabernet Franc is NEVER enough! This wine has it all, forward fruit with some nice spice and perfectly structured tannins. I was now ready for the encore of dessert.
The grand finale of maple-gingerbread layer cake with vanilla ice-cream and paired with a warm spiced cider cocktail. Although I was full, I put on a game face and finished the dessert (can’t let good food go to waste) and cider. Now fully satiated, we sat and chatted for a bit longer and then donned our winter gear and headed down to the cars.
Not only is it a nice evening because of the meal, but its also a great opportunity to reconnect with my fellow workers. Red Newt is family owned, but the staff is really one large extended family, and its always nice to sit down with the family for dinner.
Phew, and that’s my review of the Banfi dinner. When the opportunity comes along in the spring, I hope to see some of you readers there to enjoy the dinner along with us Newters.

The autumn Red Newt dinner at Taverna Banfi is one of my absolute favorite events of the year! It celebrates the Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty, Red Newt wines, the Cornell College of Hotel Administration, and most importantly, the end of harvest for me. It’s really a great treat to finish off the year’s most hectic season in the cellar with a feast like this. That being said, they could serve cardboard and water, and I would probably be thrilled. The dinner is, of course, so much more, so that even folks who aren’t sore and completely exhausted have an outstanding experience.

This year, venison made an appearance on the menu, which had me particularly psyched. I don’t get much venison at home, probably because I’m not-so-nimble with a bow, and not even close to shotgun-savvy. Add that excitement to the fact that it was paired with my all-time favorite Red Newt wine, the 2007 Glacier Ridge Cabernet Franc, and I was in heaven. The relative strength or weakness of any given Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc can make it difficult to pair blind, I think. Thankfully this was a collaborative effort, and this is a strong wine. Big and smoky, with bacon and rich dark fruit, and a smooth finish that belies its youth. The venison was stuffed with sausage, currants, and pecans which was a perfect compliment – smoky, dark fruit and nutty tannins. Add in some root veggies and greens, and you’ve got a little slice of perfect. I commented at one point that the wine (with the venison) tasted like Malbec. I got funny looks, but I’m sticking to my guns on that one.

If you have the chance, put this on your calendar next time. The students get credit, and are well-deserved, because they did a great job.

This past Tuesday marked the third year of the Red Newt / Taverna Banfi collaboration with the HA3305 student restaurant

management team. Each year, actually twice per year, chef (wife) Debra Whiting works with a team of Cornell students that conceptualize, formulate, and execute and exquisite culinary evening at Taverna Banfi at the Cornell University’s Statler Hotel.

The students and Debra do most of the work, discussing how to incorporate ideas about local food and wine into the menu. I get to talk food and wine and help with the wine pairing ideas. The group of students that we worked with this time around were exceptional, bringing focus, enthusiasm, and inspiration to the table. At the dinner, it really showed.

If you have an opportunity to make one of the Banfi/Red Newt dinners, I suggest that you do. If you weren’t able to make this dinner, an exceptional presentation, here is how it went down…

Arrival at 6:30. All of our party had not arrived, so we passed a bit of time with some 2002 Chateau Franc Brut. Nice.

Our party had all arrived, that’s 17 of the Red Newt crew, and the first course was sauteed pear and fall green salad with hazelnuts, feta and Riesling pear vinaigrette served with 2009 Red Newt Dry Riesling. This course was just outstanding. The pears are delicately poached, a slight crunch while delicately soft. Salad dressing was flavorful, but understated, making it a perfect complement to the wine. The greens were exquisitely flavorful, and the hazelnuts and feta added the bit of robust flavor that set this dish apart. And the

The second course was a a butternut squash sage ravioli with sage-butter sauce served with the 2007 Red Newt Gewurztraminer from Sawmill Creek Vineyard. Ravioli was delicately firm with an ethereal intertwining of sage aromas carried by a rich but delicate butter sauce. The delicate sweetness and earthiness of the ravioli was a perfect match to the delicate but effusive spiciness of the Gewurztraminer – a match made in heaven. My favorite detail of the dish was the garnish of a single fresh sage leaf that had been, essentially, fried in hot butter until it had become crispy, having been releasing its sage aromas and flavors to the butter making up the light but decadent butter sauce.

The students really outdid themselves with the main course. Venison loin stuffed with currants, sausage and pecans. Delicately roasted vegetables and wilted winter greens. Yum. The venison was rich, flavorful and tender enough to cut with my fork. Wine choice with this course was the 2007 Red Newt Caberrnet Franc – Glacier Ridge Vineyards. This Cabernet Franc is one of my favorites, showing supple textures and rich fruit.

We topped off the evening with Maple-Gingerbread layer cake with salted caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream. Paired with the dessert was a warm apple cider spiked with Finger Lakes Distilling Maple Jack.

Debra and I and the Red Newt crew had a great evening at Taverna Banfi. It was truly a celebration of great food and wine. We’re already looking forward to doing this again with the next group of students from Taverna Banfi and HA 3305, the Restaurant Management Course in the spring. We’ll keep you posted!