Tag: travel

A Really Good (not Great) Lake

In the northern part of Chautauqua County, between the lake there and the Great Lake Erie, there’s a place where the earth curves. Actually, there’s many such hills, but this one’s special.

The Chautauqua Ridge is a demarcation of confluence. It plays a small part in splitting the continent in half, between north and south. It’s a rare geological marvel, and it’s right here, where we live. The old saw goes that if there was a building built in the middle of the ridge, that rain falling on the north side would end up in the Atlantic Ocean (Lake Erie to the Saint Lawrence Seaway), and a rain falling on the south side would eventually be deposited in the Gulf of Mexico (Chadakoin to Conewango Creek, Allegheny, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, past New Orleans into the gulf).

Along that southern route is Lake Chautauqua.

Chautauqua is fed by a dozen or so arterial creeks (Ball, Bemus, Big Inlet, Dewittville, Dutch Hollow, Goose, Lighthouse, Little Inlet, Maple Springs, Mud and Prendergast). At its widest Chautauqua is about two miles. It has a northern and southern basin that squeeze together roughly in the middle. The narrows at Stow and Bemus Point is where the lake is most bridgeable, crossed now New York Interstate 86, and by the Bemus Point ferry on the water. The lake is 17-miles long, a straight-line run from Mayville to Celoron. About forty-one miles is lakefront property, all but about three miles of that privately owned.

     Most people who live on the lake have an attitude of stewardship toward this valuable local resource. It is a prized geological, glacial-built wonder. It is a beacon, and a challenge. The beacon part is obvious, a recreation designation for boaters, fishermen and fisherwomen, and all the entertainment that goes with an easily navigable, accessible body of water.

The challenge? Well, that’s a little more complicated.

The reliance on a lake for the overall financial health of a population can be tenuous. Currently Chautauqua Lake provides the money, the resources, the sustenance of life for much of the south-county population (intermixed with agriculture and manufacturing to be sure). According to the Chautauqua County Office for Media Information, sixty-six percent of visitors to the county use the lake, raising just over $282 million a year. Lakeside municipalities reinvest about $3.2 million back into the lake. The rest of the revenue helps keep businesses open and food on tables via hospitality commerce, and taxes (about 47% of county sales tax is generated annually by lake-border municipalities).

The natural evolution of lakes, what becomes of them in geological timeframes, is that they become forests. Just as water seeks its level, so does the earth. It’s a function of gravity pulling everything down to the lowest points available. Lakes fill in, that’s their natural lifecycle. Runoff from watersheds brings silt and seeds and debris. It settles into the deeper parts of any body of water. Human beings have always been hard on lakes. They invariable get used by populations as depositories for waste. Developing land around lakes, usually the most attractive property, strips a lake of its watershed vegetation and replaces it with construction and chemical residuals. Man-made chemicals cultivate lake weeds that are usually harmful to lake-life.

But as much as man can contribute to the decline of a lake, so can we delay that process, and Chautauqua has champions, people who care for it. Randy Holcomb has been professionally involved with the area around the lake for 47 years (38 in the town assessor’s office and the past nine on the Lakewood Village board). Safe to say he has a feel for the health of the lake, and he is confident in the future of the lower basin as an entertainment and recreation resource. “We welcome the challenge of maintaining lake as a great place to live and visit, Lakewood and Celoron in particular.” His enthusiasm for the future of the lower basin is infectious. “Last year was one of the best we’ve had on the lake in a few years. We’re looking forward to another great summer.”

Chautauqua Lake isn’t in jeopardy of filling in any time soon.

The Grape Discovery Center of Westfield, N.Y.

“Studying wine taught me that there was a very big difference between soil and dirt; dirt is to soul what zombies are to humans. Soil is full of life, while dirt is devoid of it.”

Oliver Magny – Wine expert, author and entrepeneur

Wine making depends on soil quality; you know where the good soil is by what you can grow. Different soils lend themselves to different vintages of wine. Places like NAPA Valley, with its diverse climate, 68 square miles tucked between the Mayacamas Range to the west and the Vaca Mountains on the east is an obvious choice. So too the Finger Lakes in central New York.

On the coast of Lake Erie generally, and in Chautauqua County between Dunkirk and Ripley specifically, the soil is prime for the concord grape, and the wine you can make from it.

The Lake Erie wine region is a hidden gem in American viticulture. Spanning parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, hugging the coast of the great lake, it’s distinguished by its unique climate, soil composition, and geographical location, creating an ideal environment for wine production. The concord grape, with its deep root system thrives here. Lake Erie keeps the local weather from extreme fluctuations (though you would be hard pressed to convince local snow-belt survivors of that), which allows for a longer growing season and relatively stable conditions for the concord grape.

In recognition of the importance, and economic impact of this region as a wine mecca, the Grape Heritage Foundation constructed The Grape Discovery Center In February 2010.

“We consider ourselves the educational and historical center of the Lake Erie grape corridor,” says Deb Howser. “There are thirty-thousand acres of vineyards in a hundred-fifty miles along the lake.” Deb is the manager of the Discovery Center. “Here we have representations of most of the products from those vineyards. We are able to sell quite a few of the wines from New York State, and we showcase those from Pennsylvania.”

The Center is an inauspicious building, located slightly off the beaten path on Route 20 off New York State 90 between Westfield and Ripley, N.Y. From the roadside it’s an unassuming building, but a revelation inside. It features a tasting bar with wines from the area, an exhibit room, interactive learning displays, and a souvenir shop with apparel, food, and art from local artisans.

The economic impact of the industry is undeniable. With a worldwide distribution of the products from the area, the grape district supports almost 2,000 jobs. The total economic impact is $340 million, which includes sales generated by juice processors, growers, wine production, and and other businesses from whom the vineyards purchase. About $54 million is paid out in wages from over 800 producers on those 30,000 acres of vineyards. Total sales approaches $210 million, with $17.5 from wine production. Some 35,000 tourists visit annually. The center is celebrating its ten-year anniversary.

A premier event for the center is the Westfield Grape and Wine Festival, held at Moore Park in Westfield, N.Y., coming September 7th and 8th. This is the second year of the festival, that has something for the whole family all centered around the grape. “There are grape pies and ice cream as well as the wines and juice.” Howser says. “We’ll have vineyard tours and feature antique equipment.”

Most recently the Center has housed brewing operations for Ghostfish Brewing Company. The Seattle based company has one of the premier gluten free craft beers on the market. The Center will be selling that unique product soon.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of wine.