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Gourmet food, internationally renowned wines, unique auction lots, live music and a backdrop of Hudson Valley foliage are just a few endearing aspects of the Taste of the Hudson Valley wine and epicurean arts festival and fund-raiser.
On Sunday Nov. 8, The Grandview in Poughkeepsie will host the 21st Taste of the Hudson Valley in hopes of raising money for current and prospective projects at the St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie.
Sponsored by the St. Francis Health Care Foundation, the hospital’s philanthropic branch, the Taste of the Hudson Valley couples wines from around the world with decadent dishes from regional restaurants.
Viscount Wines and Liquor of Wappingers Falls will donate wine and restaurants from across the tri-state region will provide an all-you-can-eat array of food.
According to Nicholas Shannon, Special Events Coordinator of the St. Francis Health Care Foundation, the quantity of participating venders as well as the quality of food and wines has increased and improved apace with the duration of the event’s existence.
“Our restaurant participation has really upped this year,” said Shannon. “The quality and amount of wine and food that you’re going to get at the event…you really can’t find anywhere else.”
Venders are assigned two wines with which they must focus unique dishes. Lola’s Café and Catering of Poughkeepsie is complimenting two red wines with beef short ribs with a cauliflower puree and New Zealand baby lamb with an Indian spiced carrot puree.
Chef and Owner of Lola’s Edward Kowalski is excited about preparing his dishes as well as mingling with other chefs over their respective concoctions.
“The Taste gives us an opportunity to walk around and see what everyone else is doing,” said Kowalski. “Chefs are competitive by nature... everybody pulls out the top guns (for the Taste)”
While sampling local food and exotic wines, guests are also invited to participate in live and silent auctions benefiting St. Francis Hospital. Auction lots include travel excursions, one-of-a-kind gifts, sports and music memorabilia and bottles of wine featured at the event.
Guests and venders will also enjoy live music from the Hudson Valley’s own Michael Dell Orchestra.
Alongside fund-raising for one of the busiest trauma centers in New York State and the ever-expanding Eileen M. Hickey Cancer Center at St. Francis, the Taste of the Hudson Valley facilitates the notion of community.
According to Robert Lane, President of St. Francis Health Care Foundation, the Taste of the Hudson Valley “can either help with construction or purchasing a piece of equipment that can allow a physician to literally save someone’s life.”
“We try to do as much as we can with the community,” said Kowalski. “St. Francis is right in our back yard so we always try to do whatever we can for them.”
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