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November 2008

Events at the Inn and Close By

Welcome to the latest information on your favorite inn, The Fox and the Grapes. We hope you are healthy, safe, and enjoying the holiday season!

This Newsletter is comprised of a:

• List of Events at The Fox and the Grapes
• Specials
• Member News
• Wine Trail Talk
• Finger Lake Region
• Contests

For Upcoming Special Events and a Newsletter Referral Special, see the following for details, and contact us to sign up.

Murder Mystery Weekends & Packages

January 23-January 25, 2009
January 30-February 1, 2009
- 2 nights (Friday & Saturday), Renting the Entire House, 6 guest rooms, all rooms double occupancy, for 12 people
- Your reception on Friday evening starts out with a Wine & Cheese Tasting while we unvail your first set of clues & the crime scene.  Followed by a delightful bounty of sandwiches, snacks, and desert. 
- On Saturday morning at breakfast, while you are enoying your full gourment breakfast, you will get your second set of clues. 
- Then, we put you onbard a Luxury van or Stretch limo, for your very own Chauffuer driven Wine tour.
- Finally, Saturday evening, Dinner @ a local restaurant, followed by Desert & final clues, and discover who done it.  Upon request and availability, we could add a Winemakers Dinner – 5 courses, wine pairing, deserts to die for (addiontal costs). 
- Rates - $2940 Off Season (Jan-Apr)
- Transportation To and From The Winery or Restaurant
(Tax and Gratuity not included)

Elopments - we are running a Newsletter Referral Special: Elopements for Winter/Spring of 2009. 
  - Refer anoyone you know that wants to Elope to The Fox and the Grapes, and we will offer them 20% off their Elopement package or Minister Services for Jan-Apr, 
  - If they complete their Elopement stay with us this year, you get a $40 Gift Card toward you next stay.

Here is an expanded List of Event themed weekends for Jan-Apr.  Please contact us for details:

January

• Murder Mystery
• Outdoors (Gorges, Hiking, Nature, Skiing, Fishing, Hunting) & Travel
• Bridal Show & Bachelorette Parties
• Winemakers & Restaurateurs
• Artists
• Family History & Reunions
• Fruits & Canning

February

• Valentines – every day in February
• Ground Hog Day
• Presidents Weekend
• Quilting
• Horticulture, Farming, Gardening
• Ice Cream & Dairy

March

• Winemakers & Restaurateurs
• Outdoors (Gorges, Hiking, Nature, Skiing, Fishing, Hunting) & Travel
• Bridal Show
• Maple Syrup & Honey
• March Madness 

April

• Writing
• Education – Colleges, Teachers
• Holiday Parties
• Biking, Boating, Antique Cars
• Artists
   

Specials

Here is a glance of some old and new List of Specials, to take advantage when you plan your next vacaction...

Off Season Discount - 50% off 2nd night or 3rd night free

 Thank you again for staying at The Fox and the Grapes B&B in 2008. In appreciation for your patronage and in celebration of the upcoming holiday season…
If you make a reservation or purchase a Gift Certificate for the Off-Season (Jan-Apr of 2009), between November 1 & December 15th, 2008
- We are offering a 50% discount off a 2nd Night stay, weekends only
- Stay a 3rd night (Sunday), the 2nd Night is Full price, but, the 3rd night Stay is Free.
- Place the Special Offer code "Discount: Off Season Discount, OSD110108" in your Subject line or Notes section.
- Excluding Holidays, Special Events, Wine Trail Events, Renting the Entire House, and cannot be used with any other On-line Specials or discounts. 

Just Married - $40 Gift Card 

Welcome Back...If you were married here at the B&B, or by Jim Pellegrini...
Get a FREE $40 Gift Card for an overnight stay valued at $300 or more.
- Can be transfered to family or friends.
- Can be applied towards a Gift Certificate for an overnight stay valued at $300 or more.
- Place the Special Offer code "Discount: Just Married - $40 Gift Card, JM112108" in your Subject Line or Notes section.
- Excluding Holidays, Special Events, Wine Trail Events, and cannot be used with any other On-line Specials or discounts.
Winemakers Dinner: Friday's or Saturday's in March of 2008

Book 3 or More Nights - $10 off per night  

This On-line Special can be used all year long.
- Place the Special Offer code "Discount: 3+ Nights - $10 off per night, BT010108" in your Subject Line or Notes section.
- Excluding use with any other On-line Specials. 

Member News

Dear Guests,
Again, we must say that it has been a very busy and fullfilling year in so many ways.  What a joy it is to see you back, again, and again - every time we meet, it is like you never left.  With all my heart, thank you so very much.  If you haven't heard, I met the most awesome woman, Nola, last year, and when you fall head over heels, the rest is history for the ages - got married, had a baby - little big boy, Jimmy, Jr, who is full of all our energy/laughter/family spirit, and we got a small place just 10 minutes up the rode - to call our temporary home away from home until the little guy works out his crying at nights so you can sleep is not interupted and you can relax on your next visit.  Thus, as the Pellegrini family and The Fox and the Grapes family keeps growing, a fortune that we welcome with open arms, we count our blessings, and hope that next year we will be honored to see your faces, and those of your friends and family you bring along.  And for those of you that we did not get to see, or meet for the first time, I apologize, and continue to dedicate myself to making your next stay a fun and relaxing experience.  For the few that have tried to book again, and there were no rooms available for those dates you sought, saying, “Jim, how can we get special privileges, become one your flock, so we can stay certain times of year”, that is a challenge, I know, and I apologize for the inconvenience, and hope you will still try to come back, real soon.

Now, we are excited to hear how you are doing, what special news you would like to share with us so that we can post it in this section in our next edition. It could be anything from engagements, anniversaries, milestones in your life, other trips, expected mothers, babies births, graduations, you name it. We just want to keep in touch and keep people you may have met informed – it is just nice to know how you are doing.

Wine Trail Talk

Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty is making many more ways for you to discover and enjoy our regions born and bred foods and wines, like no other. See Follow the food trail through the Finger Lakes for lots more great ideas when you visit, again, soon.

The Seneca Lake Wine Trail contiues to offer their Polar Express. Good from December 8, 2008 through April 13, 2008. Cost is $10 per person, plus 8% sales tax. How it works is there are no starting points, you may visit any of the 24 participating wineries, receive a free flight of wines at each winery, and the winery will stamp or mark the appropriate space in your Polar Passport. Plus, two more wineries opened this year, with one in Lodi. So, get up, and see what the fuss is about!

Finger Lakes Region

Wining and Dining is alwayes a mainstay in our area.  Just see what some of the regions experts - you are saying, in Vintage New York. 
  
 

Contests

Congratulation to our 2008 Contest, Best stories from The Fox and the Grapes.  Since, we had more than one winner, we have created two new and different prizes

• 1st Place - Julie & Michael Ludka - 2 night stay valued at $250
• 2nd Place - Sharon & Alex Dixon - $50 Gift Card
• The winners will be contacted directly within the coming weeks.

Take a look at their stories...
"A Story of Love and Laughter, Family and Friends, an Innkeeper and his Dog"
   As we drove up Route 414 on a cold January evening, a moment of panic set in. What if we really don’t like the place we booked for our wedding! After all, we only saw it in passing and it wasn’t even opened for business yet. What if the innkeeper—who also performs the weddings—is an Eagles fan. Worse yet, what if the old Caywood house is haunted! Michael had been unsure of the entire plan from the beginning. Until now in this moment of panic, it had been a fairytale.
   Walking into The Fox and The Grapes we breathed a sign of relief. A beautiful home, a kind, welcoming innkeeper, and a gentle giant, Watson. I knew from the moment we entered that this would be the location for our July 8th wedding. Michael knew after his conversation with Jim about football, Penn State, and the Nittany Lion.
Before going into the details of our beautiful July 8th, 2006 wedding, I must first reminisce about all of the memories from our Lake Seneca getaways in preparation for The Big Day. We enjoyed weekends filled with wine and champagne tasting, lugging cases home to share with family and friends so they could help us decide which ones to serve at our wedding. Then there was cheese tasting and cow petting with Chrissy, and of course the porta potty pictures at Bloomer Creek. There were the welcoming locals who became friends—Dave Budzek, Bobby Johnson, and Amy from Atwater. And the friends that became family—Jim and Watson. Jim and this 5:00 am starts to have breakfast ready, his aches and pains from running, drinking What-Nots at Knapp, and dancing in the aisle of Dave’s bus. Watson the big gentle dog who didn’t know he was a dog—he didn’t need to know!—eating his pizza crust and breakfast sausage, circling to find just the perfect spot to settle into, posing for pictures and just hanging out.
   All went off without a hitch. A beautiful ceremony of a gorgeous July day on the porch overlooking Lake Seneca. Me, unable to recite my vows; Michael, like a pro. Skippy—ah, how fitting a nickname—making our Storybook Love song skip in the middle of the ceremony. Watson trying to board the bus to do some wine tasting. Let it be said that I would have made him a cozy spot on the bus. Watson herding the wedding guests, the crazy sister dancing around, Jim jamming to Journey, the band calling Tim-may to the wine drinking circle. Friends playing games, family reminiscing and making new memories, and Michael and I celebrating the first day of the rest of our lives as best friends and lovers.
July 7th was the first day of a wonderful weekend filled with memories to last longer than a lifetime. A weekend filled with laughter, dancing, wine, and love. A story of a bride and a groom, a family filled with joy, and a herd dog who will live forever in our hearts.
   Then there was the weekend of August 21st, celebrating my birthday at The Fox and The Grapes, when husband and wife decided to become mommy and daddy. And that was the best thing we ever did…
                                                by Julie & Michael Ludka

"Ann Klein in the Toilet, Ox was blamed at the Fox"
   A year ago my husband and I decided we wanted to check out the wineries in New York for our 35th wedding anniversary. We were married on April 1, 1972 – yes – April Fools Day!! 
   We really wanted to check out as many wineries as we could in a 3 day stay and enjoy a couple of Bed and Breakfasts. We decided to go down one side of Seneca Lake and up the other and hit as many of the wineries as possible (and still stay sober).
   We were having a great time enjoying Torrey Ridge, Dr. Frank, and Arcadian and finally decided to have lunch at Castel Grisch Winery. There were only two other couples having lunch there that day – a deaf couple and a young couple who sat directly behind us. We couldn't really talk to the deaf couple and it was obvious that the other couple were in love (actually in lust).
   Lunch was great – the wine was better!! About two weeks before our trip, I purchased really cool Ann Klein Prescription Sunglasses (black with zebra print on the inside). They were over $250.00. I loved them! When we were finished with lunch, I headed to the ladies room and my husband went to the wine bar to sample some more wine. When we were ready to leave, I couldn't find my sunglasses. I had the waitress check by our table – in the kitchen – in the wine room – in the bathroom, but they were no where to be found!
   We started thinking that the young couple might have picked them up (I thought maybe I had dropped them on the floor). They had already left when we said something to the girl behind the wine bar – she said she knew the man who we were asking about. “His name is Ox” she said. “In fact, he gave me his business card, which I threw away” she laughed! “He's a Tattoo Artist and has a bit of a reputation in Watkins Glen”, she said. “Great”, I said “He probably wanted them for his lusty girlfriend!”
   Anyway, we gave the girl at the winery our cell phone number in case they found my Ann Klein's and she gave us Ox's business card (that she pulled out of the garbage) and we left the winery checking out the parking lot as we left. We figured that when Ox and his girlfriend found out they were prescription sunglasses, they would just throw them out the window. Still no sunglasses!!
   We made our way down to Watkins Glen and I found the nicest quilt shop. My husband headed to the nearest bar for a beer (he had had enough wine by then) to watch basketball while I checked out some pretty material for a baby quilt that I wanted to make. He said to the bartender, “Do you know a guy by the name of Ox?” The bartender said, “Oh we know Ox – he's not allowed to come to Watkins Glen because of his bad reputation.” “Great” said my husband, “I'm going to call the number on the business card and talk to Ox and see if he knows anything about some missing sunglasses.” The bartender said, “Good luck with that!” 
   Well – Ox didn't know anything (of course) so we headed back up to “The Fox and Grapes Bed and Breakfast” to stay the night. Jim was so kind and sympathetic to our situation and made our stay very enjoyable. At that point, we figured we were out $250 plus dollars and that we might as well enjoy the rest of our trip. In the morning we had great conversation and a delicious breakfast. We hit a couple more wineries the next day and headed on home to Ohio.
   About 4 weeks later, I received a call on my cell phone – from New York of all places! It seems that the toilet in the ladies room at Castel Grisch hadn't worked correctly for the last month, so they finally called in a plumber.
   The plumber held up my Ann Klein's to the girl at the winery to show her what had been plugging up the toilet for the last few weeks. She said, “Oh my Gosh, I know who those belong to”, so she had to call me.
   How embarrassed I was, yet at the same time the girl at the winery and I were laughing. I told her, “I don't remember any plop or kerplunk, nor did I have too much wine to drink where my head was over the toilet.” At this time I'd like to apologize to Ox – the poor man has no clue!
   Anyway – my Ann Klein's were found – she sent them to me – actually for a small fee – they were really in pretty good condition, considering – they were not sanitized but they were in a zip locked bag! Of course, they are still in the zip locked bag – I couldn't bring myself to actually try them on.
   I went to get new Ann Klein's – the same ones actually!         
   The people at Len's Crafters smile and giggle every time I enter their store.
                                                                 by Sharon & Alex Dixon

2009 Contest, Best stories from The Fox and the Grapes  
How would you like to Win a Free 2 night stay & other exciting Prizes?

All you have to do is enter our contest by sending us "Your Favorite story about your experience at The Fox and the Grapes", Your experiences on the Wine Trail or the Finger Lakes Region", or "Recipe Stories – breakfast, of course, but, what sort of “loving” and “funny” story about how you made it and what your friends thought about it".
Plus, let us know if you want to share your recipe with us and the rest of The Fox and Grapes family.
So, what are you waiting for? Send us your stories today.