Letters
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Fruits of their labors
Your claim that the Tuthilltown Gristmill and Distillery was the first distillery in New York State (Best Of Listings, October) to open since Prohibition is incorrect. There have been distilleries in New York State for years, but Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery was the first distillery to open in the Hudson Valley since Prohibition. In addition, we became the first fruit micro distillery in the entire state back in 2001.Â
In February 2001, we received a grant from the Department of Agriculture and Markets to develop a fruit distillery. By summer we were approved by the state to begin distillation. A simple search on the Web site for Alcohol and Beverage Control indicates that Tuthilltown Gristmill did not file for their license until March 2005.
Since our evolvement from a winery into a winery and distillery, we have produced a line of fruit brandies and liqueurs made from Hudson Valley-grown apples, pears and black currants, and Finger Lakes-grown grapes and cherries. Recently, we released the first New York aged apple brandy and a Bourbon Barrel aged apple liqueur. We invite you and your readers to come see the first Hudson Valley distillery and to taste all of our new creations.
Jason Grizzanti
Jeremy Kidde
Warwick Valley Winery
and Distillery
Close-knit kids
Thank you for your wonderful article on knitting (December). Knitting may be skyrocketing among the adult population, however for Waldorf students, it has been an ongoing part of the curriculum for over 77 years. Recent neurological research tends to confirm that mobility and dexterity in the fine motor muscles, especially in the hand, may stimulate cellular development in the brain, and so strengthen the physical instrument of thinking. In Waldorf schools, first-graders learn to knit before learning to write or manipulate numbers. Through knitting, students gain skills that enable them to create items of beauty and practicality, leading to feelings of accomplishment, usefulness and self-worth. And the training in concentration will go far in supporting problem-solving abilities in later years.Â
Kathi Weinstein
Admissions DirectorRudolf Steiner School
Great Barrington, Mass.
