Sad-dity Afternoon

Both Eleanor and I had heard this news independently before this afternoon, but it took a post from Friend-to-several-of-us kouredios to bring it home:

The co-owner and chef of a well-known Finger Lakes winery and bistro was killed and her husband was injured in a two-car crash Thursday on the state Thruway.

Debra Whiting, 52, died of internal injuries at Auburn Memorial Hospital after being airlifted there after the crash at 8:14 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the Thruway in Montezuma, Cayuga County. David Whiting, 47, is in fair condition today in Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he is being treated for lacerations.

The couple owns Red Newt Winery and Bistro in Hector, Schuyler County, near Watkins Glen.

We were not familiar with that particular stop on the Seneca Wine Trail; most of our travels down there were in Rochester days prior to '95, and the Whitings didn't open this one until 1998. Yet we became quite fond of the people we met at many of the smaller ones- among them Americana near Cayuga Lake, Keuka Spring atop that Finger Lake, and the funky organics of Four Chimneys in between- and have watched as many of their tasting rooms have expanded in recent years to include equally creative use of the local food options, as Red Newt has:

Long before it was in vogue in Upstate New York for restaurants to source local ingredients, she began forging relationships with area farmers and featuring a range of their products — from cheese to locally raised fowl — at the restaurant. Her lunch and dinner menus have grown more locally rooted over the years.

In 2010, Ms. Whiting was one of only four New York state regional chefs selected for the annual Taste of New York State Media Luncheon, held at the James Beard House in Greenwich Village. Her contribution was watercress ravioli with Lively Run chevre cheese in a lemon garlic cream sauce, and Napoleon with lemon curd mousse and caramelized rhubarb mascarpone and rhubarb syrup.

This is kouredios' post about their experience with both the food and the wine, not even three months ago:

Nine Wines Blind is an event they do once in the Spring and once in the Fall, where their chef prepares a 5-course meal and they pair each course (except dessert) with two different wines, but they don't tell you what wines they are. They give you little note cards at your place so you can take notes and guess, and they reveal the wines after each course.

We had a blast. Not only was the food amazing, and the wines amazing, but we were seated at a table that included 3 current employees of Red Newt, and one former one. One of them is the assistant wine-maker. They were all young, fun people, and we learned a whole lot just listening to them discuss and guess. Jay and I were happy when we were able to tell which variety each wine was made of. These folks were guessing winery and vintage as well, and some of them knew all three. Sometimes they were dead wrong, too, which was fun.

Do go read the whole thing for descriptions of the courses and wines. And offer prayers for David's recovery and for Debra's safe passage.