Earlier this month I noticed, along with another reader of ErieBlogs, that the Penn Stater magazine featured an article about Doug Moorhead of Presque Isle Wine Cellars in Northeast, Pa. It’s a great read about PI Wine Cellars and wine making in Pennsylvania.  Doug is credited for starting one of the first two wineries in Pennsylvania (there now are over 120 in the state). Kick-up your feet during lunch or read it over breakfast this weekend.

Here are the opening paragraphs of the article:

It’s a joke. It has to be.

Here, at the most prestigious restaurant in Pennsylvania-Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia-is a 2006 Pinot Gris. That’s not the funny part. A Pinot Gris certainly belongs here, on this famed wine list of classic French wines, served in a dining room that looks like a Manet painting, with crystal chandeliers and waiters who literally announce “Voilà!” as they serve meals of roasted squab breast and leg confit that can run (with wine, of course) upwards of $200 a pop.

But this Pinot Gris? It’s not from Alsace. Or the Loire Valley. Or even California. No, this Pinot Gris is from Pennsylvania, from grapes picked a few miles from Lake Erie and pressed at a little winery there called Presque Isle Wine Cellars.

Which is why it must be a joke. The only grapes that grow well in that corner of the state are Concords and Niagaras, right? Grape-juice grapes. (It’s no wonder Welch’s largest manufacturing plant is right down the road.) Wines made there are the kinds that teenagers sneak into the prom, that great-aunts serve with meatloaf, that people who drink White Zinfandel make fun of. Nobody takes those wines seriously. Who really takes any Pennsylvania wines seriously? A Philadelphia Inquirer wine columnist once described the state’s wines, collectively, as “painful to drink.”

To read the entire article, please click here [PDF].   The article was written by Vicki Glembocki, who grew up in Erie, and is now a freelance writer in Philadelphia.

My thanks to the Penn Stater magazine for being so amicable and allowing us to republish the article here.  This Penn State alumnus enjoyed it and I’m sure the readers of ErieBlogs will too.

This week’s YouTube video comes not from Erie but Harrisburg — The 2009 Pennsylvania Farm Show. This year’s farm show featured a butter sculpture dedicated to the PA state guard:

You might remember from our January 9 post that the life-size butter sculpture was to be sent to Lake Erie Biofuels here in Erie to be transformed into biofuel. Governor Rendell also announced at the farm show that the B2 mandate would go into effect no later than 2010 which requires diesel to contain a blend of 2% biodiesel (B2) from Pennsylvania alternative energy suppliers. Here’s a snippet from that press conference:

As for the farm show, here are some interesting facts: the show traces its history to 1685 and William Penn; the event is held on 25 acres and 400,000 visitors attended this years show; the farm show has no admission fee. Here’s an overview of the farm show:

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It certainly has been a long time coming but Mike and I are pleased to present the new ErieBlogs.  The design has been in the works for over a year, and despite some unforeseen challenges and seemingly insurmountable work and family schedules, the day has finally come.

Much thought and hard work has gone into the redesign.  Take for example the text you are currently reading where the width of this column is set so as to “optimize readability.”  (Yes, that’s how particular we’ve been in this redesign.)  You can even adjust the font size for entries according to your preference.  Here’s a number of other changes:

• Comments are now managed by Disqus, a global comment system operated off-site, which will make commenting more interactive and faster (remember those wait times on the old site?).  You can create your own profile or comment anonymously.  Choice is yours.
• The BlogBrowser has been updated with a new streamlined look.  Gone are the frames.  Instead, we present you with an ordered list showing the relative time a particular blog entry was posted.  It’s a little different look than what you’re used to, but we think you’ll like it.
• We’re running new publishing software on a brand new host.  As much as we love Movable Type, it had a number of limitations including the inability to effectively publish tags and it ran sluggish.  ErieBlogs is now running WordPress.  Also, we’re hosted by EngageIT located here in Erie.  (EngageIT also has a nifty business search called Erie County Yellow Pages.)
• And finally, advertising.  Don’t worry, we’re not going beat you over the head with pop-up’s, strobe like banners that cause siezures, or pages so loaded with ads you don’t know if you’re coming or going.  Instead you will see a few well placed ads for maximum exposure that are friendly to the viewer.  If you are a local business interested in advertising on one of Erie’s premier websites, then check out our advertising rates.

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This years annual Saint Paul’s Italian Festival will be held Friday, August 8 through Sunday, August 10. The highlight of the festival is definitely the food. Friday’s dinner is pasta Fagioli and Sunday is your classic spaghetti dinner. To top it off there will be cookies, pizzeles, knots, biscotti, breads, and other pastries. As if the assortment of food isn’t enough, the festival will have live music every night along with various games and entertainment. Kids will have their own entertainment including a Rock Climbing Wall, Dyno Jump as well as their own games and prizes

For those who love tradition, after Sunday’s 11 a.m. Mass there will be the Procession of Blessed Virgin Mary statue (the festival is being held in honor of the Blessed Mother). Children age 4-10 are invited to take a special part of the Friday and Sunday Mass.
The festival will be held in Little Italy (West 16 & Walnut Streets). If you need more information you can contact Charlene Sisson at (814) 440-1150.

Friday, August 8th

5:15 p.m.–Opening Mass

6:00 – 8 p.m.–Pasta Fagioli Dinner (begins immediately after opening Mass)

6 – 10 p.m.–Festival activities

7 – 10 p.m.–Music by Gene Leone

8 p.m.–The “Italian Dancers” of Erie will perform

Saturday, August 9th

4:30 p.m.–Mass

6 – 10 p.m.– Festival activities

7 – 10 p.m.–Music by The Four Jays

Sunday, August 10th

11:00 a.m.–Mass followed by a Procession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through “Little Italy”

Noon – 5 p.m.–Spaghetti Dinner

Noon – 9 p.m.–Festival activities

6 – 9 p.m. Music by the Contels

Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and concerns on any Erie topic you like on our ongoing series of weekly open thread posts. Last week’s discussion included the teenager ban at 8 Great Tuesdays and the news that CiCi’s Pizza might be coming to Erie.

Although ErieBlogs has an open comment policy, it reserves the right to delete comments that are off topic, abusive, or contain personal attacks. Be civil and be a part of the discussion!

“The most famous man you’ve never heard of.” That is how one author and historian has described Dan Rice, the once famous resident of Girard, Pa. Of course if you’re from Girard or the Erie area, you’ve heard of Dan Rice because of the annual Dan Rice Days celebration held in Girard, but possibly not sure of who he is. Dan Rice was the premier entertainer of his day back in the mid-1800′s and was more of a household name than Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain. Originally from New York, Rice moved to Girard and stationed his traveling circus in the small borough during the winter months. Girard was chosen because of its strategic location; it was a gateway between the mid-west and to the north east states.

Now you know a little about Dan Rice and have an idea of why Girard holds this annual celebration named after the great entertainer. The annual Dan Rice Days will be held this Friday and Saturday in the borough Girard. A number of events will be held including a parade, live entertainment, 5k race, and art & craft shows. “Crafters” will be selling their wares all along Main Street throughout the two days.

Local appraisers Herb Gold and August Fetcko will be available to look over your antiques at the Culbertson House. Although an appraisal will cost you, the fee is nominal and proceeds benefit the Dan Rice Committee. Now is the time to dust off that old family heirloom you have stored in your attic and find out how much it is really worth.

“Battle for the Yellow House: Civil War Re-Enactment” will be held at the Battles Museums on Walnut Street. Also a candlelight tour will be offered Saturday, August 2nd beginning at 8:00 p.m. departing from the “white house” every 20 minutes. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 814.454.1813 x24 (Tickets: $4 Adult, $3 Senior, $2 Child, $10 Family).

While you’re out in Girard, you may want to consider spending part of your day visiting the Erie Bluffs State Park and the Roderick Wildlife Reserve that I blogged about last month. Gudgeonville Bridge isn’t that far away either.

Here’s a list of events along with an interactive map. Our thanks to the Chamber for helping us complete the list of events and interactive map.

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It’s hard to believe but the 15th Annual Discover Presque Isle is this weekend, July 25-27. From the event’s beginning in 1993, Discover Presque Isle has continually attracted thousands and thousands of visitors to Erie’s sandy shores every year. Favorite events include the concerts, bonfires, as well as the volley ball tournament at Beach 6. Proceeds from the three day event benefit the park.

We’ve done our best to provide you with an overview of the weekend’s events with the following schedule to get you started. In true ErieBlogs fashion, we’ve included an interactive Google map of the event.

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What do Peter Fonda, downtown Erie, and bikers have in common? They all will converge together this Thursday, July 17, for the annual Roar on the Shore Bike Rally, and ending this Sunday, July 20th. (Update: Peter Fonda has pulled out of the event. More here.) Despite being the second year the event will be held, organizers expect double the attendance from last year–from 10,000 to an expected 20,000 visitors. What is unique about Roar on the Shore is that proceeds benefit a local charity. Last year the event raised more than $52,000 for the John Kanzius Cancer Research Fund, and this year proceeds will go to the Erie Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Unfortunately if you do not own a motorcycle you cannot attend, sorry. Actually that’s not true–there will be quite a lot going on that is sure to interest a wide variety of people. Some of the highlights include: a daily stunt show running every day except Sunday, Peter Fonda who is the grand marshal of Thursday parade, and a rock concert by Blue Oyster Cult (tickets are $15). For those with motorcycles, a number of opportunities are available to guided tours around the region.

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The 13th annual JazzErie Jazz & Blues Walk will take place in downtown Erie this Saturday, July 12. Always a community favorite, the Jazz & Blues Walk features various jazz and blues vocalists and musicians playing at 10 different venues throughout the night. Admission buttons (tickets) are still only $10 and will grant you free admission to the venues, free rides on the Jazz & Blues Walk buses, and refreshments at the 7 p.m. reception. The evening culminates at East Erie Turners with the Dave Stevens Band (performers from the various venues may join in for a jam session) including a late-night “jazz breakfast.” How cool is that?

Here’s a schedule of the Jazz & Blues Walk venues along with an interactive map to help you get started. (Details on performers for each venue can be viewed at the JazzErie website.)

7 – 8:00 PM
Reception, Erie Art Museum Annex

8 – 11:00 p.m.
Molly Brannigan’s Restaurant
Baybreeze Restaurant
BrewErie at Union Station
Pufferbelly Restaurant

9:00 – Midnight
Billie’s Lounge, at the Avalon Hotel
Plymouth Tavern
Matthew’s Trattoria

10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Scotty’s Jazz Club
Docksider Restaurant

10:00 p.m. – ???
East Erie Turners Club

View Larger Map

Although we would all love to visit every venue and watch every band, that’s not always feasible. Here is a suggestion for maximizing your evening’s enjoyment (refer to the interactive map for details). North of Perry Square: spend your evening north of Perry Square beginning around 5th & State including Scotty’s at 3rd & German, and then ending the evening at East Erie Turners. South of Perry Square: start your evening around State and 12th Streets, and then ending the evening at East Erie Turners. If you’re adventurous and want to visit all the venues or your favorite performers will be at the opposite ends of downtown, there will be shuttles available.

Advance purchase of buttons may be made at these locations:

Erie Art Museum, 411 State St.
Romolo Chocolates, 1525 West Eighth St.
Glass Growers Gallery, 10 East Fifth St.
Erie Book Store, 137 East 13th St.
World Of Music, 1355 West 26th St.

Buttons will also be sold on the night of the event in front of the Erie Art Museum on State Street between 4th and 5th Streets from 6 pm until 9:00. You must be at least 21 to attend.

Tomorrow, the 8 Great Tuesdays concert series kicks off with two months of Tuesday entertainment giving Erieites a much needed mid-week break. Every Tuesday from 6:30 – 9:30, there will be a free concert at the Liberty Park, Pepsi Amphitheater. Here is this summer’s schedule for 8 Great Tuesdays:

July 8 – Little Brian and the Zydeco Travelers
July 15 – Donna the Buffalo
July 22 – Bernard Allison
July 29 – Jakes Blues
August 5 – Leon Russell
August 12 – Joe Grushecky and the House Rockers
August 19 – Dave Stevens Big Band
August 26 – Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Air Men

Shuttles will be available starting at 5 p.m. since parking is limited at Liberty Park. Here is a detailed map with shuttle pick-up locations:

View Larger Map

A new policy was put in place on July 25, 2008, regarding minors. If you’re under age 16 you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who also has to stay at the event. If you’re 16 or older, you must have a picture ID. The policy was instituted because kids were being dropped off unattended at the event, and a number of fights broke out as a result of rogue teenagers. Also, no pets, bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, or alcohol are allowed in Liberty Park.

Earlier this year in February, Governor Ed Rendell signed into law an amendment to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law (RTK), which gives ordinary citizens access to public documents. (The federal government has a similar law: the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).) The new law is important for a number of reasons. For one, the current RTK law which was passed in the 1950′s, placed the burden on the person making the request to explain why it is a public document and the reason behind the request. Also, a person making a request had to fully indentify him or herself.

Under the new RTK law, a person does not have to disclose his or her identity, does not have to explain the reason for the request, and more importantly, the burden is on the government agency to explain why the requested document should not be made public. The new law also establishes a universal form to be used by all agencies.

Before getting too excited, the new RTK law does not go into effect until January 1st, 2009 so that government agencies have time to review the new requirements, attend training sessions, and establish a RTK officer/department to respond to requests. (If you’re a cynic, it gives time to government officials to burn the books and cover their tracks.)

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