After proximate, familiar old Frontenac, we drove to Sheldrake Point, a rising star on the trail.
Sheldrake has recently incorporated Simply Red's restaurant, late of Trumansburg, as their eatery.
The winery is about 10 miles north of Trumansburg, and we saw some familiar faces there - musicians, artists, community people - to the extent that we could see the place emerging as a bona fide local hipster hangout.
Adding to the hipster luster is Sheldrake's stated committment to "sustainable practices and sensitivity to the environment."
The parking area was almost filled, and there were many out-of-state plates, so the word about Sheldrake must be spreading not just locally, but far and wide.
In fact, the place was so crowded that we did not compete for a spot at the tasting bar, which was full. We decided this stop would be for informational purposes only.
The mood was much livelier than at any other place we would see. It reminded us a little of the usual ebullient mood at Maxies Restaurant in Ithaca.
The eatery, which retains the name Simply Red's, was also crowded, although it seemed well-managed. We had already decided to eat at Thirsty Owl, the next winery up the road, so we were only slightly tempted to join this gleeful crowd. The decision to split was facilitated a bit by the fact that they were serving a Sunday brunch menu that struck as a little ordinary. The lunch and dinner menus are a bit spicier, with a southern flair, and we will return sometime for that.
The bottom line, then, on Sheldrake is that it is adding a bit of style to the trail, and we will be sure to include it as a full-serve stop when our cosmopolitan visitors are with us.
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog
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