I meant to write about Warwick last week, so you’d still have enough advance notice to make a visit for the Shawangunk Wine Trail Festival. But it’s too late now, so you’ll just have to make note for next year. The event has a really cool travel theme — every year for Around the World in 80 Miles each of the 11 participating vineyards represent a different country. They serve international cuisine that complements the local wines, and provide cultural entertainment about each country.
Two weeks before this annual event I visited one of the participating locations, Applewood Orchards and Winery, where for just three bucks you can taste six wines. The actual space where the tastings take place is fairly small, but the scenic grounds include a rose garden, barn with rotating art exhibits and a few token sheep and chickens.
We snacked on oyster crackers while sipping wines, but decided to head into downtown Warwick afterward for a late lunch/early dinner. The village was much quieter than Rhinebeck, partially because it was a Sunday afternoon, but also because Warwick is tucked away in a different part of the Hudson Valley — still accessible by train to NYC, but located on the opposite side of the river in more rural Orange County.
An artist at the winery told us to try Ten Railroad, which serves a well-done mix of Spanish, Italian and American dishes. The waitress told us that the chef was fairly new — I’m not sure how new, but it didn’t matter. The food was delicious and very affordable. Portions were generous and tasty — calamari, shrimp scampi, salmon — and service was excellent. The owner is originally from Asturias in Spain, so there is paella on the menu too. I’m guessing it’s pretty darn good.