2008 greater barrington - june

Volume IV, Issue Two Complimentary June 2008

BARRINGTONGreater

Food should be fun, right? So why is wine so intimidating? Well, it isn’t anymore, or so I found out when I spoke with Joe Smegal, General Manager at Grape Finds in Great Barrington. In a calm and gentle voice Joe walked me around the shop – with its rainbow of artfully arranged displays, including store mascot “Clyde” with a tuba and cigar – and explained the essence of Grape Finds’ mission, “offering the world’s best wine values in a way that makes shopping for wine as enjoyable as drinking it”. Most of the wines are small produc-tion/hand-crafted vintages, never a mass-produced beverage. The selection process requires a wine to be “easy to love...beautiful...and delicious”. It doesn’t hurt that the vast majority of their merchandise is priced mostly in the area of $15 a bottle either. But what I LOVE about

the shop is the color coded wine categories and the engaging and entertaining “shelf talkers”.

I have to admit to a mild organi-zational obsession. I file, code and organize anything that happens to fall into my hands. So I was ecstat-ic over Grape Finds’ color-coded wine categories. Boldly-colored graphics throughout the shop serve as headers for each “category” of wine that the store sells, and there are eight of them, with descrip-tions just as tasty on the tongue as the wines themselves - fizzy, fresh, soft, luscious, juicy, smooth, big and sweet. From there each selection is given its own “shelf talker,” a witty and informative block of text that explains what sort of wine is in a specific bottle, and also food pair-ing tips, serving tips and any other information that might help in the selection and enjoyment process. I laughed out loud at some of the phrases included in these descrip-tive “tag lines”, with their familiar and conversational tone setting me at ease and answering any ques-tions I may have had. For example, in the “luscious” category I found a white wine exclaiming “Bellybutton shot!” – now, why wouldn’t I stop and read all about a wine like that? Adios intimidation, hello perfect selection!

But, should you remain stumped, you can approach the store’s well-informed staff for guidance and suggestions. The shop offers many tastings and educational venues through its “Grape Finds University”.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry in

Great Barrington

Some of their course offerings include: “Wines of the Great 48,” “Say Cheese!”, and “Food and Wine Made Fun”. Class sizes are lim-ited, so it is important to register as soon as a class becomes available. Sommelier-in-training Joe Smegal often serves as instructor for these courses and explains that they are “not for ‘wine snobs,’ but for people who like wine and just want to learn about it”.

To continue to educate the community about the connection between good wine and great dining experiences Grape Finds offers free restaurant showcases on

Saturdays beginning with the July 4 holiday and running through the Labor Day weekend, then offers special showcases during the winter holidays. From 2-4 p.m. on each presentation day, an area restau-rant sets up shop in the center of the Grape Finds retail space and prepares some of their most popular items. Joe then pairs up the food with three or four wines available in the shop. Patrons can enjoy this food and wine tasting for free, no reservations required.

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Grape Finds is located at 700 Main St. (in the Big Y Plaza) in Great Barrington. For hours and more information you can con-tact them at 413-528-6600, or by e-mail at [email protected]. They also have a comprehensive Web site: www.grapefinds.net.

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Enjoy the links in

Great BarringtonA steady hum of activity filled the

Pro Shop at the Egremont Country Club, which seemed odd for a Wednesday in early spring. “We are off to a good start,” Frank Mazzarelli said indicating the “front 9” of the Club’s golf course with a wave of his hand. I had to agree as I gazed out on the expanse of emer-ald-green grass, small yellow flags snapping in the steady breeze, a scattering of golfers in brightly col-ored clothes in the distance. It was a scene straight out of mid-June. “We have been watering the grass since April!” Frank laughed, but then considered for a moment and added wryly, “but it’s the Berkshires, who knows what the weather will be tomorrow”. I was about to agree, and add the proverbial “enjoy it while it lasts,” but a young girl passing by the shop’s front win-dow expressed my sentiment so much better. She was holding her

arms above her head, her hands and fingers dancing in the breeze, a broad smile across her freckled face as she sat in the passenger’s seat of her mother’s golf cart. If a golf cart could “zoom,” then they were zooming! The two were clearly having a great time mak-ing their way through the 18 holes. As I looked around I realized that everyone seemed to be wearing a smile.

The Egremont County Club defi-nitely has a comfortable and famil-iar air; the staff greeted the golfers by name, helped them with their gear and chatted amiably. I over-heard two ladies meeting for the first time after the winter, laugh-ing about their chances of doing well on the driving range. A few vendors and sales reps had casual business chats with Frank about the upcoming season. All of these


A Hersam Acorn Newspapers Publication

Toby Raymond, contributing writer

Peter Czaja, Sales Representative Debra Johnson, Sales Representative

Pearl Dennis, page design

Berkshire Penny Saver154 West Park Street

Lee, Massachusetts 01238413-243-2341

Renee Tassone, General Manager

June 2008 Greater Barrington 3

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Sunglass Sale

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(continued from page 2) scenes offered evidence to the unstated mission of the Club, to offer a “public facility available for the local people to play on”. This place is clearly a local institution. Country clubs are generally well-kept and tidy, but the Egremont Country Club takes it a bit farther, the grounds are pristine and the gardens are all ready for a season of bloom, but I found a whimsical sculpture of a squirrel hiding in one corner, and noticed picnic tables and well-worn benches in shady areas of the course.

With the numerous fund-raisers and charity events that take place at the facility each year, the name “Egremont Country Club,” is bound to be repeated almost non-stop throughout the area during the golfing season. A casual listing of events includes the wonderful Kare Bear Invitational (which takes place August 6 of this year), the annu-al Sheffield Kiwanis Tournament, the Monument Mountain Girls Softball Team and Boys Basketball Team Benefits, the Lee Football Team Fund-raise, the Earth Angels

Tournament, the “Slice of Heaven” Tournament by the Marion Helpers in Stockbridge, just to name a few.

The Country Club also has its own tournament, the “Egremont Spring Classic,” which sees it 30th annual celebration on May 17 and 18 of this year. Entry into the com-petition is on a first-come basis, with an anticipated $8000 in prizes to be awarded. The celebratory weekend also includes cocktails and dinner on the evening of the 17th and a midday barbecue and awards presentation ceremony on the 18th. The kitchen of the Club House, the Country Club’s ban-quet and dining facility will provide catering for this special event.

Able accommodate events with up to 225 guests, and boasting ser-vice in the dining room or on the canopied deck - complete with a view of the Berkshire hills, the Club House also offers lunch daily April through October. Chefs Lynn Pino and Silver Reilly have created an affordable menu reflective of the region and the wide-range of guests to the Country Club. You can enjoy a glass of wine with your

“Mar’s Spinach with Portabello” salad, or you can custom design your own “Clubhouse Burger,” to go along with a nice cold beer, and either way your lunch bill won’t break $15. The menu for catered events reads like a long dream list of many favorite foods – right down to the three-tiered wedding cake.

Existing since the 1930s, the Club is now in the able hands of Frank

Mazzarelli and his partners Sam, Jim and Mike Mazzarelli and Robert Petrovits. I asked if there were plans for expansion or to offer other ath-letic opportunities, but Frank shook his head and said, “No, really we just think it is nice to be able to offer an 18-hole course locally, and keep doing what we’re doing.” Judging by all of the smiles I saw that day, I would say they are doing it right.

The Egremont Country Club is located on Rt. 23 in Great Barrington. Their telephone number is 413-528-4222, or you can visit their Web site at www.egremontcountryclub.com.


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(continued from page 1)

As I said, wine can seem intimi-dating to the novice or the uniniti-ated, but Grape Finds doesn’t take itself too seriously, instead surround-ing patrons with whimsy and tons of information. It makes plain the idea that wine is something to be enjoyed by everyone. Shop owners Gene and Karen Faul stand behind their efforts to offer only the best in an

accessible manner and with a sense of fun through their special Grape Finds Guarantee, which states that they are “committed to astound-ing you with both our products and our service”. With their high-quality merchandise and top-notch service Grape Finds easily meets that guar-antee, allowing shoppers to select a wine in a way that is “simple, easy, and affordable.”

Eat, Drink & Be Merry in

Great Barrington Great Barrington Farmers’ MarketMay 10 – October 25Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.44 Castle Street, Great Barrington Farmers’ Market at the Nutrition Ctr.June 4 – August 27Wednesdays from 3-7 p.m.94 West Ave., Great Barrington Farmers’ Market in LenoxMay 9 – October 17Fridays from 2-6 p.m.Aspinwall, 293 Main St., Lenox

Hilltop Orchard Farmers’ MarketLee/Mass Pike service area, eastbound, Lee, MAContact Donna Hill at for details 617-248-2962Open-Air/Seasonal Lee Farmers’ MarketTown parking lot, Main Street, Lee, MA 01238Contact Amy Wedder for details 413-243-3088Fridays - Open-Air/SeasonalWIC Coupons accepted

Lenox Farmers’ Market55 Pittsfield Road, Route 7 & 20, Lenox ShopsMay 12 - October 28Fridays 3PM - 7PM

Farmers’ Market in OtisMay 10 – October 25Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.2000 East Otis Rd., Otis Farmers’ Market in SheffieldMay 9 – October 17Fridays from 2-6 p.m.340 S. Main St., Otis

Farmers’ Markets


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I had always known about the bridge, but never taken the time to meander down the short dirt drive to explore its abutments and pretty expanse. In 1994 I was saddened to learn it had burned down. Only after settling in the Berkshire area a few years later did I hear of the bridge’s restoration.

In 2005 I FINALLY made a visit to the Sheffield Covered Bridge, along with my sweetheart, for a romantic spring

picnic. It is an ideal place for that pur-pose. Swallows dove madly across the water in hot pursuit of a meal, a weep-ing willow shaded the little slope where we spread out our blankets and picnic baskets, and the deep cool grass was perfect for our bare feet and toes. The Housatonic River sashayed by without a care. We enjoyed our lunch and then did something that every couple in love should do...we hunted for four-

leaf clover. Stalking such prey allows a thorough exploration of any site, and here was no exception. We admired the marble abutments on both sides of the river, the timber structure of the re-built bridge was the topic of much discussion (“they don’t make things like they used to”) and the numerous wild-flowers around the site were mentally cataloged for later identification. The old road, now closed to automobile traffic, made for a lovely, long stroll.

We were surprised by many things that afternoon. First, we struck the jack-pot in clover, acquiring many new good luck tokens (we press them in books, and give them away). Next, we read the information board and discovered that one set of abutments (those on the east side of the bridge) were quarried from the same marble that belongs to the Washington Monument - the daz-zling reflected light from these stones is kin to that in one of our most beloved national monuments! Lastly, four hours somehow slipped away from us in that glorious afternoon.

We still think of the Sheffield Covered Bridge as our secret spot, and we visit it

as often as we can. We see many famil-iar faces with each visit, some human and some canine. We often stop just with a cup of coffee to reminisce over our perfect picnic, but whenever we get enough time we kick off our shoes and go hunting!

The Sheffield Covered Bridge is directly off of Route 7 in Sheffield, MA. The turn is clearly marked and is located near Limey’s Restaurant. The Bridge is open to the public, but closes at sunset.

The Great Outdoors in

Great Barrington

Surprises of a Secret Picnic Spot


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JF Rey, Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Coach, Lafont...I was not strolling down Fifth Avenue, browsing high-end boutiques; I was standing in the Berkshire Eye Center in Great Barrington perusing a wide assortment of extremely cool glasses. The news that I had reached a stage in my life that would require eyeglasses for activities such as driving safely, viewing movies, and generally seeing clearly at a point beyond the end of my nose was not received happily. But I have to admit that the blow was softened when I saw the array of fashionable choices the Center offers.

Seated at the dispensing table at the front of the office, I was amazed at the pace of the business taking place. When I spoke with Dr. Neal Ginsberg I soon understood why the little office buzzes with activity. The Berkshire Eye Center is not just a place to get a good eye exam performed by friendly and obviously well-trained staff who also help you select the perfect pair of styl-ish glasses, it is a facility that works to provide the highest quality eye care in the region. They are continually invest-ing in the latest technology in order to stay “ahead of the curve in the ever-

changing field of ophthalmology”. I wondered what equipment would make an ophthalmologists’ office cut-ting-edge these days, and the list of services and procedures offered at the Center explains it very quickly. Apart from board certified ophthalmologists and a full service optical shop; the Center has “sub-specialists in the areas of cornea/external disease, refractive surgery, glaucoma, retina and low-vision, providing medical and surgical eye care.” They offer the only wave-front guided laser vision correction center in Berkshire County, meaning they can correct near and farsighted-ness as well as astigmatism. The office is also able to offer the newest tech-nologies allowing patients undergoing cataract surgery to see without the need for glasses. With offices in Great Barrington, Pittsfield and in Valatie, New York, the entire region has access to these complete and comprehensive vision services.

A large part of the mission of the Berkshire Eye Center is to “maintain the most competent, compassionate and well-trained team of staff and physi-cians possible,” considering their top


Shopping in

Great BarringtonBerkshire Eye Center, Modern Technology Meets Old-Fashioned Customer Service


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(continued from page 6)priority the “well-being and respect” of patients. That they are meeting this mission is attested to by the constant activity throughout the business day.

As for me, I was treated to a thor-ough examination, an explanation of my nearsightedness (finally under-standing why I could NEVER read a street sign in time to make the turn!) and walked through the frame selec-tion process, settling on a jazzy pair of cat’s eye frames with little stars at

the corners. The numerous additional options available for my lenses, Crizal Alize - allowing me to drive at night without the hazards of glare, the option to have them darken in bright daylight, and many more, were reviewed. In less than a week I was back to pick-up my new glasses, proud that I had owned up to my visual failings and glad to have selected Berkshire Eye Center, whose doctors and staff allowed me to feel completely confident and satisfied with their care.

Father’s Day is the perfect time to thank Dad for driving to and from t-ball, coaching little league and helping with homework. Much like a Dad’s responsi-bilities are wide and varied, so, too, are his interests and personalities. Whereas a coffee mug or necktie used to be the “one size fits all” gift for Father’s Day, for those who want to show how much they truly appreciate Dad’s efforts over the last year, it’s best to let his personal-ity and interests dictate what’s the most appropriate gift.

For the Classic DadPsychologists say that smell is more

likely to trigger a memory than all of a person’s other senses combined. One might catch a whiff of smoke coming from a charcoal or gas grill and sud-denly be reminded of summer BBQ’s, while another may be reminded of wait-ing tables at a restaurant. Perfumes and colognes have the same effect. They often remind us of friends and family members.

For the Sporty DadMost Dads love sports, which can

mean baseball, football, basketball, etc. Since “sports” is such an ambiguous term, a host of gift ideas exist to put a smile on pop’s face. If Dad is a diehard baseball fan, consider tickets to a ball-

game, as the baseball season coincides with Father’s Day.

If Dad is more of an overall sports-man, consider a new fishing pole or taking him out for a backpacking trip. With so many sports to choose from, chances are those looking for a gift for their sporty Dad can find something that will fit the bill.

For the On-the-Go DadFor the Dad who is always travel-

ing for work, look for a gift that can make his travels a little more enjoyable. For example, if Dad is routinely racking up the frequent flyer miles, consider a handheld DVD player to add some entertainment value to those long and often boring flights.

If Dad is not much of a movie buff but loves his music, perhaps an MP3 player would be the ideal gift to make his trav-els a little less stressful. When it comes to Dads and business travel, they’re likely to welcome anything that can help them better cope with the negative side of being away from home.

A Father’s Day Gift to Remember

You would never dream of leaving your child outside in the summer sun for several hours without protection, so why would you leave your pet out there?

Sun protection is important - even for the furry members of our family. Many people don’t realize it, but veterinarians say pets suffer the same problems humans do, like overheat-ing, dehydration and even sunburn.

There are two key things you can do to pro-tect your pets from the heat, say officials with the Humane Society of the United States: Provide them with plenty of water and shade. Making sure Fido has enough water is easy, but the shade part can be tricky for those with sunny yards. However, now there’s an easy way to create shade in any yard.

Easy Gardener’s Sun Screen Fabric is a protective mesh covering that’s great to use for creating a UV protective tent or large covering over your pet’s outside areas. Creating a shaded area for your pets is easy with the fabric. In addition, once you install your Sun Screen Fabric, it will last a long time and it cleans easily with a garden hose. Even in wet condi-

tions, the cloth deters mildew because it is made with breathable fabric.

The attractive Sun Screen Fabric comes in a variety of colors: heavy black, smoke blue, saddle tan and heavy green. You also have a choice

of size. The six foot wide Sun Screen Fabric comes in

lengths from 20 feet to 100 feet.

The innovative, breathable fab-ric allows heat to

escape while cooling the shaded area and

reducing temperatures up to 15 degrees. As mentioned, installing the fabric is easy, even for those who aren’t “do-it-yourselfers.” Included with Sun Screen Fabric are project suggestions as well as a project ideas brochure. For further information call Easy Gardener at 1-800-327-9462 or visit www.easygar-dener.com.

Easy Gardener has several acces-sories that make installing the fabric a breeze: wood fasteners, snap grom-mets, locking clips and locking ties. All of the accessories will be located next to the Sun Screen Fabric at your local gardening store or chain retailer.

Protect Pets From Summer Sun


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2008 greater barrington - june

Documents

category of wine

good wine

sort of wine

wine snobs

colorcoded wine categories

color coded wine categories

grape finds university

worlds best wine values