Apr 9
Cornell Cinema Ithaca, NY
TicketsRia D’Aversa
Lecturer in Viticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University; Owner, Ria’s Wines
andCheryl Stanley
Senior Lecturer in Food and Beverage Management, The Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University
A Good Year— Exploring Terroir in the Finger Lakes Region and Beyond
Program Description
Like Provence, the Finger Lakes Region of New York — home to Cornell University — is an important wine-producing region best known for Riesling, a white grape variety that grows well in cooler climates. Why do some grapes grow better here than others? Why are certain places better for producing certain types of wine? What factors impact the taste of wine?
cRia D'Aversa, Lecturer in Viticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science and owner of Ria’s Wines on Seneca Lake, and Cheryl Stanley, Senior Lecturer in Food and Beverage management at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, will offer an introduction to viticulture through the lens of A Good Year. They will begin by exploring questions of terroir, including how a particular region’s climate, soil, and terrain may affect the taste of wine. Next, they will offer a crash course in wine-tasting, using the film to illustrate what to do — and what not to do — to understand and appreciate each bottle’s unique terroir.
Film Synopsis
A British investment broker inherits his uncle's chateau and vineyard in Provence.
Ruthless London banker Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) inherits his late uncle's (Albert Finney) Provençal vineyard, La Siroque, where he spent many happy childhood holidays. Initially planning to sell the estate, Max's life is transformed by fond memories, a charming local woman, Fanny Chenal (Marion Cotillard), and a surprise cousin claiming ownership.
Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox
About the Speaker
Ria D’Aversa is a Lecturer in Viticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science and owner of Ria’s Wines on Seneca Lake. She finished her undergraduate degree in Botany and began her career working with plants at the New York Botanical Garden. While there, the 2008 economic crisis nudged her to take a sabbatical during which she traveled to Tuscany to work her first grape harvest. In her travels, many encouraged her to continue working with vineyards by applying to graduate school at UC Davis. She received a Master of Science from UC Davis, focusing on viticulture and soil systems. Since then, she has worked at Broc Cellars in Berkeley, Tenuta Tignanello in Chianti, Treasury Wine Estates in Sonoma, McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, Constellation Brands in Napa and at Hermann J. Wiemer in the Finger Lakes. Organic, deliberate farming is pivotal to her grape growing, and she continues her love for thoughtful, fresh wines through her own wine brand here in the Finger Lakes.
Cheryl Stanley is a senior lecturer in food and beverage management at The Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University. Being involved with food since the age of 10 with her own chocolate business, “Cheryl’s Chocolates”, she loves the food and beverage industry. She received her Master of Science degree from Texas Tech’s College of Human Sciences in Hospitality and Retail Management and her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Upon graduation, she continued this enthusiasm for beverages and food service in both hotel and restaurant operations in California where she worked for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and independent restaurants, as well as a wine retail store. Continuing her entrepreneurial journey, Ms. Stanley started her own restaurant consulting company specializing in beverage menu development, service standards, and employee training. Along with consulting, she taught as an adjunct instructor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then joined the Food and Beverage Operations area full-time back at her Alma Mater, Cornell. She teaches courses on specific elements within the field of food and beverage operations, including Introduction to Wines and Beverage Management. Ms. Stanley combines theoretical education with practical application. Certified through multiple wine and beverage organizations, Ms. Stanley has conducted research on beverage costing in hotels, bars, and restaurants as well as hospitality education. She is the faculty advisor for Cornell Cuvée, the blind wine-tasting competition team, which has won first place at multiple international wine competitions. In 2017, Ms. Stanley was selected as one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 40 under 40 Tastemakers.