Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page A6

Ienjoy a good glass of wine as much as anyone, but the first to admit Iknow very little about the subject. Iknow wines come in ed, white and and that I like my wine to be white, sweet and cold. But pretty much he extent of my wine connoisseur-ness. So when I heard that ia Girasole Wine Bar in Pittsford was hosting a Tasting class, Iknew it would be a good chance to get some culture. The class was led by ia resident ommelier, Maureen Bayer, who fell in love with wine and winemak- rs while she was studying in Florence in 2011.

After returning to the tates, she continued her wine education, became a certified sommelier in 2014, and now hopes to ake teaching about wine her career. Novice that I was, I was nervous as I settled into my seat in front of six empty wine glasses. Fortunately, a few of other classmates ere relative newbies, too. Debby Vinci of Penfield and her friend hristine Marello of Pittsford simply wanted to gain a little more wine- asting expertise. Learning the finer points of wine tasting akes drinking wine Debby said.

taking the ime to see if you can identify flavors rather than just taking a big gulp and saying love Maureen started by explaining be help- i ng us train our palates a nd noses to recognize scents and flavors, a process she called uctive wine be using the of wine tasting: wirl, sniff, sip, spit (or swallow), and savor. The first order of usiness was a puzzle. We were handed 12 small vials filled with aromatic liquids. After sniffing ach one, we were challenged to accurately identify each aroma. hankfully, Maureen had provided us a list of cents to choose from, but the task was still very difficult.

hings get much easier after that. Together, we sampled hree whites and three reds, Maureen patiently helping us analyze each i turn, using our nascent swirling, sniffing and sipping skills. he showed us how different people can etect different tastes and aromas in the same wine. She nudged us to ig deeper into our senses. smell apple, but what KIND of a the end of the class, I could swirl like a pro, and knew what a legs tell you about its sugar content.

Ilearned how to properly sniff the wine (little and sip it (not like rinsing with mouthwash). ut while everyone lse was getting pretty good at identifying hints of rosemary, licorice and iolet in their Pinot Noir, Ihad a hard time distinguishing such subtle uances. Perhaps I should take Via Wine 101class later his month for more practice. I the meantime, thanks to expert guidance, I now ave a better appreciation of wine. To quote fellow student Christine arello, become more of a wine ell, at least I can fake it a whole lot better now.

Visit the Our Towns East Extra Facebook page for more eastside ews, and email Missy at dandceastextra with news tips and story ideas. Class teaches the finer points of wine PROVIDED Maureen Bayer with Via owner Nicole Casciani cLean and staff member Susan Matuck. Missy osenberry EAST EXTRA MISSY ROSENBERRY Christine Marello of Pittsford and Debby Vinci of Penfield practice their tasting skills on a Merlot from California. If you go Maureen next lass, Wine 101, is 6:30 p.m. Sept.

28. Students will sample eight wines rom various regions, and discover how environmental factors, weather a nd winemakers can affect wines. Cost is $35 per person. Registration is imited to 20 people. Call (585) 641-0340 for info.

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9-3 647-1985 $('' Shane Camman, 36, never imagined himself a farmer. Eight years ago, the Brockport native was living in Indianapolis with his high school sweetheart Heather Camman, who graduated with a degree in business from Clemson and was working in sales. Our careers were going recalled Shane, who graduated from Indiana University with a degree in business and was in medical sales for orthopedic surgery products. had a house in the city and loved Soon after, though, they started a family and decided to move back home to Brockport to be closer to their families. Heather, 35, stayed home as their family grew and Shane stayed in medical sales transitioning to neurosurgery, which required long hours in emergency rooms all over the northeast and eastern Canada.

traveled all the time and was never Shane said. spent a lot of time sitting in airports, rental cars and otel rooms by myself, not seeing my wife and ids. They were really igh-stress digestive health began to suffer from constant stress, travel and not eating healthfully he needed daily reflux medication at the maximum strength. Around the same time their oldest daughter began having stomach issues, too. started educating ourselves on organic Heather said.

realized how hard it was to even buy truly organic foods, so we started a little That little garden gradually grew to a little farm and a new way of life for the Camman family. Four years ago, the family started a farmette located on about 50 acres in Clarkson. The land and house was where Heather was raised, but it was not a working farm when she was growing up. are not traditional Shane said. of us grew up with farms or Camman Acres began with 12 hens, three goats and a lot of education for hane and Heather via YouTube farming videos, books and networking with other farmers.

were Shane readily admits. Yet, they were also naturals. The farmette took off. In March 2014, Shane from the medical sales world and dug into Camman Acres full time. The farm now has between 400 and 500 meat-and-egg birds during the summer months.

I also has a solid philosophy and mission: to only produce pasture- raised, organic meat that comes from animals that were fed fresh pasture grass and non-GMO grains. The farm is also self-sustainable, using the rotational mob grazing method instead of pesticides. birds live and sleep in fresh grass everyday, keeping them healthy and clean from start to Shane said. use no hor- ones and no antibiotics of any So far, their meat and eggs are available at the Brockport Farmers Market (where they typically sell out each Sunday) and for delivery or pickup at the farm by ordering ahead or joining their CSA. They have also had successful trial runs providing the chicken and organic greens for local restaurants, including Burrito Fresco in Brockport.

Recently, Shane and Heather hosted a ticketed chicken barbecue that drew about 200 diners. With the chicken and ggs taking off, Shane plans to add beef to their fferings, as well as pigs a nd turkeys at some oint. They also want to do more events at the farm, especially events centered on learning. really want to educate Shane said. is amazing how little people know about their food and in Since Shane has gone full-time farmer and the diet has shifted primarily to organic, his and his stomach issues have disappeared.

Their family has increased both in size (they now have four children) and happiness. have not a single said Shane, about leaving the white- collar world for farming. is a great For more information on Camman Acres, located at 9593 Ridge Road in Clarkson or visit cammanacres.com. Contact Caurie Put- am at rad.rochester.edu with news from west-side towns. On Twitter as Couple thrives on Clarkson organic farm COURTNEY R.

WEBSTER The Camman family, of Clarkson, owns and operates an organic farm on Ridge Road specializing in pasture-raised chickens. Caurie Putnam WEST EXTRA OurTowns Community news from the suburbs..