New York’s Finger Lakes and Western regions are home to the oldest and largest grape-growing areas in the eastern United States. For more than 150 years, grapevines have thrived here, shaped by deep glacial lakes, rolling terrain, and the dedication of growers, bakers, and winemakers who pass their knowledge from one generation to the next. In this episode of America the Bountiful, Capri Cafaro visits communities that have built their lives around grapes, not only for wine and juice, but for storytelling, remembrance, and belonging.

Capri begins her journey in the village of Naples, nestled in the hills south of Canandaigua Lake. Naples is known for its signature crop: the Concord grape, a deep purple fruit with a strong fragrance, used in juice, jelly, and especially grape pie. The town’s relationship to this fruit is celebrated each fall at the Naples Grape Festival, an annual tradition that brings together bakers, artists, musicians, and local families.

At the festival, Capri meets Trish Lambiase, a Naples native and founder of the Grape Pie Queens, a group of women who bake and sell hundreds of grape pies each year. Capri meets Trish is president of the Naples Historical Society, and introduces Capri to the legacy of Irene Bouchard, the woman credited with popularizing grape pie in Naples. Capri learns how Concord grapes, first developed in Massachusetts and brought to New York in the 1800s, became central to the community’s identity.

She visits baker James Kolb, who demonstrates how to make traditional grape pie using hand-peeled Concord grapes, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Capri tastes the finished pie, packed with sweet, tangy, aromatic filling that’s as nostalgic as it is bold. James also offers her a sample of his Concord grape barbecue sauce, a savory take on the fruit’s rich flavor.

Recipe: Concord Grape Pie

This classic pie celebrates the deep, jammy flavor of fresh Concord grapes, a hallmark of New York’s Finger Lakes Region.

Ingredients

• 8 cups Concord grapes (about 2¼ pounds)
• ½ cup sugar (up to ¾ cup if grapes are tart)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 recipe double pie crust dough (top and bottom)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Squeeze grapes to separate skins and pulp. Simmer pulp until soft, then strain to remove seeds.
3. Combine strained pulp with skins, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Cool.
4. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one crust. Pour in filling, dot with butter, and top with second crust. Crimp edges and cut slits in the top.
5. Bake 50–55 minutes until golden and bubbling. Cool completely before serving.

Optional: Serve with vanilla ice cream for a perfect summer slice.

Among the festival booths, Capri finds a tasting station for Arbor Hill Grapery & Winery, a local winery known for crafting traditional Concord wines. She samples a glass and discusses how the deep, jammy flavor of Concord lends itself to sweet wine that’s distinctly tied to this region. The festival atmosphere, with grape-themed treats, crafts, and community pride on full display, reflects how a humble fruit has helped define a town’s sense of home.

The Concord grape itself is a uniquely American fruit. First cultivated in the 1840s by Ephraim Wales Bull in Massachusetts, the grape was brought to New York where it flourished in the lake-cooled climate. Its distinctive flavor evokes nostalgia and has become an enduring symbol of regional pride.

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery: Terroir and Transformation

Capri continues to Keuka Lake to visit Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, a family-run estate that helped revolutionize winemaking in the eastern United States. Fred Frank, the founder’s grandson, and his daughter Meaghan Frank, the fourth generation of leadership, walk Capri through the sloping vineyards and historic cellar.

Dr. Konstantin Frank immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1951 and brought with him a conviction that fine European-style vinifera grapes could grow in the Northeast, despite decades of skepticism. Using cold-hardy rootstocks and careful site selection, he proved it possible. The winery’s success helped launch the Finger Lakes as a serious wine region.

Meaghan shares how the winery continues to focus on research and education, developing varietals that thrive in the region’s unique microclimates. Capri tastes their award-winning Riesling and sparkling wines, each a reflection of the land and climate where they’re grown. For the Frank family, wine is both legacy and living experiment, sustained by deep roots and constant learning.

Flavors of Home at Levantine’s Syrian Café & Cuisine

In Rochester, New York, Capri visits Levantine’s Syrian Café & Cuisine, a small family-run restaurant that brings the deep culinary heritage of Damascus to a quiet corner of western New York. Owned and operated by Mohammad and Beth AlFayad, Levantine’s is rooted in family traditions, cultural pride, and a desire to create a welcoming table for all.

Mohammad, the head chef, grew up in Damascus cooking alongside his mother and sampling falafel across the city. After immigrating to the United States in 2012 and spending years in manufacturing, he followed his dream of opening a restaurant that would share the flavors of his childhood. Beth, who studied Middle Eastern languages and culture, met Mohammad while working abroad. Together, they dreamed of opening a place where their community could experience authentic Levantine food and where halal options were accessible in their own neighborhood.

Capri shares time with Mohammad and Beth and their extended family, tasting grape leaves known as yalenji, which are carefully rolled with rice and vegetables. Entesar, a close family member, shares how rolling yalenji has long been a communal act in Syria. Even now, across continents, she often calls family members on speaker phone while they all roll grape leaves together, staying connected through shared rituals and food.

Capri helps roll the leaves and learns how Yalenji carries stories of migration and resilience. The grapevine is not just a source of food but a bridge between places, people, and generations. In this kitchen, and in so many others, food is how home travels with you.

Recipe: Yalenji (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

This vegetarian version is adapted from the AlFayad family and served cold, with lemon and olive oil.

Ingredients

• 1 jar grape leaves in brine (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup short grain rice, rinsed
• 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, chopped
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix rice, tomatoes, onion, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Place a grape leaf smooth side down. Add 1 teaspoon of filling at the base, then roll tightly, folding in the sides as you go.
3. Layer stuffed leaves in a pot, seam side down. Weigh down with a plate.
4. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 45–60 minutes until rice is tender.
5. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate before serving. Serve with lemon wedges and extra olive oil.