DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. — What looks like a French chateau is actually the largest sugar house in the world, where tour guides share the unique mission of Crown Maple.
“We’re part of the foodie scene that has emerged in the mid-Hudson Valley,” says Compton Chase-Lansdale, CEO of the syrup making facility that looks like a Napa Valley vineyard. “The elegance has as it’s purpose a celebration of a very high quality maple, not what you find in a grocery store. We’re changing that.”
Thanks to a beautiful bottle, the organically-certified, pure syrup resembles a fine wine. Guests see the sap storage room, the cleaning equipment and a giant evaporator.
The tour concludes in the tasting room, where several grades of syrup — from light to amber to dark — can be sampled. There is even syrup aged in a bourbon barrel! The purpose? To show that maple syrup is more than a topping for pancakes. It’s actually used in a variety of dishes served in the cafe, such as a pulled pork sandwich, potato leek soup and chicken salad.
“It can be a very fine ingredient,” says Chase-Lansdale.
Crown Maple is located on the 800-acre Madava Farm, home to one of the most dense maple bushes in the Northeast, where visitors can hike trails, spy the syrup taps in the woods and even see a collection house with underground tubing to the main building.
“We can produce 10 to 20 barrels a day if we have the right conditions,” says Chase Lansdale.
While the season started late, it has been good and should last another week or so. But, folks can see the property all year long.
“We have a patio, a horse paddock, the car clubs have discovered us. People wanting to have weddings have discovered us,” explains Chase-Lansdale. “We want you to come and realize that maple can be excellent.”
Dover Plains, New York is only a 1.5 hour drive from Hartford. The 60-minute Culinary Maple Tour — which costs $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids — takes place on most Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Click here for more information.