Things to do / Travel Guide
The Hudson Valley's experience in the world of wine dates back to the French Huguenot settlers over 300 years ago. Today, the valley is home to dozens of wineries, some of which are internationally-acclaimed. Also, due to the proximity to the Finger Lakes, many wineries actually bring in some or all of their grapes from that region. Nevertheless, there are a good deal of vineyards within the region, and for all these and the wineries, in some quarters the Valley has even begun receiving the accolade “Napa of the East.” You won't find all the pretension known in the West, as most of these are mop-and-pop affairs.
While the Hudson Valley in days long past used to be an agricultural center, it has lost this status to other regions in the U.S., and other countries in the world. China now is a leading exporter of apple cider, a product the Hudson Valley used to be known for. A lucrative innovation has been to convert old farmland to winemaking, as each acre can produce more fruit and reap higher profit. Thus the region has begun seriously investing in winemaking.
The esteemed wines of the Hudson Valley include an array of whites, reds, sparkling, European blends, and wines made from fruit other than grapes. The Valley's wine connoisseurs welcome you to enjoy a visit to some of the oldest wineries in the country (including the very oldest), a day trip on a wine trail, and tastes of the critically-acclaimed local wines.
Before we get started on the wineries, a mention goes to the Bear Café, located State Road 212 near Woodstock. It has been recognized five years in a row by the magazine “Wine Spectator” “for having one of the most outstanding restaurants wine list in the world,” selling wines from all the world's premier wine regions.
Hudson Valley Wineries
The Millbrook Vineyards and Winery boasts award-winning wines, 130 acres of land, and a wider selection of European grapes than any other winery in New York State. Acclaimed by both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, half of the winery's product is Chardonnays, and a third of the rest are Pinot Noir. The Chardonnays boast bright aromas of various fruits, depending on the type, with a silky finish; the Pinot Noir greets you with earthy aromas, and tastes of rhubarb, cherry, and raspberry. Both wine types are aged in American and French oak barrels.
At Millbrook, there are guided tours and wine tastings every afternoon of the year except holidays. From Poughkeepsie, take U.S. Highway 44 northwest, and it's located slightly past the Taconic Parkway on State Road 82.
The Brotherhood Winery dates back to 1839 and is the oldest winery in the United States. The buildings are mostly the winery's original buildings; the vast and cavernous cellars are almost as old, and the cellar conglomerate is in fact the largest in the country. The winery, as a whole, is a National Historic Landmark, so a visit yields a historic as well as a sensual experience. There are guided wine tasting tours every day of the week, from April-December, and on the weekends during the rest of the year. The winery is located in Washingtonville, east on State Road 94 from I-87.
As for the wines themselves, Brotherhood Winery's stock includes everything from sweet to dry wines, and from dessert to table wines. Try their Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style varietal, barrel-aged, naturally, with complex aromas and flavors of dark berries, mint, and earth. You can also opt for their Chardonnay, which brings forth a slight hint of oak, and is medium-bodied and well-balanced.
Another old winery is Kedem Winery, one of the wineries owned by Royal Wine Corporation in the U.S. Made at this winery is the premier American Kosher wine, produced since the 1950s. Recently, its Castel White was featured in Wine Spectator, which describes the wine as emitting flavors of mineral, custard, and vanilla pastry. Tours of the winery are available, but you should call beforehand. The site is in Marlborough, equidistant from Newburgh and Poughkeepsie.
Adair Vineyards is another noteworthy vineyard, and it uses only locally-grown grapes. This new-ish winery's draw is its venture to give itself to tradition and the environment, and as such it is aesthetically situated in a barn over 200 years old. Furthermore, the wines it tends are not the usual fare: white wines are from Seyval Blanc and Vignoles grapes, while the reds are of the Foch and Millot hybrid varieties.
From June-October, Adair Vineyards is open for tastings and tours from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; in May it's open only on weekends, and during the rest of the year the winery is closed to visitors. The winery is located on Allhusen Road, six miles south of New Paltz.
Hudson Valley Wine Trails
The Hudson Valley boasts two wine trails, where the idea is to go from winery to winery in the course of an afternoon, day, or a few days, tasting the wines as you go and learning about wine production and the different varieties produced. The Dutchess Wine Trail on the east side of the Hudson River, and the Shawangunk Wine Trail on the west side; the wineries are mostly along the river.
Take the Dutchess Wine Trail up Taconic State Parkway to Alison Wines and Vineyards, Clinton Vineyards, and Millbrook Vineyards and Winery. Each winery is not too far from the next, and some of the wines featured are gold medal winners.
The longer of the two, the Shawagunk Wine Trail passes by 11 wineries up and down I-87: Adair Vineyards, Applewood Winery, Baldwin Vineyards, Benmark Vineyards, Brimstone Hill Vineyard, Brotherhood Winery, Glory Farm Winery, Rivendell Winery, Stoutridge Winery, Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery, and Whitecliff Vineyards.
Wineries in Woodstock, Cooperstown, New Paltz, Catskills and Hudson Valley
Wineries
Millbrook Vineyards and Winery
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