New York’s Finest

The state’s best wineries gather at the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival

As you have no doubt read on this website and elsewhere, the 20th Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest is happening on September 11 and 12 at the beautiful Dutchess County Fairgrounds. Although there are many facets to this festival, including delicious food, beers, craft beverages, great music, artistry and other entertainments and products, the event’s primary focus and raison d’etre is the celebration of wine. So far for 2021, 31 New York-based wineries have been registered that will set up tasting and ordering booths at which you can order full bottles of whatever varieties capture your taste buds and imagination, for convenient pick-up at the end of the day.

Here, then, are the New York wineries attending for 2021 – a list that will certainly grow. Check back to see new additions

Adirondack Winery of Lake George, NY offers a wide range of wines to please every palate, from Rieslings and Chardonnays to Rosés and fruity dessert wines to lusty red Pinot Noirs, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons. Husband and wife team Mike and Sasha Pardy opened the doors to Adirondack Winery on Canada Street in Lake George in April of 2008 and quickly created an establishment that resonated with locals and tourists alike. People came to enjoy locally handcrafted and award-winning wines while taking in the beauty of Lake George and the Adirondacks.

Ashley Lynn Winery of Syracuse, NY is known for its fruity apple-based wines. Some of Ashley Lynn’s most popular wines include Raspberry Rush and Peachy Keen. The winery is also known for its award-winning wine slushies. Their Blackberry Sangria was voted best wine slushy at the New York State Fair.

Baldwin Vineyards of Pine Bush, NY, located 85 miles northwest of New York City in the beautiful Hudson River region, is a second-generation farm winery that specializes in award-winning fruit wines. Their Apple Wine recently was awarded a Double Gold medal and Best Fruit Wine in the 2019 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.

Benmarl Winery of Marlboro, NY, nestled on 37 acres in the lush green hills overlooking the historic Hudson River Valley, lays claim to be the oldest vineyard in America. The venerable winery also holds New York Farm Winery license number 1.

Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery of Washingtonville, NY, presents an extraordinary opportunity for visitors. The winery’s famous tour and tasting will take you underground into its cavernous cellars, where the history behind 180 years of winemaking at Brotherhood is shared. The Brotherhood Village offers seasonal events, dining at the new 1839 Restaurant & Bar, and the perfect destination for a wedding.

Castel Grisch Winery is located just outside the village of Watkins Glen, NY. It’s a beautiful stop off the beaten path just a few short miles from the greatest Finger Lakes attractions, such as Watkins Glen State Park and Watkins Glen International Racetrack. One of the first wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, Castel Grisch has been creating top quality wine for more than 25 years.

Cereghino Smith Winery of Bloomington, NY is a small winery, handcrafting wine with an Old World approach. Their vision and mission is to create artisanal wines and bi-coastal blends using grapes sourced from small growers in New York and California. Their grapes are all hand-sorted and vinified in New York’s Hudson Valley where Paula Cereghino and Fred Smith (bassist from the influential rock band Television) produce bold, full-bodied wines that are filtered only by time and gravity.

City Winery of Montgomery, NY is one of eight wineries in what is essentially a chain of venues that combine wine, food, and entertainment. The original City Winery was founded in New York City in 2008 by Michael Dorf to deliver a unique combined culinary and cultural experience to urban wine enthusiasts. Each City Winery offers intimate concerts, food and wine seminars, private event spaces, upscale dining, and a fully functioning winery. Besides the winery in Montgomery, the business has physical locations in New York, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia. There are also four other concepts run by the company: City Vineyard at Pier 26, City Winery at Rockefeller Center, City Winery Chicago at the Riverwalk, and City Winery Greenway in Boston.

Coyote Moon Vineyards of Clayton, NY is one of the most award-winning wineries in New York State. In addition to garnering more than 1,000 awards from wine competitions across the country, Coyote Moon was named New York State Winery of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

Crooked Lake Winery of Dundee, NY is nestled on the shores of Hammondsport on Keuka Lake. Family owned and run, the winery makes high-quality reds and whites from premium grapes. Open 11am-5pm, 7 days a week (closes end of October).

Ferriera Carpenter Estates Winery of Warwick, NY has a very strict artisanal process for making all of its wines, keeping each one clean, clear and natural. The winery’s goal is to provide the very best quality wine, selecting the finest grapes from the finest vineyards.

Fjord Vineyards of Marlboro, NY is fortunate to be influenced by the unique microclimate of the Hudson Highlands and the ancient fjord that is the Hudson River, which allow the growth of high-quality wines in the region. Founded in 2013 by Matthew Spaccarelli and Casey Erdmann, Fjord Vineyards strives to sustainably craft wines that reflect where they are grown. 

Freefall Sangria by Liquid Altitude of Walkill, NY started here in the Hudson Valley at a skydiving drop zone, serving fellow jumpers sangria at sunset. They concocted their drink to be bold, unique, and not-so-sweet. New York grapes infused with fruits and jacked with spirits make this sangria a step above the others. All natural. Unfiltered.

Fulkerson Winery of Dundee, NY used to be a simple farm, growing raspberries & grapes. The Fulkerson family has farmed the land since 1805, with the sixth and seventh generation running the farm and winery today. From those modest beginnings, the family acquired Jensen Juice and began to offer fresh grape juice to home winemakers in 1979. Before long, in 1989, the family’s passion grew into the vast Fulkerson Winery of today, which boast over 100 acres of grapes planted, and which offers more than 25 varieties of estate-grown wines.

Idol Ridge Winery of Lodi, NY, along with its partner business, Alder Creek Distillery, was opened in November 2013 by the Martin family on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. Sitting on a ridge just south of Lodi, the winery captures one of the most panoramic views of the lake. Idol Ridge is home to a line of wines using Vinifera grape varieties, along with some premium Cornell hybrids. 

Inspire Moore Winery & Vineyard of Naples, NY produces over 12 different wines, including Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and most recently its award-winning ‘Best of NY state’ Blaufrankisch. Their winemaking is focused on premium vineyard-driven Finger Lakes wines.

Lakeland Winery of Syracuse, NY is an urban winery with 15 years of experience making a large variety of delicious fruit-flavored wines, as well as familiar classic Vinifera wines such as Merlot, Pinot Grigio, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery specializes in creating memories with its “Wine-Making Parties.” Select from 15 different wines to make a personalized batch of 29-30 bottles.

Leidenfrost Vineyards of Hector, NY is a small, family-owned farm/winery found in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Located on the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake, this winery benefits from an ideal microclimate to grow premium Vinifera, Labrusca and hybrid wine grapes. Tasting room hours are 10am-5pm Mon-Sun (May thru Nov) and 10am-5pm Fri-Sun (Dec thru April).

Main Street Winery of Arcade, NY is Wyoming County’s first winery. They specialize in bringing their wine slushies to summer festivals.

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery of Millbrook, NY is located in the magnificent Hudson River Valley just 90 minutes from both Albany and New York City. Millbrook is considered one of the top wineries in not only the Hudson Valley but all of New York State. Its 130-acre estate is planted with over 35 acres of Chardonnay, Tocai Friulano, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc and produces over 15,000 cases of wine annually. Open daily throughout the year.

Merritt Estate Winery of Forestville NY, established in 1976, is family owned and operated. It has been making premium, award-winning table wines for over 40 years. The winery features year-round wine-tasting and winery tours, with wine festivals in June, August and September. A picnic pavilion is available for rent, and full catering is offered. Open from 10am to 6pm Monday thru Saturday and from noon until 6pm on Sunday.

Montezuma Winery of Seneca Falls, NY, along with its partner business, Hiddenmarsh Distillery, is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake. The Martin family started out as beekeepers, dabbled in mead-making, and began producing wine in 2001. The family then opened Hidden Marsh Distillery in 2007 and crafted Bee Vodka – the first ultra-premium vodka triple-distilled from New York State  honey. Today they produce an array of award-winning grape, fruit, and honey wines.

Otter Creek Winery of Philadelphia, NY opened in 2007, and produces over 15 different kinds of handcrafted wine. Open year-round (closed Christmas). Enjoy the beauty of the Thousand Islands with a trip to Otter Creek.

Pazdar Winery of Scotchtown, NY specializes in fun, excitement, and top quality wines to have for dinner or to bring to a party. As culinary wine masters, its winemakers specialize in creating new delights for your palate using the finest ingredients from around the world. These are carefully blended with some of New York’s premium fruit to create exceptional wines. No artificial flavors or colors are ever used. 

Thousand Islands Winery of Alexandria Bay, NY is the northernmost farm winery in New York State, located along the majestic Saint Lawrence River on a historic 28-acre farm in the heart of the Thousand Islands region. The farm was established in 1881 and the winery began its operations in 2002. From 2007 to present day, the winery has been awarded 175 medals for its products. 

Three Brothers Wineries & Estates of Geneva, is actually three wineries and one microbrewery all on one site. Guests may take a leisurely tour of the estate, enjoying the settings of each uniquely-themed tasting room. Come visit and experience this destination winery, complete with a fully operating cafe and coffeehouse.

Victorianbourg Wine Estate of Wilson, NY is nestled on the gentle slopes along the south shore of Lake Ontario. This fine winery labors to create world-class wines from classic European wine grapes. The combination of the lake and the unique airflows generated by the Niagara Escarpment bestow on Victorianbourg one of the best climates in the world to create fine wines. Tasting room open year-round. Check website for hours.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery of Warwick, NY has been producing unique wines, ciders and fruit brandies in the picturesque Hudson Valley since 1994. Also on the premises is the Black Dirt Distillery, which focuses on the production of whiskey and apple jack.

Weis Vineyards of Hammondsport, NY is the dream of winemaker Hans Peter Weis, who was born in Zell Mosel, Germany and grew up in the vineyards and cellar of his family winery. Once he was of age he furthered his education by receiving his degree in winemaking, business and agriculture. While traveling the world sampling different wine regions, he found his way to the Finger Lakes region of New York and spent 11 vintages in the Finger Lakes working as a winemaker and vineyard manager before deciding it was time to start his own winery. In the spring of 2016 he and his wife Ashlee, a native of the Finger Lakes, decided they would begin this adventure together and open up Weis Vineyards. The first harvest for Weis Vineyards was Fall of 2016, with the tasting room opening and the first vintage being released in the spring of 2017.  They utilize a beautiful one-room schoolhouse to provide personalized tasting to everyone who visits.

Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery of Gardiner, NY is a family-owned vineyard and winery, created from the ground up by owners Michale and Yancey Migliore, with winemaker Brad Martz. Whitecliff is a leading producer of fine, European-style wines. The winery has captured many gold medals, including best white wine in show at the 2010 San Francisco International wine competition.

Zugibe Vineyards  is located just outside of Geneva, NY on the northeastern shore of Seneca Lake. Specializing in estate-grown dry and semi-dry wines, Zugibe has received numerous accolades for their exceptional dry and semi-dry red and white wines, and even offers some varieties that aren’t typically found in NY state, like Sauvignon Blanc.

The 20th Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest is taking place at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12, 2021. For more information, or to contact the festival team or subscribe to the festival mailing list, go here.

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