Celebrating the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest 2023 participating wineries

After selling their previous business in 2005, Victoria and Dan Hogue decided to pursue their lifetime dream of a vineyard and winery. They considered several areas on the West Coast before deciding that the Niagara region of New York State was the best place to produce fine wines from the classic European wine grapes of Germany and northern France.

They found a 50-acre nursery and shrub farm that was available on the south shore of Lake Ontario and purchased it in 2005. The farm was covered with thousands of nursery plants, so Victoria and Dan went to work to dig up and sell them, freeing up space to plant the vineyards. They planted their first few acres in the spring of 2006, and finally in the fall of 2009 harvested their first substantial quantity of grapes.

They also started work in 2006 on a building to become their home and eventually the winery. Modeled on a French wine chateau, it remains a work in progress, but the house part of the building was finally ready for occupancy in the winter of 2008–2009, and Dan and Victoria moved out of the trailer they had been living in since 2006 into the new vineyard-themed home. Because they are doing as much of the work themselves as they can, it is a slow process, but progress continues to be made.

Since they had grapes to harvest and no winery, Victoria and Dan converted one of the old nursery buildings into a winery and tasting room, and opened for business in the winter of 2009/2010 with their first three wines.

Today the tasting room features a towering wood-burning stone fireplace and 100-plus-year-old oak woodwork, where you can enjoy a sampling of Victorianbourg’s more than 30 estate-grown fine wines. The regular tasting flight allows you to select any six of the available wines in any combination of dry to sweet red, white, or rosé that intrigues you. For something a little different, try pairing a selection of any four of the wines with chocolate truffles made by a Danish chocolatier that Gourmet magazine has ranked one of the top three in the world. If you’re hungry, select from cheeseboards, charcuterie boards, freshly baked hot bread sticks, or hot Bavarian-style pretzel bites.

When the weather permits, you might choose to experience the landscaped gardens that surround the tasting room on all sides. Whether you choose to enjoy your visit with one of the tasting selections, or by savoring a glass or a bottle of wine relaxing with some friends, your visit to Victorianbourg will be one of the highlights of your time in the Niagara region. Call (716) 751–6576 for more information. Victorianbourg Wine Estate is located at 4402 East Lake Road in Wilson, NY, on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Presented by WineRacks.com, The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival will take place on September 9th and September 10th at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, N.Y., which will be transformed into a foodie paradise featuring some of the best wines and culinary treats that the Hudson Valley and beyond have to offer.