A Magazine Celebrating the Region’s Wine and Craft Beverages
WINE | SPIRITS | BEER | CIDER | MEAD
Demarest Hill Winery & Distillery
Established 1998
845.986.4723
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Demarest Hill Winery is the largest winery in Warwick, NY, stocking 40 varieties of wine, ports, and ciders. They also make their own vinegars — which include Balsamico, Bombita Red, Apple Cider, and Apple Balsamico — as well as a Chocolate Grappa spread to use on whatever you fancy. There’s also an impressive array of spirits on hand, including five different varieties of grappa, their award-winning gin, brandies, vodkas, rum, schnapps, and more.
The winery, located upon a beautiful hilltop, is home to the owner, Francesco Ciummo and his wife, Orietta, which they built together from the ground up. The estate exhibits a gorgeous view of the valley, perfect for picnic lunches in the summer or a relaxing weekend getaway.
Savor This
Relax under the pavilion, picnic on the vast lawns, or simply enjoy the beauty of Francesco’s topiaries. This is the perfect time to sample Demarest’s fruit wines. All of these dessert wines are derived from 100% pure as labeled, locally-grown, and organic fruit.
Demarest Hill entered the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in 2012 for the first time, and the winery received a silver medal for Cherry Brandy, along with three other bronze medals. Since then, Demarest Hill Winery has won a bronze medal from The Big E in Connecticut for their Peach Wine, a silver medal for the Porto Fino Ice Wine, and two silver medals for their Grappa and Grape Vodka from the East Meets West International Wine Competition.
Their Warwick Black Pearl is a dry red wine which won awards at the New York State Fair. Incredibly rich and full-bodied, it remains the best seller at the winery. In addition to the different varieties of wine that one would expect to find, Demarest Hill makes fruit wines, non-alcoholic wines, ice wine, Vin Santo, sangria, and even Dandelion Wine.
What started out as merely a passion of the owner is now a fruitful business, growing each year as the Master Vintner invents new creations. Demarest Hill Winery brings a taste of Southern Italy to the Hudson Valley Region.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Bronze, Silver and Double Gold!
Francesco Ciummo, at age 84, has topped the wine and distillery charts! This year three of his products were entered into the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition . . . and each came out a winner! Dream Cider, a delicious apple base blended with brandy brought home a Bronze Medal in the Hard Cider category. Cocolita Brandy—the ideal dessert brandy—made with Demarest’s own special blend of chocolate and coffee, garnered a Silver Medal. The top winner was Dry Fig Grappa—Demarest’s smoothest Grappa blended with another fine Italian favorite—dry figs, becoming their first Double Gold winner!
These special winners, and so many more, are available in the tasting room for all to enjoy!
DIRECTIONS
Hours
OPEN YEAR ROUND
Daily: 11am–6pm
CLOSED
New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day
Staff Picks
WHITE
- Chardonnay Supreme
- Pino Grigio
- Aurora
- Riesling
FRUIT
- Peach Wine
- Dandelion Wine
- Apple Wine Spicy
RED
- Warwick Black Pearl
- Warwick Red Deer
- Evening Red
- Red Classico
- Pinot Noir
SPIRITS
- F.O.C. Liquore
- Tropical Liquore
- Special Reserve
- Triple Tree Plus Brandy
- Strawberry Brandy
- Grappa Crystallina
- Raisin Grappa
MEET THE WINEMAKER
Francesco Ciummo
Francesco Ciummo was born in the little town of Molise, Italy, where he worked on the family farm and vineyard. In 1955, at age 20, he left his family and worked in Belgium in a coal mine and then in Venezuela learning the auto body trade. In 1961, at age 26, he came to the U.S. and found work in an auto body shop. After several years, he bought his own shop in Bergenfield, NJ, and worked there until he retired at age 53. In 1980, he bought 135 acres in Warwick, NY, and with his wife Orietta, built their house.
Ten years later, bored of retirement, he started to clear the land, and planted the vines. After making wine just for his family, he opened the winery to the public in 1998. Then, in 2006, he purchased distillation equipment from Germany to make his own spirits. Francesco now creates all of Demarest Hill’s wines, spirits, brandies, and liquores.