During the nineteenth century, the Mid-Hudson River Valley was one of the top three centers of American horticulture and fruit breeding, especially for grapes. At its height in 1890, the region was home to more than 13,000 acres of vineyards.
If you’ve ever driven extensively around the Hudson Valley, chances are you hit a GPS dead zone en route to your destination, only to find yourself delighted to be wherever you ended up.
Growing Cabernet Franc is a promising prospect for Hudson Valley growers and winemakers, especially if you understand the conditions under which it grows best.
The verdant, hilly climes of the Hudson Valley are known and praised for many things. The beauty of its rolling, roiling namesake river; its famed mid-nineteenth century naturalist art movement; its acres of multi-generational fruit orchards and dairy farms; and, lately, as the celebrated place of culinary inspiration for chefs like Dan Barber and Zak Palaccio.
To the great majority of wine drinkers, the label is the key to the wine they are planning to purchase. A glance at the label on a bottle will reveal a great deal about viticultural origins, style, and most importantly, the sort of taste to expect.