Vines of the Times
Delicate grapes, through assiduous hands-on maintenance, the use of rigorous scientific analysis, plus the trademark Hudson Valley pioneer and cooperative spirit, are reaching their full flavor potential in the Hudson Valley.
From Farm to Glass: The Cultivation of New York Wines, Beers, and Spirits
Eating local produce and food is a powerful movement for the foodie community, and drinking alcohol beverages from craft producers is certainly not excluded from eating local. But what goes into crafting these local beers, wines, and spirits?
Toasting a Decade of Craft Innovations
Remember when going out to grab a drink meant a mass-market beverage trucked in from afar? So 2008. These days, it’s all about #drinkinglocal, and bars and restaurants not just carry, but feature, New York-made wine, beer, cider, and spirits.
Up and Coming: Ten Grape Varieties Take Root in the Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley is already noted for its wines produced from grapes such as Baco Noir, Seyval Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. Here are some new varieties that consumers should watch for.
Heirloom Varieties
In the second half of the nineteenth century, the Hudson Valley was a cradle of horticultural activity and learning.
Sparkling Wines
Most people reserve sparkling wines for special occasions. Even those who do not regularly drink wine will often sip sparkling wines at weddings, graduations or to celebrate a job promotion.
Tantalizing Traminette
Traminette is a white wine grape introduced relatively recently to the world of winemaking. Its cold-weather adaptability makes it easy to grow in the Hudson Valley, and it is rapidly gaining popularity among wine drinkers with an increasing number of Hudson Valley Traminette wines being produced today.
Crisp, Cool Cayuga White
The wines made from the Cayuga grape are neither nuanced nor sophisticated; they are big and forward with lots of competing fruit flavors.
Refreshing Riesling
The Hudson Valley’s beautiful river, shorelines, and mountains have led some to call the Valley, “America’s Rhineland.” Portions of the Valley have similar geological rock formations of shale, slate, and schist under well-drained clay soils that are similar to those found in the wine producing areas of the Rhine Valley.
Characterizing Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the noble grape variety that originally hails from Burgundy, France. It is believed by some to be an accidental or intentional hybrid that was propagated by local Burgundian growers, and is a cross of a Pinot Noir clone and the bulk wine/table grape known as Gouais.
Velvety Vignoles
ignoles, a white grape also known as Ravat 51, has become one of the mainstays of the Eastern North American wine industry. This adaptable grape can produce wines that are comparable to wines produced in the Rhine Valley in Germany.
Versatile Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc, also known as Vidal 256, is a versatile grape that can be made into a bone-dry, steely wine for fish, a barrel-aged wine reminiscent of a Fumé Blanc, or an ice wine that can rival the best dessert Rhine wines produced in Germany.