THE UPSTATE VERSION OF NAPA
The Hudson Valley has never needed to be the newest wine region in the country. In fact, it has a much better claim to make: it’s the oldest.
Legend has it that French Huguenot settlers planted grapevines in New Paltz in 1677, planting roots for a winemaking tradition that would expand across the valley for centuries. That was more that 100 years before California’s first vineyard and long before the West Coast became known for American wine.
Today, New York ranks third in grape production nationwide, trailing behind California and Washington. But here in the Hudson Valley, the story stretches of how we got to this point is unique in of itself, dating all the way back to some of the country’s earliest vineyards. So, when you raise a glass beneath the skies of Ulster County, cheers to the history behind the pour.
SO, WHY ULSTER COUNTY?
Deep down, the same landscape that makes Ulster County such a picture-perfect escape plays a role in what can and can’t be grown in the Hudson Valley.
The region sits at a similar latitude to famous wine regions in southern France and central Italy, and its proximity to the Hudson River helps moderate the surrounding climate. But latitude only tells part of the story. The Hudson Valley is cooler, more humid and receives more rainfall than those European wine regions, creating a different set of growing conditions.
That means local winemakers have learned to work with the landscape, not against it. A way to do this is by growing hybrid varieties of traditional European grapes, as they can be particularly resilient in the region’s colder climate. Traminette is one example, with Ulster County wineries like Robibero Winery and Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery growing the grape and crafting bottles of floral and spice flavored wine from it.
Cabernet Franc is another Hudson Valley favorite, and there’s no better place to try a sip then at Benmarl Winery – the oldest vineyard in America, holder of New York Farm Winery License No. 1, and home to one of the region’s standout Cabernet Francs since 2006.
CENTURIES OLD. STILL EVOLVING.
More than 300 years of history doesn’t mean Hudson Valley winemakers are doing things the same way past generations did. They’re attending conferences, learning from producers around the world, and experimenting with different grapes, technologies and techniques to keep moving the craft forward.
That evolution looks different from winery to winery. Stoutridge Distillery and Winery uses a gravity-flow winemaking system, while Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery built a geothermal facility and expanded its production space. Some of Ulster County’s standout wineries includes Robibero Winery, Rock Quartz Vineyard and Maganini Winery, and they each take their own approaches from growing the grapes to crafting each standout bottle of wine they serve.
Together, these wineries are all part of a growing local wine scene that balances Hudson Valley conditions with new ideas and old-world influence.
From the first vines planted in 1677 to the wineries of today crafting award-winning bottles, the Hudson Valley’s wine story is still being written. Book yourself a long weekend in Ulster County to taste and experience a few chapters for yourself.
