Hudson Valley Attractions | ||
Ulster CountyWineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
|
All Bloomington Listings
Bloomington Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Cereghino Smith Winery | 845-334-8282 | |
Cereghino Smith is located at 2583 Route 32, Bloomington, NY 12411, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley. Cereghino Smith is a small winery with an Old World approach. Paula Cereghino and Fred Smith produce artisanal, handcrafted wines in the Hudson Valley, New York using California and New York grapes to create blends such as Rock 'n Roll Red and Eaten by Bears. Press blue button for more about making wine at Cereghino Smith. website and more . . . |
All Clintondale Listings
Clintondale Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Enlightenment Winery | ||
Enlightenment Wines is located in Clintondale, NY 12515, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley. Enlightenment wines is probably the smallest legal winery in NY State- a cult "nano" natural winery operating out a family farmstead in the Hudson Valley. website and more . . . |
All Gardiner Listings
Gardiner Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Whitecliff Vineyard | 845-255-4613 | |
Whitecliff Vineyard is located at 331 McKinstry Road, Gardiner, NY 12525 in the Hudson Valley. Whitecliff Vineyard sits on 70-acres opposite the Shawangunk Mountain chain located west of the Hudson River (near New Paltz) and 60 miles north of New York City. It is one of nine wineries of the famed Shawangunk Wine Trail and is following in the tradition of French Huguenot settlers who brought wine making to this scenic valley over three centuries ago. website and more . . . |
All Marlboro Listings
Marlboro Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Benmarl Winery | 845-236-4265 | |
Benmarl Winery is located at 156 Highland Ave, Marlboro, NY 12542 in Ulster County.
From Benmarl Winery: "Nestled in the lush green hills of Marlboro you will find Benmarl Winery. Overlooking the historic Hudson River Valley, it’s 37 acre estate lays claim to the oldest vineyard in America. The winery also holds New York Farm Winery license no.1. "Although our history runs deep, it is our tireless commitment to quality and consistency that has made us one of the premier wineries in the region. New York wines are making a name for themselves on the world stage and we are proud to be a leader in this movement. website and more . . . | ||
Glorie Farm Winery | 845-236-3265 | |
Glorie Farm Winery is located at 40 Mountain Road, Marlboro, NY 12542. Housed in a 1913 barn near the top of Mt. Zion Mountain, Glorie Farm Winery is one of the newest wineries in the Hudson River Valley Region. website and more . . . | ||
Kedem Winery - Kosher Wines | 845-236-4000 | |
Kedem Winery is located at 1519 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY 12542, Ulster County in the mid-Hudson Valley.
From Kedem Winery: "Kedem Winery sits on 35 acres of land nestled in New York's historic Hudson Valley. Kedem Winery's history started with producing sacramental wines from Concord grapes which grew in abundance in the area. Now, in addition to the sacramental wines that gave Kedem Winery its start, they produce some of the finest New York State wines ranging from well-known traditional viniferous varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir along with New York favorites like Chambourcin, Vidal, and Traminette. Additionally, a variety of venues on the grounds make it the perfect place to hold events of any size." website and more . . . | ||
Stoutridge Vineyards | 845-236-7620 | |
Stoutridge Vineyards is located at 10 Ann Kaley Lane, Marlboro, NY 12542. We are members of the Shawangunk Wine Trail and the Meet Me In Marlborough Farm Trail. The vineyards are half a mile from the Hudson River on the south-east facing slopes of a ridge of land on which grapevines and fruit trees have been continuously planted for 200 years. The Marlboro area has a rich history of fruit and wine production and during the 1800's was the principal supplier of fresh fruit for New York City. website and more . . . | ||
Weed Orchards & Winery | 845-236-2684 | |
Weed Orchards & Winery, making over a dozen wines, is located at 43 Mount Zion Road, Marlboro, NY 12542 in Ulster County.
From Weed Orchards: Weed Orchards & Winery is an exceptional place to visit. What started out as a traditional farm transformed into a 40-acre ‘Pick-Your-Own’ fruit farm open to the public. We have a vast selection of produce for you to pick during harvest season. We turned the unused apple storage building into a winery, lined the walls with knotty pine, built a brand new bar and created a warm and inviting Tasting Room. There you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon with friends and family. The outdoor seating area provides an excellent view of the mountain and rolling hills surrounding the farm. And in season, you can pick your own. website and more . . . |
All New Paltz Listings
New Paltz Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Adair Vineyards | 845-255-1377 | |
Adair Vineyards is located at 52 Allhusen Road, New Paltz, New York 12561, Ulster County in the historic Hudson Valley. The beauty of the land in the valley is legend. One needs only to recall the glorious paintings of the Hudson River School artistes to visualize the grandeur of this magnificent valley. We often compare a visit to Adair Vineyards to a step into one of those 19th century paintings. There are similarities. Asher Durand’s painting in 1840 The Solitary Oak appears on our wine label. And, we have a solitary oak standing at the head of our vineyard. In his painting are cows, horses, mountains, and a stream. Our winery is housed in a barn, over 200 years old, once occupied by cows and horses, and has a stream running by with the Shawangunk Mountains in the background. website and more . . . | ||
Robibero Winery | 845-255-8200 | |
Robibero Family Vineyards is located at 714 Albany Post Road, New Paltz, NY 12561. Press blue button for: website and more . . . |
All Pine Bush - Ulster County Listings
Pine Bush - Ulster County Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Baldwin Vineyards | 845-744-2226 | |
Baldwin Vineyards is located at 176 Hardenburgh Road, Pine Bush, New York 12566. Located 85 miles northwest of NYC in the Hudson River Valley Region.
Proprietors, Patricia and Jack Baldwin, planted the first Vineyard in 1982 and a second vineyard in 1983. By 1985, both were working full time to create a micro winery which offers a wide array of different styles of wine for the discerning palate. Dry, creamy Chardonnays, a Brut Methode Champenois and Merlot for dry wine lovers. Dessert wine lovers will revel in the Late Harvest Riesling, a Raspberry Wine and an internationally acclaimed Strawberry Wine. A total of 24 different wines await wine lovers. website and more . . . | ||
Brimstone Hill Vineyard | 845-744-2231 | |
Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery is located at 61 Brimstone Hill Road, Pine Bush, New York 12566 in the beautiful historic Hudson Valley Region. Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery grows and produces elegant country Hudson River region wines. Visitors have a choice of eight graceful wines to taste. website and more . . . |
All Ulster County Listings
Ulster County Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Local Wine Events and More | 610-647-4888 | |
A Wine Lover’s Event Resource
How many times have you found yourself looking for a really cool local wine event, wine education class, boutique wine shop or friendly wine club in your area? Or searched for wine events in destinations you plan on traveling to? After spending needless time searching inefficiently, you find very little or, worse, nothing more fun than visiting the local grocery store’s wine department. Or you could type www.LocalWineEvents.com into your browser and find it all at your fingertips. website and more . . . | ||
Shawangunk Wine Trail - Orange County | 845-255-2494 | |
The Shawangunk Wine Trail nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River in Ulster and Orange Counties, lies the eighty-mile-long Shawangunk Wine Trail, a group of fifteen diverse wineries, all striving to individually produce world class wines and collectively introduce them to locals and visitors alike in the Hudson River Region. Starting 60 miles north of New York City, the Shawangunk Wine Trail is accessible from the New York State Thruway at Exits 16, 17, and 18, and can be approached from south of I-84 at Warwick and Washingtonville and from north of I84 at Marlboro, Pine Bush, or New Paltz. Explore our website and plan your visit today! website and more . . . | ||
Shawangunk Wine Trail - Ulster County | 845-255-2494 | |
The Shawangunk Wine Trail nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River in Ulster and Orange Counties, lies the eighty-mile-long Shawangunk Wine Trail, a group of fifteen diverse wineries, all striving to individually produce world class wines and collectively introduce them to locals and visitors alike in the Hudson River Region. Starting 60 miles north of New York City, the Shawangunk Wine Trail is accessible from the New York State Thruway at Exits 16, 17, and 18, and can be approached from south of I-84 at Warwick and Washingtonville and from north of I84 at Marlboro, Pine Bush, or New Paltz. Explore our website and plan your visit today! website and more . . . | ||
Uncork New York - Wine Regions | 585-394-3620 | |
From Lake Erie to Long Island New York Wine Country spans the entire breadth of New York State. View "Uncork New York" and click on the many New York Wine Regions. View the list of wineries found in each wine region as well as have the opportunity to view a short video clip on the region, peruse a map locating the wineries and check out the calendar of events for this particular region. You’ll also learn about each region’s specialties and find some general statistics. website and more . . . |
All Ulster Park Listings
Ulster Park Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
El Paso Winery | 845-331-8642 | |
El Paso Winery is located on the westerly side of route 9W in the beautiful Hudson Valley Wine Region of New York State. Our winery tasting room is the barn of an original 125 year old farmstead. El Paso Winery gets its Spanish name from the original owner who emigrated from Uruguay, South America almost 30 years ago. His specialties were sweet wines, some of which we still produce today. website and more . . . |
More Hudson Valley Wineries | Wine Trails | Wine Tasting |
||
Albany County [4 listings over 3 locations]
Columbia County [7 listings over 5 locations]
Dutchess County [8 listings over 6 locations]
Greene County [3 listings over 2 locations]
Orange County [11 listings over 7 locations]
Putnam County [2 listings over 1 location]
Rensselaer County [5 listings over 4 locations]
Rockland County [2 listings over 1 location]
Saratoga County [4 listings over 3 locations]
Schenectady County [2 listings over 1 location]
Westchester County [5 listings over 4 locations]
|
Find a list of Wineries, Wine Trails, and places to go wine tasting in Ulster County. Also visit
Hudson Valley Wineries, Hudson Valley Wine Trails and Winery Tours. Visit the wine tasting rooms where you can taste award-winning wines. Learn about the history of wine making as you tour the wineries in the Hudson Valley. Find winery locations, tasting menus, wine tasting options, and more about the wineries in Ulster County and the Historic Hudson Valley.
Wine in ancient Greece was praised and immortalized by poets, historians and artists. Wine also played a role in the religion of Ancient Greece associated with the god Dionysus. Like the Egyptians, ordinary citizens did not consume wine. It was considered a privilege of the upper classes. During the time of the Roman Empire, the production of wine spread throughout Europe. At this time, wine became available to the common citizens. Some cities even built bars on almost every street in order to promote wine. Roman wine was said to be sweet rather than dry. Pure red or white wines were almost unthinkable in Ancient Rome. The Romans believed that flavoring was more important than the original taste of the wine. They added such flavors as fermented fish sauce, garlic and onion to their wines. The Dark Ages During the “Dark Ages”, wine production was mainly kept alive through the efforts of monasteries. As the Church extended their monasteries, they began to develop some of the finest vineyards in Europe. Although most wine production was done in monasteries, some religious believers diluted their wine with water in order to make it "safer" for them to drink. Since most of Europe lacked a reliable source of drinking water, wine was considered to be an important part of their everyday diet. During this time, people also begin to favor stronger, heavier wines. 14th and 15th Century England began importing wine from Germany when they lost Bordeaux to the French in the 14th century. Portugal also shipped wine to England, which helped keep the two countries on friendly terms. During Shakespeare's time, wine was very much a staple of the diet. Beer was a favored alternative, yet wine enjoyed more attention. It was during this time, when wine began to diversify and consumers began to value the concept of variety in their drinking. Citizens of Shakespeare's age clearly enjoyed drinking wine and began to discuss its virtues and pitfalls with greater enthusiasm than in the previous centuries. By the end of the 16th Century, for the first time, an abundant supply of fresh drinking water was available to London and so the wine industry was moved into a new age. 17th and 18th Century The wine industry saw a brief decline in the 17th century. Politics and religious propaganda did little to promote the drinking of wine for pleasure. Wine also had to face the rival of a clean and readily available supply of drinking water. Despite all of this, many new developments helped the wine industry keep its popularity. The invention of better glass making, the cork and other accessories, as well as better methods of production helped to promote wine in the 17th century. Wine went through several changes during the 18th century. England witnessed many of these due to its political relations with France. Because of the strained relations with France, the English were without a major source of wine and had to look elsewhere for their drink. They turned to Portugal, Holland, and South Africa for their wine. Despite their strained relations with the British, the French wine industry soared in the 18th century. Many people feel that this was when the wines of Bordeaux really began to flourish. The merchants who frequented the Bordeaux region came from Holland, Germany, Ireland and even Scandinavia. As a result, Bordeaux was able to successfully trade wine for coffee and other much sought after items from the New World, which helped cement the role of wine in the growing industry of world trade. 19th Century During the early 19th century, when the British were fighting the Napoleonic Wars, they were unable to get a steady supply of wine from France, and instead turned to Portugal. Port became the favored wine in England during this time. Champagne also gained favor in the 19th century. The French widow Nicole-Barbe Clicquot-Ponsardin is credited with making Champagne the celebrity wine of the world. She found easier ways to remove the sediment from Champagne and replaced it with wine, sugar, and brandy. She also organized the production of Champagne so that it could be done in an assembly line, making this beverage truly "modern." The wines of New World began challenging those of the Old World in the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was convinced that the lack of fine wines in America was driving his fellow citizens to drink too much hard liquor. This idea carried on after his death and influenced the way Americans viewed wine. Ohio was the first region in America to successfully grow grapes for wine. Its glory soon faded, however, and California soon took its place. Although the 19th century is considered to be the golden age of wines for the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions, it was not without tragedy. Around 1863 many of the French grapevines began to suffer from a mysterious disease. It was soon discovered that this disease was the caused by the Phylloxera aphid. Some French winemakers at this time, moved to the Rioja region in northern Spain, and taught the Spaniards to make wine from local Tempranillo grapes. Modern Times The last 90 years have seen a revolution in the wine industry. The scientific background of wine making has developed greatly, allowing for many things that were once impossible to be accomplished. An example of this would be refrigeration. Before the 1940s, wine was supplied to people according to their geographic location. After the development of refrigeration, it was easier for wineries to control the temperature of their fermentation process. This enabled high quality wines to be produced in hot climates. Machines that harvest grapes more quickly have allowed vineyards to become larger and more efficient. Grapes can also be harvested during day or night, allowing vineyards to control the temperature and climate when grapes are harvested. Modern wine makers can now achieve total control of every stage of wine making, from harvesting and crushing to bottling. Though recent advances in technology have benefited the wine industry, they have also led to the temptation to produce more wine at the expense of quality. Wine makers face the challenge of producing wine for a larger market without losing the character and individual flavor of their wines. More countries are producing more varieties of wine than ever before. Advances in technology will ensure that this trend will continue, with more countries producing more wine, and better wine. A well-cared-for vineyard will often outlive the person who planted it. Adequate soil preparation is very important. This preparation should begin at least a year before the vineyard is to be set out. It should be designed to subdue weeds, to improve the physical condition of the soil, and to add humus. This is easy to do before the vineyard is established but is difficult to do after the vines are in place. A soil sample should be taken to determine potassium, magnesium, soil pH and organic matter so that adjustments can be made before planting. The need for keeping a relatively high organic matter content in the soil cannot be overemphasized. A high humus content not only is essential for holding moisture, but it also improves the physical condition of the soil. Any experienced winemaker spends most of their time in the vineyard. Vineyards influence the final product of wine more so than winery manipulations and procedures can ever accomplish. Careful attention should be given to both climate and soil conditions before planting wine grapes. Particular varieties excel only in specific kinds of climate and soil conditions. Climate A regions climate greatly affects the types of varieties that are available for a wine producer. In selecting a grape cultivar, you must consider the number of growing degree days, the length of the growing season and the frequency of exposure to low temperatures. The time required to mature grape fruit varies with location and climate and is very dependent on the amount of heat experienced by the vine. The frequency of very cold weather will determine winter survival of the vines. Soil A gravelly or sandy loam soil is considered best for grapes, but they will do well on many soil types. The soil should have a fairly high water-holding capacity, not be waterlogged at any time during the year, have 3 to 5 feet of usable depth depending on texture, be of at least medium fertility and slightly acid. A soil too poor to grow other crops will not be satisfactory for a vineyard. The prospective grower should keep certain general characteristics of soils in mind in choosing a site. A sandy soil warms up rapidly and will mature a crop a few days earlier than will a clay soil but a sandy soil tends to be less fertile and to have a smaller water-holding capacity. A soil containing too much clay will also form a crust in hot weather that will adversely affect water infiltration. The water holding capacity of the soil strongly affects the final flavor of the wine. Propagation Grape vines are typically purchased from nurseries where they have already been grafted to prevent phylloxera infestation. New vines typically will not produce significant yields of fruit until the 3rd or 4th year. This is a very important point in terms of risk assessment and a business point of view. If the crop is lost via fire, flood, or some other natural disaster or accident, the winery would lose 3-5 years without any income. This makes the vineyard an extremely high-risk asset. Layout Several factors must be considered in deciding on the best planting distances for a vineyard. First, there should be enough space between rows to allow for convenient tractor cultivation and spraying; second, there should be enough space between plants in the row so that adjoining vines will not intermingle too much; and third, sufficient space should be allowed so that there will be little competition between the roots of adjoining plants for nutrients and water. General Winery Operations Harvest The vine cycle depends largely upon the regions climate. In California, the vine cycle begins around April 1st when new shoots elongate during April and May and the vine flowers around May 15th. Tiny berries begin to grow but remain green and hard until about July 15th. Veraison begins then and the berries begin to develop color and to soften. Fruit is usually harvested around September 15th. The harvest date is largely dependent upon the variety, the location, and the weather. Before wine is removed or harvested in the vineyard, the amount of sugar in the grape must be measured. The acidity level must also be measured before harvesting the grapes from the vine. Two common methods are titration (grams of tartaric acid per 100 mL of juice) and pH. Once the sugar is measured, the wine maker can estimate the alcohol concentration of the finished product. These methods have all been developed to aid the vineyard in giving the winery the best possible grape for the desired purpose. Crushing The grapes are crushed to make the juice accessible to the yeast. Crushed grapes are called the must. The must is made up of 80% juice, 16% skins (wine pigment), 4% seeds (tannins = wine flavor and aging characteristics). Therefore, controlling the amount of contact achieved between the juice, skins, and seeds is critical to the flavor, color, and overall final product of the wine. Additions Several additions may be made to the must before pressing it. SO2 is commonly added to inhibit oxidation and kill undesirable micro-organisims. However, if the winery chooses to put SO2 into their wine, US law requires the winery to write "contains sulfites" on the bottle label. Although in most cases the winery is aware of the amount of sugar in the grapes they are crushing, sometimes winemakers wish to add sugar to the must to either enhance flavor or raise the alcohol concentration. The act of adding sugar to the must after crushing is called chapitalization. Chapitalization is illegal in California and in southern Europe. Adjustments may also be made to the must’s acidity. Pressing Pressing is done to separate the skins, seeds, and any other non-juice must item from the juice. There are several different types of presses used in the winery industry. Some of the more popular ones are the screw, membrane/bladder, moving head, and basket presses. The basket press has a piston which pushes the fruit down in a cylinder. The moving head press is similar to the basket press except it presses horizontally as opposed vertically. Racking, Fermentation, and Aging Racking is the process of transferring juice or wine away from the settled lees. Titration and centrifugation are alternative means by which a winemaker could use instead of racking. Fermentation is typically initiated by adding 1 to 2 percent by volume of cultured yeast to the juice or must. Although there are many different kinds of fermenting vessels used throughout the global wine industry, in the United States, most modern wineries use stainless steel tanks. The fermentation process is regulated closely by managing the temperature of the vessel and yeast. This requires that refrigeration jackets or heat exchangers be installed on the fermenting vessel. The most common way wine was aged in the past, and the tradition persists to this day is via barrels. Barrel aging is typically used for red wines and adds vanilla, spicy, and sometimes smoky flavors to the wine. French Barrels French oak is the primary type of wine barrel used today staying in line with a strong European wine making tradition. French oak is the barrel of choice for chardonnay. France uses somewhat of an appellation system that designates the forest from where the wood was purchased to make the barrel (i.e. Limousine forest) and hence some wineries specify not only the country but also the specific forest location of the wood that used. Due to the long lasting reputation and high labor costs, French wine barrels run between $700 and $800 per barrel. American Barrels Although new to the world wine making industry, American oak wine barrels on a number of occasions have been proven to be capable of producing high quality wines and thus their usage is on the rise. American oak is the barrel of choice for Australian Shiraz because of the pleasing distinct flavors that complement that style of wine. American barrels are less expensive than the average French barrel ranging between $250 and $300 per barrel. The current trend is that as the price of wine barrels increase the usage of American oak barrels increases as well. Because American barrels have lower labor costs and are relatively new thus not having a long consistent history, they are substantially less expensive than French barrels. Combination Barrels Outside of the French barrels made by the French and American barrels made by the Americans, there are Americans who make barrels using imported French wood and French who make barrels using imported American wood. The prices vary slightly from the barrels described in the two sections above. The average useful life of both American and French barrels are roughly 5 years. However, innovations such as inner stay oak slates or carving away a few layers of wood inside the barrel can extend the life of a barrel up to 10 years. Furthermore, all barrels should be topped off roughly once a week to eliminate void air space. Blending, Fining, Filtration and Bottling Wine coming from different batches, varieties, vineyards, fruit maturities, and wine making treatments are sometimes blended by the winemaker in order to produce a more uniform final product. Fining Agents are used to take out undesirable particles, which tend to make the wine "hazy". By fining the wine, the wines clarity is greatly improved. This is critical to white, blush, and sparkling wines where clarity is very important to the average consumer. Wine is then filtered to further clarify and stabilize the wine. The last step before the wine leaves the winery is bottling. Most wines are aged in the bottles for a few months up to a few years depending on the wine and the winery. Source: For the complete article "The Art of Winemaking", see www.winecountryguide.com, 2006. |