Arrive Magazine - September/October, 2007

Small East Coast vintners in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York depend on tourists for retail sales, which has prompted many properties such as Folly HIlls to open B&Bs for guests.

dry reds, including a delicious 2003 vintage syrah with hints of mango and plum, and refreshing whites, including a citrus-laced 2004 chardonnay.

NEW YORK: A COOLER TASTE

New York is the second-largest wine producer in the country, so it’s no surprise the wine industry is among the fastest growing segments of the Empire State’s agriculture sector. The Hudson River region and Long Island both have scenic wine trails that take visitors along the water’s edge and through bucolic stretches of green.

“The industry on Long Island started with one vineyard in 1973,” says Steven Bate, executive director of Long Island Wine Council. Today, an estimated 44 small producers are concentrated on the island’s north and south forks—where the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean moderate the temperature, making it ideal for growing traditional wine grapes.

“We produce many of the same grapes associated with Napa, but our style is different due to cooler temperatures,” Bate notes. “Our grapes are lower in alcohol and more balanced in structure, so they’re easier to pair with a variety of foods.”

The Hudson River region just north of New York City is the site of the nation’s first commercial winery. Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville opened in 1837, but it is now joined by more than 20 other wineries. The Palisades usher maritime breezes through the region—protecting vineyards from pests and humidity. The area’s hearty French-American hybrid grape varieties, such as seyval blanc and baco noir, are of particular note to wine connoisseurs. But local vintners also have cultivated techniques to grow more delicate European grape varieties, including chardonnay and cabernet franc.

These wines, along with those produced throughout the northeastern United States, are gaining a national reputation. “There’s no question wine quality has improved tremendously in the Northeast,” wine writer Schildknecht says. “Small wineries are pushing the envelope and setting high standards—they don’t perceive the region as an impediment.”