New York Wines

Phone

585-394-3620

Website

newyorkwines.org

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Email

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About New York Wines

New York’s vineyards extend from the eastern tip of Long Island to the shores of Lake Erie in the northwestern reaches of the state. The state has nine American Viticultural Areas: the Finger Lakes, Long Island, Lake Erie, Niagara Escarpment, Hudson River Region, two AVAs within the Finger Lakes region (Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake), and two within the Long Island region (North Fork of Long Island and The Hamptons, Long Island). All told, there are 37,00 acres of vines planted in 58 counties; New York ranks third in wine production nationwide.

New York is one of the oldest—but also one of the newest—wine regions in the United States. The first vineyards were planted in the 19th century in the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes, where European settlers sought to replicate the landscapes—and the wines—of their native countries.

While many growers insisted that New York winters were too harsh for vitis vinifera vines, in the 1950’s, Dr. Konstantin Frank, a Ukrainian viticulturalist, and Charles Fournier, an expatriated French Champagne producer, successfully harvested the first vitis vinifera vines. Several other growers soon followed suit and, with the passing of the New York Farm Winery Act in 1976, which allows wineries to sell directly to the public, the New York wine industry experienced a renaissance. The creation of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in 1985 further accelerated the wine industry’s growth.

The number of wineries in New York has grown exponentially over the last ten years—as has the quality of the wines they produce. There are more than 400 wineries across the state, with more than 260 of them founded in the past 10 years. With a healthy dose of ingenuity and a collaborative winemaking culture, New York’s wineries tend to be family businesses with a small, focused production.

The diversity of soils in New York’s wine regions stems from the last glacial advance, which left gravel, clay, and shale in the Finger Lakes region and sandy soil on Long Island. The state’s climate is equally varied, while the lakes, rivers, and ocean play an integral role in moderating temperatures.

Important Grape Varieties

More akin to their Old World brethren, wines from New York are lower in alcohol than most domestic wines, making them more food-friendly. A high-acid backbone is the common thread of white wines from New York; balance is the modus operandi of New York reds.

The state’s flagship grapes are Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gewürtztraminer, Blaufränkisch (also called Lemberger), Merlot, and Chardonnay. There are also exciting examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, Gamay, Grüner Veltliner, Teroldego, Chenin Blanc, and Eastern European varieties like Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, and Serecsia. A number of producers also grow the three Champagne varieties to make méthode champenoise bubblies.

Best Vintages

Vintages of New York wines, especially wines from the Finger Lakes and Long Island, have been consistently good over the past ten years, but some exceptional vintages tell a story about a given year’s growing conditions:

2015: A vintage that echoed the temperatures experienced in 2014, wines from New York's most recent vintage are expressive and showing great promise at bottling.

2014: A particularly harsh, seemingly endless winter resulted in a smaller crop, but a long and sunny autumn resulted in high quality fruit. Winemakers are excited about wines from this vintage and some claim it’s the one of the best vintages in recent memory.

2013: Quality and quantity were both characteristics in this stunning vintage.

2012: A dry and warm growing season gave reds unprecedented concentration, while white varieties had ideal ripeness and acid. Wines from this vintage are showing beautifully and have potential to age for many years more.

2010: Another standout year due to a warm, dry, and particularly long season. Largely considered ones of the best vintages in the 21st century across the state.