New York Vines – A Quick Guide to NY’s Most Prominent Wine Regions

North Fork of L.I. – The North Fork of Long Island’s east end was primarily dedicated to potato farming as recently as the 1970’s. Over the last 35 years it has slowly evolved into one of the premier wine making regions of the U.S. and seemingly exploded onto the scene within the last 10.  While smaller than the Finger Lakes wine region, Long Island is home to approximately 4,000 planted acres and 60 vineyards.  This has helped catapult New York State into the 4^th largest wine producing state in the country. 

While many of the farms have retained some of the old charm, the wine making is a relatively new endeavor for some.  But that is not to say that many premier wines have sprung from this region in more recent years.

NOTABLE VARIETALS: cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, chenin blanc, dolcetto, gewurztraminer, lemberger, malbec, merlot, petit verdot, pinot blanc, pinot gris, pinot noir, riesling, sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, semillon, shiraz (syrah), tocai friulano, viognier

http://www.liwines.com/

Hudson Valley/Catskills Region – Heading north of the city, dotting the path of the Hudson River and the surrounding valley, sits one of America's most historic wine regions. A combination of the river's effect on the air that funnels down the valley has made this region a perfect home to more than 20 vineyards & wineries. This includes the storied Brotherhood Winery which is the oldest in the country.

For those in search of a short day trip from the city, a small group of wineries on the west side of the river have organized the Shawangunk Wine Trail named after the nearby New Paltz mountain range. Or on the east side, the Dutchess Wine Trail which resides predominantly in the county of the same name.

NOTABLE VARIETALS: seyval blanc , baco noir, chardonnay, cabernet franc.

http://www.hudsonvalleywinecountry.org/

Finger Lakes Region – Home to approximately 90 wineries, the Finger Lakes are home to the state’s largest wine producing region.  Broken into 4 trails aptly named after the larger lakes (Canadiagua, Seneca, Keuka, Cayuga), this region boasts over 9,100 acres of operating vineyards.

Small towns along the trails like Watkins Glen, Seneca Falls, Skaneateles offer ample opportunity to embrace some of the local culture with a plethora of options for shopping, dining, museums or more simply a lazy walk around town.

NOTABLE VARIETALS: chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir, cabernet franc, ice wine as well as several Frenc-American native varietals. 

http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/