Repairing a Trellis

Jonathan Hull owner/winemaker of Applewood Winery repairs his trellis in the vineyard.

Michael Migliore speaks about the Floatclear technology

Michael Migliore owner/winemaker of Whitecliff Vineyards speaks about the Floatclear technology he used when making his award winning Riesling.

Whitecliff 2009 Riesling Wins Best White Wine

Whitecliff Vineyard, one of the Hudson Valley’s premier small family wineries, just took home a Double Gold and the Best In Show - White Wine award at this weekend’s San Francisco International Wine Competition. This is the largest, most influential international wine competition in America, judged blind by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized wine experts. With almost 4,000 wines entered this year from all over the world, Best White is a significant honor for Whitecliff, and for Hudson Valley winemaking.

The honor went to Whitecliff’s 2009 Riesling. We are proud to note that as Best in Show it was chosen over a huge selection of well-known and highly respected wines, such as Chardonnays from Napa Valley and France, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, and Rieslings from Germany.

The Riesling was produced at Whitecliff from our own Hudson Valley Riesling grapes, combined with grapes from the Finger Lakes and Long Island, to balance the strengths offered by each of these different New York regions. The end result is a truly New York wine. And as many in the wine world know, New York is increasingly recognized as a world-class region for Riesling production.

This year marks the 30th year of the San Francisco International Wine Competition, making it one of the oldest in the nation. Further information is available at www.sfwinecomp.com.

As a small, artisanal winery, Whitecliff produces a total of about 3,000 cases of wine a year, with wines regularly selling out. Less than 200 cases of our award-winning Riesling were originally produced, and at this time we have a little over 100 cases still available for sale. It is medium dry, with 2% residual sugar, a ph of 3.0, and acidity of 8.25 g/l.

With 26 acres of vineyard, and its roots in a passion for farming, Whitecliff is one of the leading vineyard-based wineries in New York’s Hudson Valley. The winery is located at 331 McKinstry Road, in Gardiner, NY. It offers a line of primarily dry, European style wines, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to its award-winning Awosting White, and Gamay Noir. Our wines have been featured at many respected restaurants, including the Culinary Institute of America, the Gramercy Tavern, and Xaviers.

Fresh Fish in th Vineyard

Planning to stop in at Whitecliff this weekend for Fresh Fish In the Vineyard.

Whitecliff's winemaker is going fishing this week for trout, to cook up fish tacos for our May 16th and 17th tasting with our white wines.

Trout tastings will be offered from 11:30-5, both this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets, which include 6 wines, and 2 trout tacos with fresh salsa, are $14 in advance and $16 at the door.

We hope to see you this weekend!

Applewood Winery to host New York Riesling Experience

Applewood Winery located in Warwick, New York is launching the first New York Riesling Experience – A celebration of New York’s finest grape. The event will take place May 2 & 3, 2009 at the winery located on 82 Four Corners Road in Warwick, New York from 11pm to 5pm each day. Your visit to the New York Riesling Experience will feature Riesling tastings, Riesling food and wine pairings, Chef Demonstrations, Winemaker discussions, free recipes, comparative Riesling tastings and live entertainment. Admission to the event is $12 if purchased before April 30th or $15 at the door. Admission also includes admission to the Applewood tasting room with over a dozen different Applewood wines to taste.

Winemaker/Owner Jonathan Hull states that “Riesling is the grape of the 21st century. It is also a grape underdog. It’s not appreciated it and is the ultimate food wine. The grape has great flexibility, as it can be made, dry, semi dry, sweet, late harvest and ice wine. This grape grows very well in New York State and I want to bring awareness of the grape and the wonderful wines it produces to the wine consumer.”

About Riesling…Riesling vines are tough. They thrive in cold climates, on steep hillsides, and in marginal soil. The green-skinned grapes ripen later than many other varieties, and sometimes are left hanging on the vine to produce sweet late harvest wines or even ice wines when the grapes actually freeze on the vines. The aromas in the wine that the Riesling grape produces tend to be pear, apple, jasmine, lime, honey and some spice. The flavors range from bright, fresh citrus to ripe tropical fruit. The New York Riesling Experience, customer will have the option to taste the many different variety of wines the Riesling grape produces, as well as a variety of Riesling wines produced throughout the world.

Applewood Winery, is in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley! Come discover the oldest working farm in Orange County and one of the oldest west of the Hudson River. The Hull family and their friends began planting apple and peach trees in former pastures in 1949. In 1994 the winery was created and vineyards planted.

In our tasting room we talk food constantly, almost as much as we talk about our wines. It’s difficult to mention one without the other. Instead of “just talk” we offer a universe of wine experiences, food pairing weekends, tasting classes, a Summer Café and of course you can just hangout and enjoy the wine and listen to live music in the courtyard.

It gives all of us at Applewood Winery great pleasure to share with you our harvest of wine. Newcomers to the world of wine learn in a comfortable setting and the most jaded imbiber will find a rich and complex tasting experience. To purchase tickets to New York Riesling Experience visit Applewood Winery website or call 845-988-9292.

For your personal video invitation click here

Applewood Winery - No Oak Wine Tasting

Adair Vineyards Winter Happenings

Adair Vineyards will be closed until Pasta Primo Vino and will open April 18 for the event. You can visit Adair at the following Farmers Markets throughout the winter season.
• Albany - Empire State Plaze - Every Wednesday
• Hastings on Hudson - January 10; February 14; March 14 and April 11
• Mamaroneck - January 17; February 7, 21; March 21; April 8,18; May 2, 16
• Rosendale - February 1; April 5
• Westchester County Center (White Plains) February 8, March 15
Adair's first Vintage 2007 Cabernet Franc is available in limited quanities. Only 40 cases produced. On February 4th Adair will be releasing the following:
• 2008 Peche
• 2008 Landmark Red
• 2007 Oak Aged Vidal