Hudson River Valley Wineries

This blog is dedicated to news, events, profiles and reviews of fine food and wine in the Hudson River Valley. We especially feature and spotlight the burgeoning wineries of the Hudson River Region. We accept and will relay information about releases, events, festivals and any toher happening related to food and wine in the Hudson River Valley. Send pertitnent information to hudsonriverwine@yahoo.com

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Location: Catskill, NY, United States

Carlo DeVito has traveled around the US, France, Spain, Chile, Canada, and Italy. He has been a publishing executive for more than 20 years. He shepherded the wine book program of Wine Spectator as well as worked with Kevin Zraly, Oz Clarke, Matt Kramer, Tom Stevenson, Evan Dawson, Greg Moore, Howard Goldberg, and many other wine writers. He has also published Salvatore Calabrese, Jim Meehan, Clay Risen, and Paul Knorr. He has also publisher such writers as Stephen Hawking, E. O Wilson, Philip Caputo, Gilbert King, James McPherson, Michael Lewis, David Margolick, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., John Edgar Wideman, Stanley Crouch, Dan Rather, Dee Brown, and Eleanor Clift. He is also the founder of Hudson-Chatham Winery, co-founder of the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail, and former president of the Hudson Valley Wine Country. His the author of more than 20 books including The New Single Malt Whiskey, Big Whiskey, and the forthcoming The Spirit of Rye. https://carlodevito.wordpress.com/

Monday, July 28, 2008

ANNOUNCING HUDSON VALLEY WINE MAGAZINE



Linda Pierro and Robert Bedford have published a new magazine dedicated solely to the Hudson Valley wine region. This new magazine is tremendous. It highlights selcted wineries, and contains articles by regional experts, and features pieces on the wine history of the Hudson Valley as well as the classic grapes of the valley.

“HUDSON VALLEY WINE is intended to introduce wine connoisseurs and novices alike to the world of first-class wines and wineries that exist in the historic Hudson Valley,” says Linda Pierro, managing editor of HUDSON VALLEY WINE magazine. “With today’s economy and more people traveling locally and buying local products, it’s a perfect time to discover New York State’s best kept secret – the vineyards and wineries of the Hudson River Valley.”

The full-color, over-sized, complimentary magazine will be published on a semi-annual basis, and will have distribution throughout the Hudson Valley region – which ranges from New York City to Albany – as well as other well-known tourist destinations including Saratoga and Cooperstown. The premier issue, Summer 2008, is now available at targeted locations, including upscale hotels, shops and restaurants, conference and visitor centers, Hudson Valley wineries and wine shops. The magazine is eco-friendly and printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper made with electricity generated by windpower, and manufactured in the Hudson Valley.

Each issue focuses on the wineries, highlighting the owners and winemakers, their winemaking practices, new releases and “The Essentials,” which features specifics on each winery, including hours, tastings, tour information, events and details such as acreage planted, number of cases produced, etc., as well as directions. Content for the premier issue also includes articles on the 300 year-old history of winemaking in the region, “Grapes of the Hudson Valley” and “Seedlings,” a column on what’s new to try, buy or do regarding local wines and products.

It's a big, oversized, colorful magazine, with great design and great photography. This is the magazine the Hudson Valley has been waiting for.

“HUDSON VALLEY WINE magazine is the first of its kind in the region,” continues Pierro. “It’s the ultimate resource guide for wine enthusiasts looking to explore the wineries of the Hudson Valley.”

“We felt a need for a magazine to attract people who enjoy wine to the Hudson Valley region – one that offers useful, reliable, authoritative, timely, and interesting information,” says Robert Bedford, the magazine’s publisher. “We’ve presented this material in a graphically appealing format that not only focuses on the wineries of the Hudson Valley, but offers an insider’s view to the people and the stories behind the wines. It’s an opportunity for people to learn about what makes Hudson Valley wines unlike wines from the other New York State regions.”

New York State is the third largest producer of grapes and wine in the United States, and the Hudson River Valley is the oldest wine-producing region in the nation, dating back to the seventeenth century. The region is noted by historians as “the birthplace of American viticulture” and a planting in 1827 at Croton Point is often cited as the nation’s earliest commercially successful vineyard.

The Hudson Valley is also home to both the nation’s oldest commercial winery – opened in 1839 as Blooming Grove and now Brotherhood Winery – and also to the oldest continuously-farmed vineyard, the estate of noted viticulturist Andrew Caywood, now Benmarl Winery.

And it's FREE!

You can find it at some of these locations: Restaurants, convention centers, hotels and other high-end locations throughout the Hudson Valley region, the Capital Region, Saratoga, Cooperstown and Connecticut, as well as Northern New Jersey and Brooklyn, NY. In addition, the magazines can be found at tourism and visitors centers, NYS Thruway tourist booths and local Chambers of Commerce, including

– Dutchess County Tourism office
– Greene Tourism
– Orange County Tourism
– New Paltz Chamber of Commerce
– Heart of Catskill Chamber of Commerce
– Wineries in Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Ulster and
Columbia and Rensselaer Counties
– Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall
– Cornell Cooperative Agroforestry Resource Center, Greene County
– Fox & Hound Wine & Spirits, New Paltz
– Hampton Inn, Fishkill
– Mexican Radio Restaurant, Hudson
– Partition Street Wine Shop, Saugerties
– First Niagara, Catskill
– Greene IDA
– Greene County Historical Society
– Hudson Wine Shop, Hudson
– Exclusive Wine Vacations, Poughkeepsie
– Century 21, Coxsackie
– Terrapin Restaurant, Hudson
– The Wine Cellar, Catskill
– Marshall & Sterling Insurance, Leeds
– Hood & Company, Catskill
– Mahalo Gifts, Catskill

The magazine is also distributed at local wine fests and wine tasting events such as the Hudson Valley Wine Fest, Columbia County Bounty, and the Heart of Catskill Association Second Saturday Stroll.

I cannot recommend this magazine highly enough! Tremendous. Fabulous. Valuable. Go find it.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

BOUNTY OF THE HUDSON 2008 GREAT SUCCESS



The Bounty of the Hudson got off to a great start yesterday, Saturday, July 26, at Benmarl Vineyards. The great wine and delicious food were everywhere yesterday. Everyone was having fun! Many of the personalities of the Hudson Valley Wine world were there.



Linda Pierro and her husband bob were there to promote their new Hudson Valley Wine magazine. Steve Osborn from Stoutridge Vineyards was there.



Debbie Gioquindo, the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess was there. Visit her page at
http://hvwinegoddess.blogspot.com/



And of course, there were hundreds of good folks there to taste the wines of the Hudson River Valley. Here they are behind the Rivendell banner, wating to get in.



Kristop Brown the winemaker at Benmarl with New Paltz Times reporter Carrie W. Ross.



Jason Grizzanti from Warwick Valley making it look easy before the crowds arrived. Don't let the cool demeanor fool you, he's one of the hardest working guys in the valley. And he just got back from his honeymoon in Spain, where he and his bride, while enjoying the sunny hills of Spain, visite several cidre works. Congrats to the honeymooners!



One of the truly remarkable women of the Valley, Pat Baldwin with her grandson at the fest.




Here's the general manager George from Cascade Mountain. He was just at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival last week. Another hardworking guy who left mid-fest to set up another event for the winery. Go George!



Another road warrior, David Pazdar of Pazdar Cellars, who worked the Finger Lakes Wine Festival was also there. Go, David, Go!



Doug Glorie of Glorie Vineyards was also there. He's a fixture at so many events. One of the real stalwarts of the valley.



Marc Stopke from Adair Adair Vineyards is another Valley stalwart, and a wonderful winemker to boot.

Other wineries were also ably represented:









Great job to the folks at Benmarl. And great job to everyone who participated! It was a lot of fun!

But Sunday is another day. Come on down. The big tents are up, and we're pouring wine and offering fabulous foods, rain or shine.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

BOUNTY OF THE HUDSON JULY 26 & 27, 2008



13th Annual
"Bounty of the Hudson"
Food & Wine Festival

Saturday and Sunday, July 26 & 27, 2008
Festival Hours are 12 Noon to 5PM each day
Tickets $25 in advance $35 at the door

~ 2008 Location - Benmarl Winery, Marlboro NY ~

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE HERE
Designated Driver Ticket Available Here
Metro North Transfers available from Poughkeepsie

Taste the wines from all ten wineries on the SWT as well as several others from around the Hudson Valley region. Enjoy tastes and dishes from area restaurants, epicurean delights, farm fresh produce, cooking workshops and Live Music!

NOTE: IF YOU ARE ARRIVING BY METRO NORTH TRAIN FROM NYC TO POUGHKEEPSIE: There will be a bus service between the Train Station and the Festival on the following schedule:
Will meet arriving trains at 12:37, 1:38 and 2:38
Will Depart Festival at 4 and 5PM to catch the 4:31 and 5:31 trains back to NYC
Bus Transfer Tickets are $10 and are available when you purchase your tickets on-line





2007 Bounty pictures


url:http://www.shawangunkwinetrail.com/swtevents.html

Pazdar and Cascade Shine at Finger Lakes Wine Festival

Both Pazdar and Cadscade wineries were at the 2008 Finger Lakes Wine Festival touting the banner for Hudson Valley wines up north at the state's single largest wine show of state made wines.



George from Cascade was there touting their two reds - Vintage Coueur De Lion (light bodied, beautifully colored red - Beaujolais style with soft, rounded berry flavors accented by peppery Cabernet Sauvignon - smooth) and Vintage Private Reserve Red (a full bodied, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon blend with full berry flavors and nice tannins)



David was also there from Pazdar, where he introduced a new wine, but also had favorites like Hot Sin, Naughty Virgin, and Dragon Fire! Congrats to David on the winery's Scovie Award, 2008 SCOVIE WINNER, this is the first time any winery has taken home this International Gourmet Food Award. Congrats!

Both booths were busy. Pazdar takes four tables, and Cascade held down a three-sided end anchor of a middle aisle row. Congrats to both!