We have visited and toured quite a few wineries. There are a couple close to
home for us that we enjoy very much.
Also, while we were visiting the Hudson River Valley area of
New York, we followed the Dutchess County Wine Trail and the
Shawangunk Wine Trail
to many wonderful wineries.
We also visited some wineries while staying in the Charlottesville and
Front Royal areas of Virginia.
We found some
links to different wine sites that may be useful.
Check these links out for additional information.
Adair Vineyard
52 Allhusen Road New Paltz, NY 12561 845-255-1377
|
The tasting room is located on the top floor of a 200-plus year old barn. The tasting
room was set up well, with an area for tasting, a pot belly stove in one corner which
provided welcome heat on a rainy day, different areas with wine accessories (we bought
a couple shirts and a magnet – Adair uses a beautiful graphic). Two young women with
big smiles conducted the tasting, we wandered about for a little, and when we returned
to the cash register, our wine purchases were boxed and waiting and were rung up by
another smiling relative (we believe an older brother, father, or uncle). It is a
clean, well-run, serene place with a very interesting selection of wines and we recommend it. |
New York Wineries |
Baldwin Vineyards
176 Hardenburgh Road Pine Bush, NY 12566 845-744-2226
www.baldwinvineyards.com |
Baldwin has become one of our favorite wineries, and we will always stop in if we are in
the area. There is not much to see; tastings are in a remodeled barn, and there was no
tour available the two times we've been there. But the tastings are all-encompassing;
they will let you try anything they have open and/or available. We have developed a
particular fondness for their Memories sparkling wine, which is crisp, dry, and
refreshing. We also enjoy their chardonnay, which is full-bodied yet not
overpowering. Baldwin is known for their Strawberry Wine. It is a bit
sweet for our tastes, but we have brought some home for family members
who like the taste. Baldwin recommends topping ice cream with the
wine. If visiting this winery, be sure to stop in at Brimstone,
which is nearly around the corner. |
Benmarl Vineyards
156 Highland Ave Marlboro, NY 12542 845-236-4265
www.benmarl.com |
We haven't been to this winery since 1997, but it is truly worth
the visit for the tour, especially if it is conducted by the owner,
Mr. Miller, a renowned artist who is well-travelled and
fascinating. The scenery is breathtaking. Touring this winery
made us give some thought to quitting our white-collar jobs, selling
the house, and packing up and to go run a winery/inn. What a life! |
Brimstone Hill Vineyards
61 Brimstone Hill Rd Pine Bush, NY 12566 845-744-2231
www.brimstonehillwine.com |
This winery offers a varied tasting. We purchased several of their
wines, including the Dom. Bourmont Sparkling Wine and the Pinot Noir.
They had some particularly fine red wines. If visiting this winery, be
sure to stop in at Baldwin, which is nearly around the corner. |
Cascade Mountain Winery
835 Cascade Mountain Road Amenia, NY 12501 914-373-9021
www.cascademt.com |
Cascade Winery is definitely out in the country, and we arrived just as
they were opening. We took the "self-guided tour" (walked around the small
winery ourselves) and sampled the wines, buying several. They also have a
restaurant with somewhat gourmet fare, and lots of mushrooms. We especially
enjoyed the seyval blanc. We were there too early for lunch, but as we were
departing, the lunch crowd had started to arrive, so it appears to be a
popular restaurant. |
Clinton Vineyards
Schultzville Road Clinton Corners, NY 12514 845-266-5372
www.clintonvineyards.com |
Clinton Vineyards is very small, operated by a husband-and-wife
team. There isn't a tour available, but don't miss the tasting.
The pours are extremely generous. We ended up purchasing some
Embrace Raspberry Dessert Wine, which we wouldn't have purchased if
we hadn't tried it. We loved the sparkling, and were pleasantly
surprised by the peach-flavored champagne, which was dry with a
hint of peach. While we were there, some French women arrived for
a tasting, and the mistress of the estate graciously slipped into
French, surprising and pleasing her foreign guests. She also took
the time to tell us the history of their vineyard. We purchased
quite a bit, mostly champagne. Accessories are also available
(we picked up a
champagne stopper). Definitely a worthwhile stop, especially for
the sparkling enthusiast. We recommend the Seyval Naturel
(sparkling wine), Peach Gala (sparkling wine with peach flavor),
and dessert wines. |
Demarest Hill Winery
81 Pine Island Turnpike Warwick, NY 10990 845-986-4723
www.demaresthillwinery.com |
We showed up at this winery in the Warwick Valley just as it opened on
Sunday morning. It is in a beautiful
setting, atop a hill, and is only a couple years old. The woman who
gave us our tasting was the owner and was from Italy. They did not
take credit cards. We picked up several bottles. Particularly
stunning in appearance was their Sunset Blush wine that they
named because it matched the color of a particularly stunning
sunset in a photo taken by the mistress of the estate (and our host). |
El Paso Winery
742 Broadway Ulster Park, NY 12487 845-331-8642 |
This small winery with the unlikely name was started by
Felipe Beltra in 1977, who hailed from Urugray. Our host,
Jerry Vogel, was filling in for his wife, whom he explained
usually conducted the tastings, but was away visiting
relatives. Jerry was extremely friendly and willing to talk
about the wineries and the area. El Paso offers over 15
different varieties of wine, all very moderately priced, and
many are available in larger bottles. We purchased some
Chianti, as well as some Cream Niagara for relatives. The
winery is very easy to find and is located on a main highway. |
Millbrook Vineyards
Wing & Shunpike Roads Millbrook, NY 12545 845-677-8383 or 1-800-662-WINE
www.millbrookwine.com |
Millbrook is one of the largest wineries in the Hudson River Valley. It
sits atop a hill and beautiful vistas abound. The tour was formal, headed
by a very knowledgeable woman. A couple from Italy was present on our
tour and the husband supplied an amusing running commentary, comparing
the winery to his own wine-making equipment at home. The highlight of
the tour was going upstairs in the large A-frame building, and walking
down a catwalk, viewing artwork from local artists, and going towards
the upstairs tasting room with its deck overlooking the vineyards
and the local hills. The wine was passable (good but not our
favorite), but we were especially impressed with the olive oil
from their neighboring estate in Italy and we purchased a bottle
to take home with us. We did purchase some Tocai Friulano (dry
white wine). |
Rivendell Winery
714 Albany Post Road New Paltz, NY 12561 845-255-2494
www.rivendellwine.com |
We had to sit through traffic in New Paltz to get to Rivendell,
but we were glad we took the time. Rivendell has an amazing variety
of wines available, not only from that winery but from others across
New York state. We purchased several different bottles, both for us
and for family members who enjoyed some sweeter New York wines from
other regions. Rivendell also sells a New York grappa (Keith loves
grappa). We paid $2 for a very healthy pour of grappa (for those
of you who have never encountered grappa, it is made from the skin
of the grapes, and is much more expensive and stronger than wine,
really resembling more of a liqueur), and purchased a bottle (the
$2 was deducted from the purchase price). Rivendell has a very
expansive deck with chairs and tables and overlook rolling hills.
It was a beautiful autumn day, and many were drinking wine and
picnicking outdoors on the deck. Rivendell also sells picnic
supplies and great accompaniments such as cheese, crackers, etc.
Plan to spend some time here if it is a nice day, and relax and
enjoy your wine. |
Warwick Valley Winery
114 Little York Road Warwick, NY 10990 845-258-4858
www.wvwinery.com |
We hit Warwick Valley Winery during high season of the apple
harvest (there is an orchard here as well). The retail/tasting
room is visually appealing. We wanted to purchase some Champear
(fruit-flavored sparkling wine), but they were sold out. We opted
for some hard cider, some blush wines for family members, and for
some very tasty Black Dirt Red. |
West Park Wine Cellars
Burroghs Road West Park, NY 12561 845-384-6709 |
West Park was not in any of the wine literature we had, and we
just happened to drive by the winery and decided to stop in. It
was a beautiful September Saturday, and they were preparing for a
wedding on the grounds. West Park only offers one type of wine -
Chardonnay - and we purchased a couple bottles. |
Whitecliff Vineyards
331 McKinstry Road Gardiner, NY 12525 845-255-4613
www.whitecliffwine.com |
Whitecliff is one of the newest wineries. It gets its name from
local cliffs that are visible from the deck of the tasting room.
The winery is new and the wines are still developing, but they do
attempt a Gerurtztraminer, something not common to the New York
region. |
Oregon Wineries |
Argyle Winery
691 Hwy 99W Dundee, OR 97115 1-888-4-ARGYLE
www.argylewinery.com |
Argyle has become one of our favorite producers of sparkling wine and
chardonnay. Of course, no trip to their tasting room is
complete unless you pet the winery's cat, Snowball.
|
Edgefield Winery
2126 SW Halsey Troutdale, OR 97060 1-800-669-8610
Edgefield web page |
We stopped at Edgefield on our way to Hood River. There is a
brew pub on this location as well. We had lunch at the brew pub, then
headed to the winery for a tasting and we purchased two bottles of their sparkling
wine. The woman behind the tasting bar was very friendly and
conversational.
|
Hood River Winery
Hood River, OR
|
This is a small winery. It is free to taste any of their wines. After
tasting a couple, we decided on purchasing a bottle of their red wine.
|
Pennsylvania Wineries |
Chaddsford Winery
632 Baltimore Pike Chadds Ford, PA 19317 610-388-6221
www.chaddsford.com |
We have visited Chaddsford Winery several times; we love their
Proprieter's Reserve White (it is a nice, dry wine, that goes with
many different things). It is owned by Eric Miller and his wife
(his father owns Benmarl Winery in New York, where we have also
visited). We have done tastings a couple times, but usually just
go to pick up a supply of wine. The grounds are
nice and they have summer concerts and wine dinners. |
French Creek Ridge Vineyards
200 Grove Road Elverson, PA 19520 610-286-7754
www.jmakiwinery.com |
French Creek Ridge has some excellent sparkling wines and
ice wines. The vineyards are set on a beautiful rolling hillside.
|
Mount Hope Winery
P. O. Box 685 Cornwall, PA 17016 717-665-7021
Mount Hope Web Page
 |
The Mount Hope Winery is home to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. The
winery offers a variety of wines, so most everyone can find something that they
will enjoy.
|
Stargazers Vineyard
1024 Wheatland Drive Coatesville, PA 19320 610-486-0422
www.stargazersvineyard.com |
Stargazers is usually open on Sundays only, but we arranged for a champagne
presentation and tasting (by appointment). We met Alice
and John Weygandt, the owners and winemakers extraordinaire.
We had been to many wineries but really had no idea how
sparkling wine was made, so we found this fascinating. We tried several different kinds of
their sparkling wine (Lori is a big fan and thinks sparkling wine should
be an everyday choice just like still wine – a sentiment shared by the
Weygandts).
We highly recommend a visit to Stargazers. They
produce a wide variety of wine and the hosts are great people
to be around. We will return soon. Of course, we couldn’t leave without
purchasing a case of sparkling wine!
|
Twin Brook Winery
5697 Strasburg Road Gap, PA 17527 717-442-4915
www.twinbrookwinery.com |
We have visited Twin Brook several times. We enjoy their Pinot Gris, one of the
dryest white Pennsylvania wines we have tasted. Twin Brook is located in a beautiful
old barn, with a nice deck outside. We have done tastings there more than once. We
are familiar with the wines and usually stop in when we are headed towards the
Lancaster area to add to our wine cellar.
|
Virginia Wineries |
Barboursville Vineyards
17655 Winery Road Barboursville, VA 540-832-3824
www.barboursvillewine.com
 |
Barboursville takes their wines very seriously. They have a beautiful tasting area,
complete with a very long wood bar. The tasting costs $3 and includes the glass.
In addition, one can sample more than 15 wines. We tried several that we liked,
and purchased some. We particularly enjoyed their sparkling brut. A full-service
restaurant, Palladio, is on the premises (we did not sample the food). It is a
scenic winery with nice grounds and well worth the trip. |
Burnley Vineyards
4500 Winery Lane Barboursville, VA 540-832-2828
www.burnleywines.com |
Burnley is a small, family-operated vineyard. There is a $2 fee
for a tasting, which is credited towards a purchase. They have
some sweet wines (peach, and some others). Keith enjoyed the red
zinfindel. |
Gray Ghost Vineyards
14706 Lee Highway Amissville, VA 540-937-4869 |
We went a little out of our way to visit Gray Ghost, and we are
glad we did. The winery is in a valley and looks like a long
shed, but it actually very nice inside. It is a family-operated
vineyard. We did a tasting and liked all of the wines we tried,
especially the seyval. The white wines had a crispness that was
refreshing. Our hostess laughingly told us her mother had
purchased baskets shaped like ducks so that when guests purchased
cheese and crackers to accompany their wine as they sat outside,
they could say, "here is your cheese and quackers." Our hostess
asked us which wineries we visited, and recommended we visit Linden.
Nice people, and a nice little winery. |
Jefferson Vineyards
1353 Thomas Jefferson Parkway Charlottesville, VA 804-977-3042
www.jeffersonvineyards.com |
Jefferson Vineyards is located right around the corner from
Monticello. We stopped in and ended up purchasing an entire
case of wine. We did a tasting and our hostess was pleasant
and knowledgeable about the wines. |
Linden Vineyards
3708 Harrels Corner Road Linden, VA 540-364-1997
www.lindenvineyards.com
 |
We really enjoyed Linden, and for those who are fans of wineries,
this winery is a must. It is located on a hilltop in a scenic
valley. The main building is a modern wooden structure. We were
greeted warmly when we entered, and tasted several very good wines.
The seyval particularly stood out. The tasting room was spacious
and breezy. The best part about Linden was the expansive deck
with its breathtaking views. We took a cold bottle of wine
outside with us and ordered some locally made sausage, cheese,
and baguette. It was a nice, relaxing experience, and the people
at Linden seemed genuinely glad to see you. We encountered some
who had taken a tour and said it was a good tour. |
Oakencroft Vineyards
1486 Oakencroft Lane Charlottesville, VA 804-296-4188
www.oakencroft.com |
We decided to visit Oakencroft after having a bottle of their
wine with dinner the previous evening. It is a scenic drive just
to the west of Charlottesville proper. There was a duck pond in
front of the tasting room with Adirondack chairs perched at the
edge of the pond. Our hostess for the tasting was pleasant and
knowledgeable. We enjoyed her shirt that proclaimed "Old Wino"
(the shirts were available for purchase). The tastings are $1,
or $3 with a souvenir glass. We purchased several bottles of wine. |
Oasis Winery
14141 Hume Road Hume, VA 1-800-304-7656 or 540-635-7627
www.oasiswine.com |
If you enjoy the singles bar scene, you will like Oasis. If you
like crowding up to a bar and paying inflated prices for wine and
champagne by the glass, you will love Oasis. If you like sweet
wines (we don't), you will appreciate Oasis. If you like fighting
for a tasting attendant's attention, you will definitely like this
place. If you like fighting aggressive drivers for parking spaces,
then this is your paradise. If you like pretentious glitz and
glamour with no substance, look no further. Needless to say,
we were not impressed (with the product, the attitude, or the
place in general). We each paid for a tasting, but could not
get served any but two wines. The first - a chardonnay - was
supposedly the driest. Honestly, after that, we weren't so sure
we wanted to even taste anything else. We went to Oasis because
they had sparkling wine, but when we saw the price was nearly $60
a bottle and the chardonnays we tasted were bland, we opted out.
Oasis touts its many awards and "Hollywood connections" on its
website. Thou doth boast too much. |
Prince Michel Vineyard
HCR4, Box 77 Leon, VA 540-547-3707
www.princemichel.com |
Prince Michel is easy to get to, and is on a main highway. It is
one of the largest wineries in the state. We tasted several wines,
and were impressed. Our bubbly hostess was pleasant yet
knowledgeable. Their wine store is well-stocked with accompanying
items. It is well worth a stop. |
Wine Links
Here are some links that we have found useful.
HV/Net - Hudson
Valley Network
Pennsylvania Wineries
Shawangunk Wine Trail
Virginia Wineries
Berks County Wine Trail
|