There are now 307 wineries in New York State, and growing. From Long Island up through the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes, the state counts a handful of major wine regions, and each year New York wineries produce 180 million bottles of wine.
That’s more than a case of wine per New Yorker per year—hardly enough to support a good wine drinking household, but still plenty impressive for the third largest wine producing state in the nation.
New York wine is what we at Edible like to drink, of course, especially during Eat Drink Local, which ran from June 24 to 30. It’s a little known fact that during EDL, our very special partner restaurants feature New York wine all week long—many of them feature New York wine all year long. But during EDL, they might pour an existing bottle from their list by the glass, or try out a few wines from a winery they have never tried. It’s just that sort of business-building that we aim to encourage with the week.
This year, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation helped organize nearly 20 wineries to participate in Eat Drink Local. We shared these winery names with our partner restaurants and many new buying and selling relationships were formed. The wineries and Foundation also made a donation to GrowNYC as part of this participation in the week. In addition, through Edible Hudson Valley, the Shawangunk Wine Trail helped sponsor EDL, and our restaurant partners on the East End featured many Long Island wines as part of the involvement of the Long Island Wine Council. Along with our other sponsors, we thank New York wineries and vineyards for their support of the week.
But regardless of the time of year, we see it as part of our editorial mission to chronicle Empire State wine and the winemakers, vineyards managers, wine shops and other people and businesses beyond this industry that generates nearly $4 billion in economic activity. Arguably beer making has been bigger historically in the state, but wineries are gaining traction, as New Yorkers (and Americans) drink more vino. And wineries have emerged in the last few decades as an important keystone in so many ways—from preserving agricultural land, to providing jobs, to boosting tourism interest in forgotten rural regions.
That’s why we take the occasional trip to Lake Placid for a winemaker retreat, suggest itineraries for sojourns in Long Island wine country, highlight New York vintages in our Behind the Bottle pieces and share thoughts from our Wandering (and Wondering) Winemaker. And our sister publications in New York, from Edible Queens to Edible Hudson Valley, from Edible Buffalo to Edible Finger Lakes, also feature plenty of wine content. Finger Lakes has a whole special issue and a wine of the week devoted to its wine country.
NOTE: And if you’re looking for a wine-focused event this fall, tickets just went on sale for the second annual Harvest EAST END, which features a festival tasting overflowing with excellent food and drink, the largest auction of Long Island wines, and daytime wine salons, including two co-organized by Edible East End: one on food and wine writing, and another on sustainability concerns in wine country.
Eat Drink Local Winery Partners
The New York Wine and Grape Foundation has organized these Empire State wineries to help celebrate Eat Drink Local week, by offering tastings at Greenmarket Winestands and at partner restaurants. Please visit their websites and tasting rooms.
Anthony Road Wine Company Castello di Borghese Vineyard and WineryClovis Point
Coffee Pot Cellars Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars Fox Run Vineyards Harbes Family Vineyard Heron Hill Hudson-Chatham Winery Johnson Estate Winery King Ferry Winery Lieb Cellars Millbrook Vineyards & Winery Sherwood House Vineyards Standing Stone Vineyards The Grapes of Roth
Warwick Valley Vineyard and Distillery Wölffer Estate Vineyard
