By Christina Pickard
Wine Enthusiast Writer at Large and reviewer of wines from New York, Australia, New Zealand and England

When I think of my home state’s wine industry, a childhood story springs to mind: The Little Engine That Could. It’s a tale of underdog perseverance and determination. 

Like Little Engine, New York’s wine industry is comparatively small. It’s composed, in large part, of self-funded mom-and-pop wineries who face seemingly insurmountable challenges. 

In Little Engine’s case, it’s a mountain. In New York’s case, it’s a climate that’s variable at the best of times (producers might also consider the metaphor apt for the state’s notoriously opaque bureaucratic red tape). Because of this, winemakers craft bottles that are sometimes merely drinkable, other times more than drinkable and many times downright outstanding. 

Our little locomotive friend may have repeated the mantra “I think I can” to overcome his challenges. For New York wine growers, it’s a salt-of-the-earth combination of ingenuity, grit and determination that gets them over the mountain. That and, perhaps, a few dances to the weather goddesses.

Weather Report

Sometimes the dance works. After an extremely challenging 2021 vintage, the last three years have resulted in excellent fruit for winemakers.

While 2022 was uneven in the Finger Lakes region of central New York, the downstate regions of Hudson River Valley andLong Islandhad stellar seasons. 

Upstate, the 2023 growing season was marked by devastating (for some) spring frosts, the Canadian wildfires (which raged for weeks, the smog from which reduced sunlight hours) and unprecedented rainfall.

This was a vintage that rewarded careful farming and an experienced-but-gentle hand in the winery. To wit: delicious, acid-driven wines from quality-focused producers abound.

For New York wine growers, it’s a salt-of-the-earth combination of ingenuity, grit and determination that gets them over the mountain. That and, perhaps, a few dances to the weather goddesses.Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast Writer at Large

Trend Report

The oft-repeated saying that great wine is made in the vineyard is perhaps an overly simplification. But the fact remains that it’s only with pristine, excellently farmed grapes that great wine is possible. 

As viticulture across New York state gets better (the quest to reduce or eliminate herbicide is an ongoing struggle), and more healthy fruit is produced, the wines improve, too. 

Winemakers gain the confidence to intervene less (letting the grapes ferment naturally, maybe on skins in old barrels or perhaps on lees, with fewer additions like enzymes and sulfur) and experiment more. When these experiments succeed, delicious and fascinating wines result. 

New York state’s abundance of small wineries are perfectly placed for this kind of outside-the-box thinking—and more and more are jumping on board.

Futurecast

This confident, creative approach from industry leaders is good news for unsung varietals. 

There’s already a statewide marketing push for Cab Franc. (And Blaufränkisch in the Finger Lakes deserves similar love, if you ask me.) Meanwhile, New York sparklers will only continue to ascend into the consciousness and glasses of American wine drinkers. 

Artisanal young gun producers are rebranding hybrid and heritage varieties to appeal to younger drinkers. The quality of wines in this space will continue to improve as both they and we get our heads around these new flavors and textures. 

And for the immediate future? We’ve a lot to look forward to. The 2024 bottles are just being released. Judging from a few sneak peek tastings, it’s set to be an excellent vintage. So make room in your fridge and cellar. 

Below you’ll find a list of 10 delicious bang-for-your-buck bottles that demonstrate the diversity in style and variety that abounds in the Empire State. 

Of note: I really love New York bubbles, so there are a few of these in the mix. And as always—and especially if you’re Northeast based—support local, love your farmer and drink New York wines.

Finger Lakes Wines

Riesling is the name of the game on these deep, digit-shaped, glacially formed lakes of this 832-acre Central New York region.

Grown in a mixture of soils from rich sandy loam to clay and even sandstone, this German variety’s fabulous natural acidity and outgoing fruit make it a style chameleon. 

Whether dry, off-dry, fizzy or sweet, I’ve noticed—and welcomed—a shift towards wild ferments, lees contact and barrel fermentation to enhance flavor and textural complexity, complemented by improved farming practices. 

Forge, Hermann J. Wiemer, Apollo’s Praise and Hillock & Hobbs all make standout Rieslings.

If I never taste another Cabernet Sauvignon from this region, that would be fine by me. The variety just doesn’t work in such a cool climate. Clearly there’s still a level of demand from visitors to the region requesting “big reds” or production would’ve stopped years ago. 

But thankfully most quality producers these days focus on red varieties that do thrive in these cold climes. Spicy, brambly, herb-flecked light to medium-weight reds from varieties like Cabernet Franc and Blaufränkisch (also known as Lemberger) have never been better. 

While there’s increased focus on, and buzz around, Chardonnay, I remain unconvinced of the merits of this variety in the Finger Lakes. For now, with a few exceptions, Chardonnay from these parts seems better suited to fizz, where it can be picked early.

Speaking of bubbles, traditional-method sparkling is on the rise (as it should be, if you ask me), with producers like Red Tail Ridge, Ravines and Dr. Konstantin Frank crafting seriously classy versions. 

Finally, a healthy cohort of avant-garde labels—Living Roots, Osmote, Nathan Kendall and Ria’s Wines, to name a few—are pushing style and variety envelopes, adding color and character to the region.

Long Island Wines

The “east end” of Long Island, surrounded by the ocean, with vines growing in flat sandy loam soils, is somewhat of an anomaly in New York state—and not just because of the high-rolling Hamptonites rocking up to tasting rooms in stilettos and Ralph Lauren. 

It’s warm enough on the North and South Forks to ripen varieties like Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. And there are plenty of structured, long-lived examples. 

That said, reach for crisp, aromatic white wines. Varieties like Pinot Blanc (see Lieb’s below, one of the best in the state) and Albariño, feature salty, briny flavors that pair so deliciously with the island’s seafood and beachy vibes.

Rosé is another strong offering; Macari, Channing Daughters and Wölffer make some of the best examples. And sparkling makes an energetic appearance, too.

Hudson River/Upper Hudson Wines

I may have grown up in the Finger Lakes, but the picturesque hills and mountains west and east of the Hudson River have been my home for the last decade. For me, the unique selling point, to borrow a marketing phrase, of my local wine region is its rich history. 

Home to the oldest winery and the longest continuously farmed commercial vineyard site in the U.S., the Hudson Valley has been farming and making wine to satiate thirsty New York City residents since the early 1800s (not counting an early attempt at viticulture by French Huguenots in 1677, a century earlier than in California).

Even throughout Prohibition, some producers kept the lights on by selling wine for medicinal purposes. Or via, shall we say, less legal channels. 

Clever early grape breeders crossed indigenous and European grape varieties to create new, more cold-hardy varieties. And it’s these varieties that, I think, may once again define this region. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are a handful of quality vinifera producers–namely Fjord, Milea and Millbrook–whose Cab Franc (a variety that seems especially happy growing in these parts) in particular is worth seeking out. But the reality is, while the Hudson Valley’s fertile soils and abundant water may perfectly suit some agriculture, it’s not the easiest environment for grapevines, particularly those non-native to the region. 

Luckily, there’s a growing number of progressive young producers—like Wild Arc Farm, Hudson-Chatham, Quartz Rock and Dear Native Grapes—who are embracing these long unloved “old” hybrid and heritage grapes. 

With the help of longtime viticulturists, like the grape historian J. Stephen Casscles, they’re connecting the grapes’ history to environmental stewardship (they require far less chemical inputs to farm). It’s appealing to a younger, natty-leaning generation of drinkers that’s less concerned with varietals in the first place. While quality is hit-and-miss, it’s a path that is hugely exciting for the Hudson River region’s future.