By Carlo and Dominique De Vito   September/October 2008

Going to a winery is a great way to spend a day, and there is much more to it than just wine: There is the atmosphere of the place, the particular location, the tasting room staff, and often a meeting with the winery owner (who is usually the winemaker). You may even arrive on a day when the harvest or a pressing is in session, and be invited to participate. You can leave a winery with bottles of wine, but they’re not just bottles of wine; they’re souvenirs.

            All this fun, however, requires time, and with less and less of it available, you may feel it’s just easier to forego the winery and frequent your favorite wine shop. The only bummer is that although you may find one wine or even a selection from New York state, the merchant may not carry your special favorite from the winery you did visit back in the day when you had more time!

            Hudson Valley wine enthusiasts take heart: It’s getting easier and easier to find Hudson Valley wines in the Hudson Valley—and that is reason to celebrate. Farmers’ markets and food festivals are becoming increasingly popular, and many of them feature local wineries. What a great way to put the perfect seasonal meal together, knowing that you can pair your dishes with local wines.

            And when your life settles down again, you can go back to visiting wineries.

FARMERS’ MARKETS
If you’re a regular patron of your local farmers’ market, you’ll be glad to know that more and more wineries are participating in them. To make finding them easier, here’s a breakout by county, town, and participating winery.

West of the Hudson Valley:

Rockland County
Piermont Farmers’ Market–Benmarl Winery
Piermont Avenue & Ash Street, Piermont, N.Y.
Sundays 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=10
Orange County
Warwick Farmers’ Market–Warwick Valley Winery, Applewood Winery
South Street Parking Lot, Warwick, N.Y.
Sundays 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
www.warwickinfo.net/farmersmarket/index.html
Ulster County
New Paltz Farmers’ Market-Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, Adair Winery
Main Street, New Paltz, N.Y.
Sundays 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
www.newpaltzfarmersmarket.com
Greene County
Catskill Point Farmers’ Market–Hudson-Chatham Winery
Historic Catskill Point, 1 Main St., Catskill, N.Y.
Saturdays 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
http://greenetourism.com/events/riverside-farmers-artisans-market-4
Albany County
Albany (Empire Plaza) Farmers’ Market–Adair
Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y.
Fridays 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
http://events.518living.com/albany-ny/events/show/83759847-farmers-            market

 

East of the Hudson Valley:

Westchester County
Hastings-on-Hudson Farmers’ Market–Adair Vineyards
Library Parking Lot off Maple Street, Hastings, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.hastingsfarmersmarket.org

Katonah-Lewisboro Farmers’ Market–Adair Vineyards
John Jay High School, Route 21, Katonah, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=5

Larchmont Farmers’ Market–Warwick Valley Winery
Metro North Parking Deck No. 3, Larchmont, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=24

Ossining Farmers’ Market–Benmarl Winery
Main & Spring streets, Ossining, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=1

Peekskill Farmers’ Market–Pazdar Winery
Bank Street, Peekskill, N.Y.
Saturdays 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.ci.peekskill.ny.us/eventdetail.cfm?FuseCalendar_ID=228

Pelham Farmers’ Market–Benmarl Winery
Harmon & Fifth avenues, Pelham, N.Y.
Sundays 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=27

Pleasantville Farmers’ Market–Pazdar Winery, Benmarl Winery
Memorial Plaza off Manville Road, Pleasantville, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=2

Rye Farmers’ Market–Adair Vineyards
Parking Lot 2 at Theodore Fremd Ave., Rye, N.Y.
Sundays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=8

Tarrytown Farmers’ Market–Benmarl Winery
Patriots’ Park on Route 9, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.communitymarkets.biz/market.php?market=9

Putnam County
Putnam Valley Farmers’ Market–Cascade Mountain Winery
Tompkins Corner Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, N.Y.
Fridays 3–7 p.m.
www.pcnr.com/news/2008/0723/front_page/008.html

Dutchess County

Beacon Farmers’ Market–Adair Vineyards
Ferry Dock, Train Station Parking Lot, Beacon, N.Y.
Sundays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
www.nyfarmersmarket.com/regionmetrodutchess.htm

Saugerties Farmers’ Market–Cascade Mountain Winery
Main Street, 9W North, Saugerties, N.Y.
Saturdays 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
www.saugertiesfarmersmarket.com/

Columbia County

Chatham Farmers’ Market–Hudson-Chatham Winery
Church Street, Chatham, N.Y.
Fridays 4–7 p.m.
www.farmandfood.org/directory/farmersmarkets.html

Hudson Farmers’ Market–Hudson-Chatham Winery
North 6th & Columbia streets, Hudson, N.Y.
Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
www.farmandfood.org/directory/farmersmarkets.html

Rensselaer County

Troy Farmers’ Market–Cascade Mountain Winery
            Troy Waterfront, Troy, N.Y.
            Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (summer); 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (winter)
            www.troymarket.org

FESTIVALS
Another way to discover Hudson Valley wines and wineries is to attend a festival where the wineries are featured. At these venues, you can delight in tasting wines from many vintners, taking notes, buying your favorites, then reviewing your findings when you get home. Now that’s what we call meaningful research! You’ll be delighted to know that there are several festivals around the valley at different times of the year. Try one or try them all.

The Harvest Wine Festival at Bethel Woods
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, N.Y.
Sunday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
www.bethelwoodscenter.org

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest
Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6-7
www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com

Hunter Mountain Microbrew and Wine Festival
Hunter Mountain Resort, Hunter, N.Y.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27
www.huntermtn.com

Rhinebeck Arts & Crafts Festival
Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-5
www.craftsatrhinebeck.com

Goold Orchards Apple Festival
Goold Orchards, Schodack, N.Y.
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12
www.goold.com/festival.html

Pride of New York Harvest Festival
Desmond Hotel, Albany, N.Y.
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12-13
www.prideofnyharvestfest.com

And keep in mind for next summer:
Bounty of the Hudson Wine Festival
Shawangunk Wine Trail, late July
www.shawangunk.com

 

 

Carlo and Dominique De Vito are publishers and writers with a shared passion for wine and winemaking. Carlo is the author of East Coast Wineries: The Complete Guide from Maine to Virginia (Rutgers University Press), and maintains the blog http://eastcoastwineries.blogspot.com. Dominique’s new book, Green Dog: Reducing Your Dog’s Carbon Pawprint, will be published by Lark Books in 2009. They made the leap from wine lovers to winery owners in 2006. Track their exploits at www.hudson-chathamwinery.com.