Great Grapes

Enrollment Now Open for the 2026 New York Sustainable Winegrowing Program

New York Sustainable Winegrowing builds momentum in 2026, offering growers a clear path to certification and long-term environmental and community impact. The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) today announced that enrollment is officially open for the 2026 New York Sustainable Winegrowing Program (NYSWP), the statewide, third-party-certified sustainability initiative for vineyards and wineries committed to continuous improvement, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and long-term economic resilience. The program continues to

How New York Winemakers Are Pushing Sustainability Efforts Far Beyond the Vineyard

Image of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards courtesy of Rima Brindamour. At its root, sustainability is about life. Official definitions of sustainability, such as this one from the U.S. EPA, include the basic idea that we need a healthy natural environment to not just survive, but thrive. There’s more to it, of course. A product that is cultivated in the most environmentally responsible way instantly becomes unsustainable the moment it fails

New York Cabernet Franc Moves Forward

“Most of all, I would love to see the group push hard on the wine and hospitality industry in one of the largest wine markets in the world. There is absolutely no excuse for the lack of New York wines on the wine lists of most New York City restaurants. It is time for New Yorkers to get on the ‘drink local’ bandwagon. These wines are too good to ignore.”

Ten Vineyards Earn New York Sustainable Winegrowing Certification, Strengthening Statewide Commitment to Responsible Viticulture

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is proud to announce that ten vineyards have achieved certification through the New York Sustainable Winegrowing Program (NYSWP), marking a significant milestone in the state’s leadership in environmentally sound and socially responsible grape growing. The newly certified vineyards are: Argetsinger Vineyards Barnstormer Hermann J. Wiemer Nursery Knapp Vineyard Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards RGNY Winery Ria’s Wines Sheldrake Point Winery Tabora Farm & Winery

Hudson Valley Vineyards, Milea’s Newest Project, Wins Best Sparkling Wine in the New York Wine Classic

In 2024, Hudson Valley’s Milea Estate Vineyard opened a new project, Hudson Valley Vineyards, declaring that it would make “Left Bank” and “Right Bank” sparkling wines. “In the traditional sense, ‘Right Bank’ refers to the area of Bordeaux that lies east of the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, whereas ‘Left Bank’ refers to the area west of the Garonne and Gironde rivers,” says Darren Chertkoff, Milea’s winemaker, referring to the rivers

Billsboro Winery Wins Best Dessert in New York Wine Classic

Kim and Vinny Aliperti, the founders of Billsboro Winery, are getting their just desserts. “Vinny’s palate runs dry, so his late harvest dessert wine is actually incredibly balanced, age-worthy, and refreshing, which isn’t typical of a dessert wine,” says Kim, who runs Billsboro Winery alongside her winemaking husband, Vinny. “The Vignoles grape is naturally high in acidity, providing the 9% of residual sugar with enough mouthwatering backbone. We expect the

Prescient Research on Conventional Fungicides Upends Conventional Wisdom, But Challenges Remain

In the ever-evolving world of wine and grape production, research plays a crucial role in advancing knowledge, improving practices, and ensuring the sustainability of the industry. NYWGF’s commitment to research is evident in its annual research budget, which typically ranges between $350,000 to $600,000. The NYWGF Board of Directors is proud to share the results of 2024-25 funded research projects through individual reports, articles, and a series of webinars in 2025-26. Image

Fueling the Future: New York Wine & Grape Foundation Releases 2024–2025 Research Reports Advancing New York’s Wine & Grape Industry

NYWGF-supported research delivers actionable insights for grape growers, winemakers, and industry leaders across New York State. Image courtesy of Rima Brindamour. The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is proud to announce the release of its 2024–2025 Research Reports, showcasing another year of cutting-edge research dedicated to advancing viticulture, enology, and wine business practices across New York State. These annual reports serve as a vital resource for growers, producers,

A Message from the Doyle Family: We Have Officially Acquired Quarry Ridge Winery

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with you: our family has officially acquired Quarry Ridge Winery! This is a meaningful step forward for all of us—and the beginning of a new chapter that we are incredibly proud to start. This partnership felt like a natural fit. Our vineyard management team has been planting and caring for Quarry Ridge’s vines since day one, and we’ve had the honor of supplying

A Hybrid Wine Revolution is Fermenting in New York

As the 2025 Growing Season Gets Underway, We Revisit 2024

The 2025 growing season is here, and 2024’s season may look like specks of dust in the rearview mirror. But there are still things to discover about how New York’s wineries and vineyards fared in 2024. Last October, as the busy season in the vineyards wrapped up, signs pointed to an “epic” harvest season. Wine growers from all of New York State’s major growing regions, who had been adding up

The Story Behind Some of New York’s Most Unusual Plantings

The recent 2024 New York Vineyard Report has inspired a lot of excitement among the circle of individuals who get giddy pouring over data on grapes. It may not be a large group—but it is a passionate one! It has also raised some interesting questions about the present and future of grape growing—and wine consumption—in New York. One of those questions: who’s planting Turan, Feteasca Neagra and Gamay Noir grapes.

New York’s Sustainable Winegrowing Program in Action: New Map Highlights Certified Vineyards & Wineries Using Sustainable Grapes

New York is home to an expanding network of certified sustainable vineyards dedicated to minimizing environmental impact, ensuring economic stability, and safeguarding worker health and safety. This certification is awarded through the New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s (NYWGF) Sustainable Winegrowing program. Vineyards that achieve certification, along with wineries producing wines made from at least 85% certified sustainable grapes, are authorized to display the Sustainability Trustmark at their vineyards and

The 2024 Vineyard Report Is Set To Transform the Current Perception and Future of New York Wine

For anyone who has grown, produced, or sipped wine grown and made in the Empire State in the past decade, the notion that New York can make world-class wine feels like old, if not patently the-sky-is-blue-obvious, news. But for less lucky wine enthusiasts who have not had the pleasure, New York wine still often feels up-and-coming. But that is set to change, now that winemakers, subregions and the New York

A Legacy of Grit, Growth, and Giving Back: The Story of Doyle Vineyard Management

Image courtesy of Doyle Vineyard Management. At the heart of the Finger Lakes wine industry stands Doyle Vineyard Management, a testament to resilience, creativity, and commitment to community. Founded in 2009 by Matt and Carre Doyle, the company arose during a moment of great uncertainty, but it has grown into a pillar of sustainability and a champion for viticulture and education. The Doyle story began at a crossroads. In 2009,

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Releases 2024 Vineyard Report: A New Era of Data Collection for the State’s Grape and Wine Industry

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the release of the 2024 New York Vineyard Report. This report marks the beginning of a two-year initiative aimed at re-establishing benchmarks for accurate data on vineyard acreage across the state. In this effort, NYWGF has collaborated with Agency 29, Ag Access, and Deep Planet LLC to evaluate vineyard acreage through direct grower reports and advanced machine learning

From Vineyard to Glass: Inside New York’s ‘Epic’ 2024 Harvest

Wagner Vineyards. Image courtesy of Rima Brindamour There’s no life like the wine life during the harvest season—especially one as auspicious as 2024’s appears to be. From the Hudson Valley to the tip of Long Island, up to the Finger Lakes and through the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario, growers and winemakers found no rest, but plenty to look forward to in this harvest, a relief after a few challenging

The Empire State’s Red-Hot Love Affair With Cabernet Franc

Far be it from us to play favorites with grape varieties, but it’s impossible to ignore the Empire State’s emerging star grape, Cabernet Franc. Riesling hogged the headlines and the critical acclaim in the state for decades, but thanks to a delicious cocktail of developments—including improved clones and viticultural techniques, and the auspicious pairing of grape and terroir—Cabernet Franc is now able to begin to compete with Riesling for star

Rich Olsen-Harbich Receives Sustainability Award After Decades of Pioneering Work

Rich Olsen-Harbich began pioneering sustainable winegrowing techniques decades before it was cool. “This Sustainability Award really validates what we’ve been doing at Bedell Cellars since 1980,” Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Bedell Cellars, notes. “Sustainability is a zero-sum game. It is a pathway that you walk on, without an end in sight. You always want to find a way to be even more sustainable.” The New York Wine & Grape Foundation created

Dawn and Bob Betts Honored by John Brahm III Grower Award for Ceaseless Research and Innovation

Dawn and Bob Betts of Betts Farms LLC The usual “surprised but pleased” reaction that most people admit to having when presented with a major accolade doesn’t quite sum it up for Dawn and Bob Betts. “We were shocked,” Dawn says of learning that she and her husband Bob won the John Brahm III Grower award for their pioneering work with grapes at Betts Farms. “It’s the Wine & Grape

Legends of the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt

NEWS RELEASE, November 28, 2023Contact: Doug DeCroix, WNY Heritage, ddecroix@wnyheritage.orgPhil Baideme, Grape Discovery Center, pbaideme@roadrunner.com John Thomas Slater, grapebelthistory@aol.com Three Achievements in the Chautauqua-Erie Grape Belt: “Celebrate the past and look to the future.”Westfield, NY – November 19th was a busy day at the Grape Discovery Center. Located in the heart of the world’s largest Concord grape-growing region, the Center played host to two celebrations—the release of a new and unique

Why New York Winemakers Are Excited About These Hybrids

Hybrid grapes are seen by many as the store-brand version of real-deal grapes. Sure, they have some notable benefits: they’re generally less expensive, and in many ways just as good as the name brand versions. But they don’t have the cache, street cred and long history of their Vitis vinifera counterparts. But in New York—and other regions of the Northeast and Midwest where real-life growing conditions often fail to be

Interpreting Wine Expands New York State Coverage With Series Focusing on Growers

UK wine podcast Interpreting Wine has published a new series exploring New York Wines from a fresh perspective. The series of seven episodes switches focus from winemaking towards grape growing. Episodes feature 1:1 conversations with six principals from Finger Lakes wine companies. The series also features Sam Filler and Justin Jackson of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, discussing the new Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification. See below for more

New York Concord Grape Innovation Award Winners Announced

Geneva, N.Y. – Stil-Bène, Inc., of Geneva, and Westfield Maid Cooperative, of Portland, were the grand prize winners of the first New York Concord Grape Innovation Awards, a business competition aimed at stimulating innovation and development of new products and markets for one of New York’s largest and most historic grape industries. The prizes were awarded Friday, December 9, at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, where 12 finalists from across the

The Unsung Grapes of New York State

Let’s explore the vineyards together through the lens of six “Unsung Grapes” of New York State! You may discover a new favourite! In my chats with the producers of each wine we’ll look at the factors that go into choosing what varieties to plant; a grape’s suitability for New York terroir; their viticultural pros and cons; and – if these varieties have a future in New York State? Away we go!

Field Notes