Field Notes

News and Updates from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation

Latest

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 on their bottles.  Now, NYWGF

Flexibility is Key to the Best Vineyard Practices

Sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all concept in most industries. In the wine world, a cookie-cutter checklist of musts for a winery or vineyard to be considered sustainable simply doesn’t work. Our wineries in New York have different sustainability challenges than wineries in California. Even within New York vineyards may have different sustainability challenges depending on the growing region. There are a lot of variables. Matthew Spaccarelli—who won the 2023 John H. Brahm III Grower Award

How These New York Wineries Are Rethinking (Social) Sustainability 

Anthony Road Wine Company courtesy of Rima Brindamour. When we talk about sustainable wine, we usually talk about vineyard practices. And while farming with care is a large part of the story, there is also more to it.   In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  In other words, sustainability can and perhaps should encompass

Spring Is (Finally!) Here in New York 

The winter of 2025 was not for the faint of heart: Central New York saw 25+ feet of snow, and the polar vortex plunged much of the state into frigid temperatures on-and-off from December through February.  Which is all to say, everyone—even the snow obsessives among us—is eager to greet spring this spring. There are few better ways to do it than in wine country, where spring is a time of celebration and renewal, not

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Invites Wineries & Growers to Join or Renew Membership for 2025

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 membership drive, inviting wineries and grape growers across the state to join or renew their membership. With an array of valuable benefits—including cost-saving discounts, funding opportunities, expert-led education, and strategic marketing support—NYWGF membership provides essential tools to help New York’s wine industry thrive in an increasingly competitive market.  “NYWGF membership is designed to provide tangible, high-value resources that

New York Wine Classic 2025: The Ultimate Celebration of New York Wines 

PENN YAN, NY – March 1, 2025 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2025 New York Wine Classic, the ultimate celebration of New York wines. This annual wine competition, now in its 39th year, recognizes excellence in winemaking and provides an important platform for New York wineries to showcase their products to a global audience.  The New York Wine Classic is open to all types of wine, including