Field Notes

News and Updates from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation

Champlain Valley

Rolling Hills Estate Winery Unveils Inaugural Vintage to Public, Redefines the Modern Wine Community

Pioneering estate in the Champlain Valley AVA debuts inaugural release alongside a groundbreaking membership model rooted in connection, discovery, and place After years of quiet cultivation and limited private releases, Rolling Hills Estate Winery is opening its cellar doors to the public for the very first time. Alongside its inaugural vintage release, the estate is introducing the Genesis Circle—a reimagined wine membership designed to connect people more deeply to wine, land, and

Adirondack Winery Celebrates 18 Years

Adirondack Winery Celebrates 18 Years with Anniversary Tasting Experience, New Digital Upgrades, Spring Releases, and Fresh New Restobar Offerings Adirondack Winery is raising a glass to 18 incredible years in business with a month of celebration, innovation, and springtime flavor. Founded on April 17, 2008, Adirondack Winery has grown from a small Lake George tasting room into one of New York’s most recognized craft wineries, now producing more than 35

When Your Vacation Isn’t Just About Wine: New York Wineries With Added Attractions

Image courtesy of Airy Acres Vineyard. For wine lovers, the best vacations are going to include at least some visits to wineries. But not every visit has to be only about the wine. There’s the food, of course, the picnics you pack and spread out on picnic tables overlooking the vines, or the food prepared at the winery that’s designed to pair perfectly with their bottles. Sometimes, there’s more.  Many

Love Helps Power These New York Wineries 

Image courtesy of Apollo’s Praise. In observance of Valentine’s Day, let’s toast to the love that fuels so many iconic, ground-breaking wineries in New York State.   While the phrase “family business” may connote scenes of couples squabbling over power, or siblings fighting over their inheritance (thanks at least in part to the addictive juiciness of Succession,) the fact is, family-run businesses are some of the most important drivers of the

New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Enrollment Open Now

The New York Sustainable Winegrowing program is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Vineyard Certification process.  Following the success of welcoming 19 new Certified Vineyards last year, the program is now open to all wineries and vineyards in New York. The NYWGF Sustainable Winegrowing program provides a pathway to voluntary third-party certification that verifies vineyards are using the best practices to ensure environmental, social, and economic

unity awards presented by the new york wine and grape foundation

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Unity Awards Announced, Winners to be Honored at B.E.V. NY Conference in Canandaigua, NY

February 20, 2024 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious 2024 Unity Awards. The Unity Awards were created in 1990 for the community to recognize, encourage, and celebrate cooperation among grape growers, wineries, researchers, retailers, and others to advance the entire industry.  Honoring the longstanding and bold spirit of our community members and their numerous achievements, NYWGF is proud

How Wine Clubs Help Producers Boost Their Bottom Line and Build Community

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are increasingly becoming important for small and medium-sized wineries; in many cases, wine clubs are foundational to sustained DTC success. The classic distribution model, amid widespread consolidation, is no longer viable for most wineries. Distributors have been merging and consolidating for decades now. Currently, two distributors account for more than half of all wine sales in the U.S. Meanwhile, the number of wineries across the country are

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

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Unveils New Logos, Resources to Promote State’s Unique Wine Regions and Commitment to Sustainable Winegrowing

September 20th, 2023 – Penn Yan, NY — The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the culmination of its Brand Expansion project in partnership with Born Collective. The goal of this initiative, which began in April 2022, was to create tools and resources designed to increase the recognition of the New York wine and grape industry to global trade, media, and consumer audiences. NYWGF is

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Releases 2022-2023 Research Reports

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. The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF), since its inception in 1985, has been sponsoring an ambitious and comprehensive viticulture and enology research program in close coordination with industry and academia. We are happy to announce the release of the research reports for

three wine glasses against black background. Red wine is being poured into the center glass.

Governor Hochul Announces Winners of the 2023 New York Wine Classic

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the winners of the 37th Annual New York Wine Classic, a nationally recognized competition highlighting the best of New York’s wine industry. The competition’s 2023 Governor’s Cup was presented to Paumanok Vineyards 2019 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Long Island. In addition, Paumanok Vineyards was also honored with the Winery of the Year award. The Governor made the announcement this evening during a special live virtual

New York Sustainable Winegrowing Program Certifies First Set of Vineyards 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Valerie Venezia-RossPhone: 1 (518) 229-3765Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN, NY, June 28, 2023 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the certification of the first set of vineyards from the New York Sustainable Winegrowing program, marking a significant milestone in promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the New York wine industry. This voluntary third-party certification program recognizes vineyards that adhere to

2023 New York Wine Classic Awards Ceremony to be Hosted By Karen MacNeil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Valerie Venezia-RossPhone: 1 (518) 229-3765Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN NY, June 12, 2023 –  The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce that the 2023 New York Wine Classic Award winners will be honored on July 13th at 6:00PM EST in a live virtual ceremony hosted by Karen MacNeil.   The New York Wine Classic Awards Ceremony will reveal and celebrate the prestigious “Governor’s Cup” (Best Wine), “Winery

New York Wine Reference Guide Cover Image

New York Wine Reference Guide – Seminar Series Launched!

Building on the success of the recently updated New York Wine Reference Guide, NYWGF is now pleased to bring comprehensive, expertly delivered New York wine education to you each week from April 25th through June 20th, 2023. All are welcome to join writer and educator Dan Belmont as he leads this nine (9) part series designed to help you build essential knowledge about the history, styles, varietals, and exciting innovations

three wine glasses against black background. Red wine is being poured into the center glass.

New York Wine Classic 2023: The Ultimate Celebration of New York Wines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact: Valerie Venezia-Ross Phone: 1 (518) 229-3765 Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN, NY – March 1, 2023 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2023 New York Wine Classic, the ultimate celebration of New York wines. This annual wine competition, now in its 37th year, recognizes excellence in winemaking, and provides an important platform for New York wineries to showcase their products to a global audience. The

unity awards logo on white background with two glasses of sparkling white wine

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Unity Awards Announced, Winners to be Honored at B.E.V. NY Conference in Syracuse, NY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact: Valerie Venezia-Ross Phone: 1 (518) 229-3765 Email: valerieross@nywgf.org PENN YAN NY, March 1, 2023 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious 2023 Unity Awards. The Unity Awards were created in 1990 as a way for the community to recognize, encourage, and celebrate cooperation among grape growers, wineries, researchers, retailers, and others to advance the entire industry.  Honoring the longstanding and bold spirit of

The Empire State is making waves – Wine Folly Releases New York Wine Region Guide

Wine Folly, the leading digital wine education platform, has announced the launch of the New York State Wine Region Guide, the first comprehensive digital guide to the New York wine region. This 9th wine region guide showcases the state of New York with over 400 wineries. All participating wineries are now directly benefiting from Wine Folly’s consumer reach of over 20 million wine consumers globally. 3500 wineries have been featured

Adirondack Wine & Food Festival Returns After 2+ Years

Following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival will return to Lake George on Saturday, June 25 & Sunday, June 26. The summer kickoff event will feature more than 120 of New York’s best wineries, distilleries, breweries, cideries, artisan food producers, food trucks and more at the Lake George Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park in Lake George Village. The family friendly