Once a person is legally an adult, having a beer here or there or a glass of wine occasionally becomes a part of the lives of most New Yorkers.
While having a beer with friends at a bar is great, there is nothing like sipping a delicious glass of wine that is rich in flavor, aroma, quality, and history.
Whether one needs to toast to a friend on their graduation or celebrate a wedding anniversary with the love of their life, the simple act of popping a brand-new wine bottle and clinking two tall glasses of wine together, is enough to get the people around you in the spirit of the occasion.
While having wine at home or at a restaurant can be quite nice, the unique experience you will have by tasting a range of different kinds of aged wines, right from an old-school wooden barrel, at a New York Winery, is simply second to none.
With so many local wineries to choose from, New Yorkers are often confused about which winery will allow them the best chance to walk through a range of wine flavors and histories.
There are a number of local wineries that will allow you such an experience; however, if you happen to be in Southeastern part of the state, the only place you need to head to is the Catskills Mountains.
Home to more than 205 ciders and wineries, the Catskills Mountains have a rich wine history, enabling them to produce some of the finest and exquisitely crafted wines one can ever taste.
To learn more about the history of winemaking, the location of the Catskills Wineries, and the top four wineries in the region, keep reading below.
The History of Winemaking in the Area
Apart from the city’s architectural monuments and various natural sites and wonders, New York is also equally popular for its culture and people.
While a number of different ethnicities, religions, and races reside in area, they all share the free-spirited living style of the East Coast of America.
Hence, no matter how small a celebration or how irrelevant an occasion, New Yorkers will never miss a chance to raise their glasses, as they share a celebratory bottle of wine with their friends and loved ones.
This rich heritage of wine drinking and making can be dated back to as far as the 17th century, when the first-ever vineyards were planted along the banks of the great River Hudson, in the region, by the French and Dutch settlers, who had resided in the same area as their plantations.
Although wine was already being crafted in the region; however, it was not until the 19th century that the commercial production and selling of wine began.
As a result, New York became the founder of the first-ever bonded winery, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company, in all of America. Moreover, the state is also a home to USA’s most historic winery, the Brotherhood Winery of the Hudson Valley, that has been producing and selling wine ever since its birth, for almost 175 years.
Today, New York is ranked third among the American winemaking states, and is known for its hundreds of wineries, which allows it to produce more than 35 million gallons of wine annually.
With 205 ciders and wineries located just in the Catskills Mountains, the southeastern part of New York City is an excellent destination for people who enjoy wine tasting events and care to experience a range of different wine flavors.
Where is the Catskills it Located?
Once you are in the Southeastern part of New York, getting to Catskills Mountains is quite easy. Due to the vastness of the mountains’ size and spread, the 700,000 acres of the Catskills are part of four different counties; Sullivan, Ulster, Delaware, and Greener.
Since the Catskills alone have 205 wineries, you can come across one very easily as soon as you enter the Catskills Mountain region.
Top Wineries in Catskills
For better guidance regarding which Catskills winery you need to visit, our list of the top four wineries in the region has been divided according to their locations.
The Sullivan County Top Winery – Bashakill Vineyards
Located in the southernmost part of the Catskills Mountains, the Bashakill Vineyards is an excellent farm-style winery that not only grows all of its own grapes but also composts the grapes by pushing them in the soil for fertilization.
To give their visitors an authentic winemaking experience, the Bashakill crafts all its range of Semi-sweet White Wine, Red Wine, Sparkling Wine, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Rose, on-site for its spectators.
Visitors get the once-in-lifetime opportunity to sip different organic wines in the gorgeous Mountains, while overlooking the scenic Catskills wetlands.
The Delaware County Top Winery – Eminence Farm Road Winery
For people who prefer a winery known for its drier wines, the Eminence Farm Road Winery, located in Long Eddy, Delaware County, is the perfect destination for them.
This stunning winery is known for making its dry table wines from the organic grapes produced by the Finger Lake vineyards. These delicious dry wines are fermented using yeast, and are bottled by hand, the traditional way.
Apart from tasting fantastic, these dry wines are organic, pure, and simple. Although this winery does not have a tasting room for its visitors, they are always happy to offer tours and tastings when requested.
The Ulster County Top Winery – Enlightenment Wines
Any time you happen to be in Ulster County, do yourself the favor by visiting the smallest winery in New York ; the Enlightenment Wines in Clintondale.
Owned and run by a local family, this winery produced organic fruit wines and unfiltered dry meads in small amounts. Known and visited for its delicious award-winning Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Seyval Blanc, this destination is excellent for someone looking for a more private and intimate wine tasting experience.
The Greener County Top Winery – Hudson Chatham Winery
If you happen to be visiting the Catskills Beverage Trail, do not miss the stunning Hudson-Chatham Winery Tannersville, which is famous for its deliciously crafted wines using grapes from Greene County and Columbia.
If you are visiting with a big family or a group of friends, this winery’s 40-foot bar will be excellent for all of you to have a wholesome and organic wine-tasting experience together.
With a wide range of wines and a beautiful lounging area, this Greener County winery is one of its kind.
Final Thoughts
One of the best ways to celebrate your wedding anniversary, a graduation party, or an intimate proposal is by taking a trip down to one of finest wineries in the Catskills Mountains.
With nearly 205 ciders and wineries to choose from, you are bound to have a wholesome wine tasting experience that will truly be second to none.