The Hudson Valley is famous for it’s wine trail but with so many wineries to chose from, it’s hard to narrow the list down to a few, good wineries for an ideal afternoon. Though all of the wineries in the region have something to offer, Warwick Valley, Demarest Hill, and Palaia are among the best. Each has it’s own charm and is uniquely different from the last.
Warwick Valley Winery- This winery is the perfect place to relax on a lazy afternoon. Though it’s open year round, fall is best because of the apple and pear picking. These are the same apples and pears that are used to make Warwick Valley’s award winning Doc’s Draft Hard Cider- a cider so enchanting that the New York Times ranked it among the top five in the world. More like a wine than a beer, their cider is made with apples, other fruit, and champagne yeast and is completely gluten-free. It comes in three different flavors, Apple, Pear, and Raspberry, each more delectable than the last.
Their wines deliver as well. A tasting of six wines (including a glass imprinted with Warwick Valley’s name to take home) is only five dollars and I can’t seem visit this winery without buying a bottle of their Black Dirt Red.
A family owned establishment, Warwick Valley encourages you to purchase a bottle to accompany lunch from their gourmet café. The wife of the owner is a culinary institute graduate and she regularly invents dishes to pair with their wines, ciders, and liquors. Recently, I enjoyed a brick oven gorgonzola, caramelized onion, and grape pizza from the café worth raving about.
Visit Warwick Valley on a weekend afternoon to enjoy live music and a family atmosphere.
Demarest Hill Winery– Another winery to visit in the Hudson Valley is Demarest Hill Winery- if not for the wine than for the beautiful mountain views it offers. The winery is actually attached to a home in what you wouldn’t believe used to be a garage.
Rob, the host of the tasting, had me convinced that we were old friends. He allowed us to try an abundance of wines, at only five dollars with the glass included, with 32 wines to choose from.
I was impressed with the specialty wines that Demarest Hill produces. Perfect for summer, this winery makes a peach wine, a strawberry wine, a cherry wine, and an apple wine.
Also, with an Italian man, Franc, owning and making the wines and liquors at Demarest Hill, it only makes sense that one can buy the classic Italian after dinner drink Limoncella or some Balsamico, which Demarest Hill boasts is the best vinegar in the United States.
The one draw back to Demarest Hill is that unless the weather is pleasant enough to be outside, there is no place indoors to sit and enjoy any wine or liquors purchased. Thus, for a winter visit, it’s best to stop here only for a tasting and then continue on to a winery that offers food or entertainment.
Palaia Vineyards- Palaia Vineyards is the hippie-run winery of the Hudson Valley. Decorated with black and white portraits and tie die merchandise, it has a ski lodge meets Ben and Jerry’s feel.
One of the perks of this tasting was that Palaia offered different wine-friendly appetizers like brie or spinach and artichoke dip for purchase. Just outside of Palaia’s tasting room was a room with tables to enjoy wines and appetizers. The decoration and lighting of this room hinted at a lounge atmosphere. During my visit, a four member band captivated guests in this room. Unlike Warwick Valley Winery where the focus was on conversation with music as a beautiful background, at Palaia, music and wine is the focus.
Considerably closer to the New York State Thruway and the Palisades Parkway, this winery is best for a last stop before heading home for the night.