Jessica N. Todmann

New York heralds a rich and lengthy wine history, and continues to maintain strong relevancy as a wine producing area, coming third in place behind California and Washington state. The country’s first bonded winery was founded here in New York, and the oldest operating winery in America is housed in New York as well.

Now, New York wine country boasts seven official wine regions, along with several additional subregions. There are more than 1600 family vineyards and over 400 wineries throughout New York, with the wine (and grape) industry generating “more than $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York State.” 

For those unfamiliar with the history of wine production, that says a lot. Evidence accounts for winemaking in ancient cultures dating back as far as 6,000 B.C. and New York’s community of wine producers continue adding onto this centuries old tradition.

If you’re interested in discovering some of the wines New York has to offer, here are a few New York wineries you should know:

Brotherhood Winery

The Brotherhood Winery was established in 1839, and is America’s oldest winery. Located in Washingtonville, New York, Brotherhood is less than an hour and a half from New York City, and welcomes guests for tours, tastings and live music. If you have a special occasion on the horizon, such as a wedding, birthday party or corporate gathering, the Grand Salon can accommodate. The 19th century space offers a charming setting with a deeply historic backdrop, making it the ideal destination for any memorable event. 

One Woman Wines & Vineyards

The name behind Claudia Purita’s Long Island winery is literal. An Italian native, she grew up on her family's farm and has brought the values learned to her vineyards. “Her Story” illustrates a woman who’s attentive to the smallest details, patient and willing to go above and beyond for the sake of quality. Out of that perseverance came an array of wines, with selections for those who favor red, white or pink. While her wines are available for purchase online, One Woman Wines also has a tasting room with nine wines available for tasting and seven reserve wines for purchase. 

Red Hook Winery

The Red Hook Winery opened in 2008 and since then, their focus has truly been on bringing New York wines to consumers. They produce all of their wines “from grape to bottle” at their urban winery on Pier 41 and sell a host of options for wine lovers to sip on- like orange wines and unique red and white blends. This winery has received quite a bit of media coverage, and perhaps for good reason. Celine Bossart recounts her visit for Edible Brooklyn: “there’s something that Red Hook Winery brings to the table that’s very different from the others in its class: whereas the typical négociant tends to keep the spotlight in one place (on itself), a sharing-is-caring approach is more their style.” Red Hook Winery is now open for outdoor seating and wine tastings, which you can book in advance on their website. Visit! 

Ben Ish Winery 

Ben Ish Winery is only one of less than a handful of wineries located in Brooklyn. The company only offers dry red wines that are kosher, and carry Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Old Vine Zinfandel. Currently, all of their wines are out of stock; which makes sense, as the winery has won several wine making competitions in the past. Perfect for those that like to stay indoors, Ben Ish Winery delivers throughout the five boroughs, as well as the Five Towns section of Long Island and Monsey, located in Rockland County, NY. Check out their testimonials page to hear from previous satisfied customers.

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