Hudson Chardonnay at Oceana NYC

Hudson Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay at Oceana Restaurant in NYC

In New York with a few colleagues for team meetings and a conference, we dined at Oceana seafood restaurant just off Avenue of the America's opposite Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, not far from the Broadway theater district since 1992,

The highly acclaimed seafood restaurant is the flagship of the Livanos Family Restaurant Group. Founder John Livanos immigrated from Greece in 1957, began his career as a dishwasher, working for his uncle in Manhattan, purchased his first restaurant in 1960. Today, John and his children, Nick, Bill and Corina, own and manage several other well known restaurants, Oceana and Molyvos and Hudson West in New York City, as well as Moderne Barn in Armonk, NY, and City Limits in White Plains. 

Cooking alongside each other at Oceana since 2018, Michael Aungst and Tim Jocz share the role of Executive Chef. 

We all selected the same entree, the Seared Cod, romanesco with smoked leeks and bacon cream (shown right). As a starter, colleagues raved about the Seared Octopus tapenade with parsley root. 

From the winelist I selected a Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay from the famed Hudson Vineyards. 

Oceana has an extensive, deep 33 page wine list that offers 600 different selections from an inventory of over 15000 bottles with special strengths in California and French Burgundy.

The Wine Spectator awarded wine list has received their "Best of Award of Excellence: since 2012. Wine Enthusiast has named Oceana one of “America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants” from 2013-2015.

The Oceana wine list includes outstanding vintages of Bordeaux & Bourgogne, as well as a vast selection of Pinots and Cabernets from across the United States and the world. 

The world-class collection is displayed in the aptly named Wine Room, in a floor-to-ceiling glass cooler that can also provide a dramatic backdrop for private dining events for up to 18 guests.

Shown from the Oceana wine cellar glass wine wall are two of my bucket list absolute top wishlist wines, from the most select vintages, two of my favorite labels - #1 son's birthyear, 1982 Leoville Las Cases ($975), and, classic 2000 vintage Ducru-Beaucaillou ($550) - two of the highlight featured producers from our St Julien Bordeaux trip tours; and two legendary Mouton Rothschilds ($1200 & $1050). 

Needless to say, we selected a more modest, yet premium label Napa Carneros Chardonnay for our food wine pairing. Interesting and notably, they offered no less than three producers' labels sourced from the same vineyard, Kistler, Pahlmeyer, and our selection, the grower's proprietary label. 

Hudson Napa Valley Carneros Chardonnay 2013 

Hudson Vineyards on the Hudson Ranch, produce premium grapes on two hundred acres of vineyards, in the Carneros District at the bottom of the mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys, where they come together, along the northern side of Carneros Highway that connects Napa and Sonoma. See map of vast Hudson Ranch Vineyards. 

The vines, planted back as early as 1981, source grapes that today are sold to as many as 27 wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties, some of which produce vineyard designated wines from specific vineyard sites that bear the ‘Hudson Vineyards’ designation on their labels. 

Proprietor Lee Hudson from Houston, Texas, after getting a degree in Horticulture at the University of Arizona, worked with the esteemed Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac, in Morey St. Denis, Burgundy; learning that great grapes from hallowed vineyard sites produce truly world class, fine wines. Lee returned to the States to study viticulture and enology at University of California at Davis, where many of his classmates are now his clients. Lee searched for property from Santa Barbara to Mendocino, before deciding on the Carneros property in Napa Valley, founding Hudson Vineyards in 1981.

Beyond supplying premium grapes to dozens of other Napa and Sonoma producers, Hudson Vineyards also produce their own estate wines from their grapes, crafted by winemaker Clayton Kirchhoff, who joined Hudson as a young Winemaker with 12 years of winery experience. This label vintage release from 2013 was produced by then winemaker Christopher Vandendriessche in collaboration with the legendary consultant winemaker John Kongsgaard, who also sources grapes for his famous ultra-premium labels from Hudson Vineyards.

This release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 90 points by Wine Spectator.

This was a perfect complement to our seafood entrees. 

Butter colored, medium bodied, clean, crisp, nicely balanced and elegant, soft peach and honeysuckle fruits with hints of spice, citrus and green apple on a pleasant finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2177061

https://www.oceanarestaurant.com/

https://hudsonranch.com/

 

Queensyard Hudson Yard New York

Queensyard Hudson Yard New York - a favorite chic trendy lunch spot

In NYC for a team meeting, we lunched at one of my favorite NY eateries, Queensyard in Hudson Yard. We walked over from our hotel to the magnificent Hudson Yard mall complex and dined at the Queensyard restaurant on the fourth floor, overlooking the Hudson Yard Vessel tourist attraction. 

I chose Queensyard and Hudson Yard for a special luncheon for our gathering, welcoming our NY colleague whom we were meeting for the first time in person, due to the Covid disruptions of the last year. It was one of culinary highlights of a previous trip to NYC prior to the Covid crisis.

The dining room (Queensyard photo) as seen
from my seat.

I love the stylish Queensyard dining room and bar with its bright airy wall of glass windows that overlook the Vessel architectural tourist attraction, its courtyard, the railroad yard, the Hudson River in the background and the opposite New Jersey riverscape. 

The trendy hip dining room sports a large colorful artistic painted murals on the opposing walls. 

They also have a stylish formal dining room framed by the wine wall wine cellar. 

Another reason I chose Hudson Yard is that it is a notable landmark and the tower is the consolidation of several locations from around the city for several of our key valued clients.

My lunch selection and wine pairing may have been the culinary highlight of my entire week in NY. While the rest of the entourage had the burgers, I had a starter and a side dish for lunch accompanied by a WBTG (Wine-By-The-Glass) glass of wine. 

Perhaps the best dining selection of my week was the Chicken Liver Mousse with parsley salad, lemon honey gastrique and toasted brioche. Additionally, I had the side dish, Macaroni & Cheese with stout braised oxtail and english cheddar. 

To accompany my lunch I selected from the WBTG list this Austrian Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner. The perfect wine and food pairing multiplied the enjoyment of each. 

 

Grüner Veltliner Weingut Bründlmayer 'L&T' Kamptal, Austria 2020

This was a perfect accompaniment to my lunch selections. This is from the producer Weingut Bründlmayer from the village of Langenlois, some 70 km north-west of Vienna, upstream along the Danube River in the Lower Austrian Kamp Valley. I traveled the wine region while on a trip to Slovakia several years ago.

The wooded hills of the Waldviertel protect the vineyards from the cold north-westerly winds. During the day, the sun warms the stony terraces, while at night the fresh, fragrant forest air drifts through the Kamp Valley into the Langenlois Arena. The wines are characterised by a combination of hot days and cool nights, the meeting of the Danube and Kamp valleys, and the geological and climatic diversity of the vineyards.

The Bründlmayer estate includes the family dwelling, a cellar equipped with state of the art technology and a heuriger which is open almost all year round and where all wines can be tasted in a convivial atmosphere.

The Bründlmayer vineyards highlight “ancient” vines, some older than 90 years of age, that produce wine that is particularly balanced and rich in character. Their most important varietal is Grüner Veltliner, which is the primary varietal grape in the Langenlois. Its name in an old dialect “Mauhardsrebe” refers to the Manhardsberg, a mountain ridge bordering the Waldviertel with the villages of Langenlois and Zöbing lying to the south.

Climbing north and slightly east of the Kremstal region, Kamptal has very little vineyard area bordering the Danube River (unlike Wachau and Kremstal, whose vineyards run along it). The region takes its name from the river called Kamp, which traverses it north and south. Kamptal’s densely planted vineyards represent eight percent of Austria’s total.

The area experiences wide diurnal temperature variations like the Wachau but with less rain and more frost. Its vast geologic diversity makes it suitable for various experimentations with other varieties besides Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Zweigelt.

The region is noted for the beautiful and expansive terraced Heiligenstein, arguably one of the world’s top Riesling sites, as well as some of Austria’s most extraordinary Grüner Veltliner vineyards. Kamptal’s soils, which are mostly loess and sand with some gravel and rocks, make it suitable for Grüner Veltliner, so much so that actually half of the zone is planted to that grape.

About 75% of the world’s Grüner Veltliner comes from Austria but the variety is gaining ground in other countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States. Grüner Veltliner wines cover a diverse range from pleasant “light and dry” (such as this one labeled "L+T") to the most complex classified vineyard wines (crus) such as Käferberg or Lamm.

Winemaker Notes - Appealing nose of apples, fresh citrus and mild flowery aromas, as well as rosewood, green peas and asparagus. Fresh and crisp with flavors of sappy fruits on the palate followed 

This wine was rated 90 points by James Suckling.

Light straw colored, light bodied, notes of pear and green and yellow-apple with hints of citrus, lime and herbs with crisp acidity on a smooth finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4059234

https://www.bruendlmayer.at/en/

https://www.queensyardnyc.com/

@queensyardnyc

Amarone Amarone

Amarone Amarone casual quaint Italian dining NYC

In NYC for team meetings, we dined at Amarone, a quaint casual neighborhood Italian restaurant on Ninth Avenue between the Hell's Kitchen restaurant district and the theatre district. 

Amarone serves traditional classic Italian dishes and offers a basic modest Italian wine centered winelist. I don't know if it's fallout from the Covid disruptions or what, but even the limited two page wine list, the number of selections actually available was limited to perhaps single digits. 

No less than five of my selections were not available, and I was offered a modest Chianti Classico table wine. That left a handful at best of remaining options, one Ultra-premium Antinori Tignanello, and this Amarone. At least this was a DOCG classified label and was moderately priced - hence the obvious choice. 

For our entrees, two ordered menu pasta selections, and two of us ordered from two daily specials, a pork chop or a veal chop. I opted for the veal chop in a cheese sauce with spinach and roasted potatoes. 

Both dishes were large generous portions in were dramatic artistic presentations, as was the caprese starter, all shown below. 

Salvalai Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2016

This is from Salvalai, who have been been producing estate wines since 1870 from the grapes grown in the vineyards on the hills overlooking the Verona shore of historic Lake Garda. Salvalai makes wines from the popular Ripasso to the inimitable Amarone, as well as three "Classico" wines of the Verona area (Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella) .

Salvalai was one of the first wineries in the area to successfully export its wines beyond Italy's borders in the late '60s.

Produced in the classic Valpolicella method and style, this is a blend of the classic traditional grape varieties made up of 70-75% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella and 5% Rossignola e Negrara. 

The grapes are sourced from estate vineyards, the twelve acre Vejo vineyard vines exceed 20 years of age, with distinctive terroir of particular soil and climatic, excellent east-west exposure with natural ventilation provided by the cool breezes coming from the nearby Mount Baldo and a mild climate due to the beneficial influences of Lake Garda.

The twenty five acre Sole Vineyard has rich alluvial soil with great exposure of the vines, located in a narrow valley, the vineyard receives a long and consistent exposure by the sun. 

Only perfectly unblemished and dry clusters are selected for the Amarone blend, harvested 1-2 weeks earlier than those for the Valpolicella wine and subjected to the ancient grape drying practice. They are left to dry in selected well-aired locations, called “fruittai”, to avoid being attacked by mold until the end of January. 

By the end of the drying period, the grapes have lost 30-40% of their weight, and their concentration of sugar, an indispensable element during the following fermentation stage to ensure a noteworthy alcoholic level has increased. Maceration is carried out on contact with the skins for a period of 20-30 days, after drawing off the lees, the product is fermented in steel vats, then matured three years and further aged 12 months in large barrels (Slavonian oak) and 30% in small casks, barriques and tonneaux (French oak), finally, prior to the release, matured for at least 6-8 months in the bottles.

The result is intense, concentrated big round ripe fruit forward wines, an acceptable pairing for our food entrees, but a bit intense, not for the feint of heart.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, sharp intense, concentrated ripe fruits accented by raisin, smoke, notes of creosote and fig with long warm length on the finish. 

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3901523

http://www.salvalai.it/

http://www.amaroneristorantenyc.com/

Benmarl Vineyards, Marlborough-on-Hudson

Benmarl Vineyards, Marlborough-on-Hudson

Our Hudson River Valley wine experience included a visit to Benmarl Vineyards, the oldest vineyard in America, boasting New York Farm Winery license no.1. Nestled in the lush green hills of the western riverbank of the Hudson River in the village of Marlboro sits the historic Benmarl Winery's 37 acre estate, vineyards, and hospitality center tasting rooms, deck and lawn.

 
Benmarl produce small batch wines that capture the unique character of each vineyard from which they are sourced. They have tripled estate production in the past six years showing faith and commitment to the wines that the Hudson River Region can produce. 

 

The 37 acre estate overlooking the historic Hudson River Valley has the "Oldest Vineyard in America,”  the winery and cellars, and a hospitality center with tasting rooms indoors, on the deck and lawn overlooking the vineyards and the river valley. Just off the main Route 9 along the west bank of the Hudson, they are set up for large bustling crowds on weekends with ample parking, multiple tastings settings and a well oiled process for service.

The Benmarl portfolio consists of eighteen different labels on offer by the bottle, they produces two dry wines, an Estate Red and Estate White, several specialty wines and a sparkling Verdelet and Seyval Blanc blend. 

They provide a design your own tasting flight of four wines from the broad selection. We each selected a flight of four wines to our liking from the menu that offered 2 sparkling, five whites, six reds and three sweets. 

I will typically ask a producer what they consider their signature wine, their best representation of their terroir and artcraft. The Benmarl server cited the Estate grown Baco Noir, sourced from sixty year old vines, as one of their signature labels.

Benmarl Winery New York Baco Noir 2019

I selected their featured 2019 Baco Noir vintage release that is supposed to be from estate sixty year old vines, however they admitted most of the vines have been or are being replanted in the vineyard adjacent the tasting deck as shown in these photos. 

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, black berry fruits were overtaken by notes of charcoal, smoke, leather and dust with some spice tones. 

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4027227

 

Benmarl Winery New York Proprietor's Reserve 2019

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, black berry fruits offset by notes of smoke, tobacco, some dark mocha chocolate and some spice on a moderate finish. Not as balanced or integrated as it might be, perhaps it will become moreso with some bottle aging, noting its youth. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4082963

 

Benmarl Winery New York North Fork Long Island Syrah 2020

Being huge fans of Syrah, we were hoping this would be notable but it did not meet our lofty expectations, but then we appropriately recalibrated for New York wines rather than compare to the California, Rhone and Aussie Syrahs we're so accustomed to drinking. 

Dark ruby colored, medium-full bodied, black berry fruits are accented by black cherry, herbs and smoke with a moderate finish. 

RM 86 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4074530

 

Benmarl Winery New York Cabernet Franc 2019

This is what I here-to-fore would consider the signature wine, or the benchmark wine for New York, having found it to be 'best of' in our tastings on Long Island and the Finger Lakes region. So it was that it was probably a standard bearer and met expectations accordingly. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, slightly more complex black berry fruits with notes of pepper, spice with hints of vanilla and a layer of cedar on the finish. 

RM 87 points.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4085073

 

Benmarl Winery New York Slate Hill Red Wine 2019

This is a Bordeaux Blend made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, all sourced in New York State. 

Dark garnet colored, medium-bodied blackberry with notes of cassis, leather and a touch of oak and moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4074157

 

Benmarl Winery New York Malbec, Petit Verdot, Riesling, Petillant 2019

An interesting blend of a couple of Bordeaux varietals, a German / Washington State / New York varietal and a unique New York grape. The diversity of the grapes resulted in a bit of a cacophony of flavors, lacking seamless integration or elegance, or depth and breadth of a blend. Perhaps several years of bottle aging may transform this into a more harmonious sipper. Clearly a blend unique to this producer or region. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, black berry, black raspberry fruits with notes of tobacco, cherry sprites, spice and tangy acidity. 

RM 86 points. 

Visit the Benmarl Vineyards website.

Henry's at the Farm Fine Dining at Buttermilk Falls Inn

Henry's at the Farm Fine Dining at Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa in New York Hudson Valley

During our visit to the New York Hudson River Valley we dined at Henry's at the Farm, fine dining at the Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa across the river, opposite Poughkeepsie, in the town of Milton, New York. 

Buttermilk Falls’ is an extraordinary historic 75 acre Hudson River estate that offers a remarkable selection of lodging at the The Inn which has been in existence since  the 1760's, a world class spa, a farm-to-table restaurant, an organic kitchen garden and orchard, trails and an animal rescue sanctuary. 

The 1764 Main House offers ten beautifully appointed rooms plus there are eight unique private cottages/guest houses. 

Henry’s at the Farm adjoins the 40 acre Millstone Farm where fresh produce, eggs and honey source locavore farm to table selections. The restaurant is in a standalone building in the enclave, the dining room up a flight a stairs to the second floor, above the ground floor kitchen below.

Our selections of appetizers and entrees from the Daily Specials and dinner men  ....

Pan Seared Jumbo “Day Boat” Scallops - Hearts of Palm, Crushed Cashews, Brown Butter - We shared this appetizer course, this was to die for and was one of the highlights of the meal.

Shrimp Scampi - Another daily special, we shared this appetizer and it also was to die for, another highlight of the meal. Couldn't get enough bread to mop up the sauces of the appetizers!

Ceasar Salad - Overly creative, this was bordering on weird, basically was two stalks of hearts of Romaine lettuce with what seemed to a drizzle of thousand island dressing on each.

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad - Red, Golden, and Candy Cane Beets, Honey Chevre Cheese, Shaved Fennel, Spiced Pecans, Black Mission Fig - Somewhat minimalist, the portions were small leaving me want a bit more of each of the features.

Millstone Farm Summer Risotto - Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Eggplant, Spinach, Red Pepper, Cherry Tomatoes, Fried Zucchini Flowers. Linda's entree selection, the fried eggplant was a bit offsetting and the Zuchini Flower blossoms were disappointing - a huge setback from the remarkable comparative offering earlier in the week at Chez Francois in Vermillion, Ohio. 

 

Filet Mignon - 8oz. Filet, Foie Gras Butter, Buttermilk Blue Cheese Mash, Roasted Cippolini Onions, Asparagus, Tawny Port Glace. My entree selection, the steak was very good, albeit missing the 'char' of my Pittsburgh preparation request, (leaving me wondering if they knew what I was requesting), the Foie Gras butter and the Tawny Port Glace were delectable, highlights of the preparation accompaniments. The Buttermilk Blue Cheese overpowered the mashed potatoes, overwhelming, even for the most ardent cheese lover, which I thought I was, too much!

Ten Ounce New York Strip Steak from the daily special selections.   A daily special, Richard and Pat split this entree selection and it was excellent, a large portion sufficient for the two to share, prepared and presented perfectly.

From the basic rudimentary winelist, which offered the fundamental selections, at reasonable prices, we chose a moderately priced California Napa Cab.

Robert Sinskey POV - Point of View Napa Valley Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

To commemorate the three Bordeaux varietals in this blend, each vintage release features three different labels with Photography by producer Rob Sinskey. 

Producer photos of the three labels for 2015

This red Bordeaux Blend consists of estate grown Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, although I could not find the percentages.

Grown in Robert Sinskey Vineyard’s organic cool-climate Carneros Vineyards, this wine has more in common with the Right Bank of the old world than the Left Bank of the New World. 

RSV’s Vandal Vineyard is in many ways like the Right Bank of Napa with a heat summation similar to Saint-Émilion. Conditions are right for Cabernet Franc and Merlot to thrive here with vibrant fruit that has just the right amount of mouth-watering acidity. This label combines in the blend, those two varieties and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon to add backbone and longevity, and you have a wine that strikes a perfect balance of supple fruit and elegant structure. This is matured for two years in French oak barrels (30% new) before being bottled and "rested for another 2-3 years in the estate's cellars. 

Robert Sinskey Description: "Deep blackberry and blueberry fruit notes with fresh picked herbs, bramble and forest floor lead to an aromatic bouquet that is shy at first and opens with a swirl in the glass. The first sip explodes with flavor, revealing the intensity of optimally ripened fruit. The wine balances juicy red and black fruit like Santa Rosa plum, black cherry, black/blueberry, cassis and strawberry jam with baking spice nuances of star anise, cardamom and allspice and a touch of bay leaf and mocha. Tightly woven structure is balanced by mouth watering acidity and supple tannins..."

"Like striking a major chord, the three varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, harmonize brilliantly - like they were always meant to be together. The wine opens with floral aromas of violet and rosemary, followed by a fruit stand of aromas and flavors reminiscent of blackberry, black plum, currant and black cherry. The primary fruit notes lead into more complex and earthier notes of black olive, sage, star anise, cocoa and a hint of vanilla that softens an otherwise youthful flavor profile."

Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant black berry and hints of red berry fruits were accented by notes of cassis, all spice and cardamom and a hint of mocha on a tangy acidic finish. Ideal pairing complement to the beefsteaks.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3191163

https://www.robertsinskey.com/

https://twitter.com/rsvnapa - @rsvnapa

https://www.buttermilkfallsinn.com/henrys/

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Hudson Valley Shawganunk Wine Trail

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Hudson Valley Shawganunk Wine Trail

Visiting the Northeast for Son Alec's and Vivianna's vow renewal wedding festivities, we stayed over to tour the New York Hudson Valley and the regional AVA wine district. We planned some wine dinners and tastings at several select Wine Producers. 

We centered our activities and logistics in the town of Poughkeepsie, NY which proved to be ideal with proximity to a wide range of attractions and varied points of interest and the vineyards and wineries on the Duchess County and Shawangunk Wine Trails.

On the western region of the Hudson River Valley, opposite the town of Poughkeepsie is the Shawangunk Wine Trail,  home to 13 wineries nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River, just 60 miles north of NYC. 

WhiteCliff Vineyards and Winery - Gardiner, New York 

Twenty miles northwest of Poughkeepsie, (near New Paltz) and just beyond the village of Gardiner, New York is Whitecliff Vineyards. One of the largest vineyards in the Hudson Valley, Whitecliff grow over 20 varieties of grapes planted on 70 acres of vineyards opposite and below the majestic Shawangunk Mountain. They are one of the most accomplished and awarded producers in the region.

The vineyards and lawns sit below the picturesque panarama vista of the white cliffs of the mountain overlooking the estate. It is one of nine wineries of the famed Shawangunk Wine Trail, following in the tradition of French Huguenot settlers who brought wine making to the scenic valley over three centuries ago. 

Whitecliff is working with European vinifera varietals such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Riesling, and quality hybrids like Seyval Blanc and Vignoles, including small plantings of Pinot Noir and Merlot. They are pioneering use of Gamay Noir grape in the Hudson Valley for a true Beaujolais-style Nouveau. 

The winery is named for the striking white cliffs that rise above and provide a panoramic backdrop to the vineyards.

From the Whitecliff website: Whitecliff is an artisanal family run winery created from the ground up by owners and founders, Michael Migliore and Yancey Stanforth-Migliore. Michael has lived on the property since 1975, when he was studying for a master’s degree in organic chemistry at SUNY, New Paltz. In 1978 he started work at IBM as a chemical engineer in semiconductor manufacturing, and soon after began experimenting with grape growing as a natural expression of his background and his skills in chemistry. 

Wine had figured prominently in his upbringing: his German and Italian grandfathers both made wine at home, and it was part of every family dinner. Today Michael works closely with Cornell Cooperative Extension testing new grape varieties, and pushing the envelope on the quality of grape growing in the region. In that capacity he also serves as president of the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association.

Yancey joined in the planting soon after they met—through rock climbing on the Shawangunk Ridge—and married in the early 80’s. While she doesn’t bring technical skills to the business like Michael, she has developed the ability to teach about wine that contributes to Whitecliff’s Tasting Room. 

Winemaker Brad Martz joined Whitecliff in the 2010 harvest as a volunteer and brought so much focus, energy, and intelligence to the cellar work that he rapidly progressed to full-time winemaker. In addition to hands on work with Michael he’s also invested many hours in learning and research with the Cornell Extension while at Whitecliff. 

Brad applies the careful science necessary to make fine wine, but also brings great creativity with grape varietals that results in our interesting and ever-evolving wine list.

Establishing the vineyard began in 1979 with years of trial and error to determine which varieties will produce good yields and quality wine, while withstanding the cold winters.

The rigorous approach of science and engineering, and determination, has provided the knowledge and the strong base necessary to create a successful vineyard and winery.

There is a quaint Visitors Center tasting room with a spectacular view of the Shawangunk white cliffs from the deck and lawns. 

They offer six different tasting flights of reds, whites, sweet wines, or their 'Best of' selection. 

We tried the "Best of Whitecliff" flight and the "Rich Reds" flight. We found their reds more impressive than the whites with the Petit Verdot, Bordeaux Blend and Merlot to be standouts in that order. 

Most of their wines feature grapes from producers across the region as well as estate grown fruit, hence they are labeled 'New York', or 'Hudson River Region' wines vs the appellation or estate designation. 

Highlights of our tasting ... 

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Petit Verdot 2014

Appropriately poured as the last tasting of this flight, this was the biggest, darkest and fullest wine. This was best of the flight with its fullness, roundness and full flavored fruit flavors and exceeded my expectations for a New York state wine. Sourced from growers throughout the State including some estate and regional fruits, at seven years of age it is most likely at its peak and will not improve with further aging.

This was dark garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced, round blackberry and black raspberry fruits accented by notes of dark mocha chocolate, hints of tobacco leaf and spice on a moderate tannin laced finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3390359

 

Whitecliff Vineyards Sky Island New York Red Wine 2016

Like the Petit Verdot above, this was appropriately placed second to last in the tasting flight and was another over-achiever in my opinion. At five years, this has had the benefit of some bottle aging and may be at the apex of its drinking profile, not likely to improve further with more aging.

Producers tasting notes: A dry rich and complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignion, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petite Verdot, totally dry, rich tannins, bold apple, cherry notes and a strong finish. This label won Gold across 2 vintages at the SF Intl Wine Competition.

This is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignion, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petite Verdot. 

This was garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced and well integrated black currant and black raspberry and cherry fruits with notes of spice, tobacco leaf, black tea, leather and cedar with moderate tannins on a tangy acidic finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2767156

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Merlot Malbec 2016

This is sourced from regional grapes including from growers on New York Long Island, it is a blend of Bordeaux varietals, 55% Merlot and 45% Malbec. 

Before this trip, my 'benchmark' for New York red wines was Cabernet Franc which here-to-fore was largely uninspiring. I was surprised (pleasantly) to discover other New York varietals, especially Bordeaux varietals, that were notably pleasant sipping and even serious drinking wines. 

Like those above, this exceeded my expectations and was a pleasant, easy drinking red blend. They cite that this is one of their most popular and consistently awarded labels. The bottle label indicates it won Gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and the medals board notes it won a Gold at the New York Wine Classic.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced, smooth dark berry fruits with notes of dark mocha chocolate, dried cherries and hints of spice and tea on a moderate lingering finish. 

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3860675

Other Wines Tasted ...

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Reserve Chardonnay 2017

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Barrel Rose' 2018

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Dry Riesling 2017 

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Cabernet Franc 2017 

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Two Cabs 2015

Whitecliff Vineyards New York Merlot 2015 

 

 

 

Whitecliff Vineyards website - https://www.whitecliffwine.com/

@WhitecliffVino

https://twitter.com/gunkswine 

 

Poughkeepsie Hudson Valley New York destination

Poughkeepsie New York Hudson Valley destination site of numerous attractions, points of interest, and wine trails

Traveling to the region for son Alec's vow renewal wedding celebration, we stayed over to visit the Hudson River Valley. We centered our activities and logistics in the town of Poughkeepsie, NY which proved to be ideal with proximity to a wide range of attractions and varied points of interest: numerous wineries and vineyards on the Duchess County and Shawangunk Wine Trails, CIA - Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park campus, Marist University, Vasser College, President Franklin D Roosevelt Library, Vanderbilt Mansion and the legendary IBM Poughkeepsie campus. 

We toured the beautiful campus of Marist University overlooking the banks of the Hudson. It was emotional and heartfelt seeing the James Cannavino library bequeathed by former boss and dear friend Jim Cannavino.  

Another incredible attraction is the spectacular New York State Park "Walkway Over the Hudson", a footbridge crossing high above the Hudson on a trestle bridge overlooking and adjacent to the Mid-Valley Hudson River highway bridge. the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world (212 feet tall, 1.28 miles long). 

 

The town of Poughkeepsie also has a historic district, Little Italy and other historic sites. 

On the west bank of the Hudson, opposite the town of Poughkeepsie is the Shawangunk Wine Trail,  home to 13 wineries nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River, just 60 miles north of NYC. 

We spent a day visiting several select producers in the area along the Shawangunk (Mountains) Wine Trail:

Whitecliff Vineyards in Gardner, New York

Benmarl Winery and Vineyards in Marlboro-Hudson, New York

Stoutridge Winery in Marlboro, New York

We finished the day dining at Henry's on the Farm at the historic Buttermilk Falls Inn.

As we left the region, we toured south along the Hudson to the town of Newburgh, New York, a  picturesque river town with several riverfront eateries. We dined at Billy Joe's  Ribworks on the waterfront with a view down the river several miles down to West Point. 

 

 

We finished our Hudson Valley tour with a visit to West Point and the US Army Military Academy before hitting the road back to Chicago.