By Christopher Matthews

While it is one of the oldest wine regions in the US, dating back to the 17^th century, the Hudson Valley (HV) has always been a heterogeneous agricultural area, with many different crops and fruits under cultivation, and a challenging place in terms of climate to grow wine grapes (especially vitis vinifera). Factor in development pressure in recent decades and the cost of real estate, and it is understandable why many HV wineries have depended heavily on grapes from other New York State regions, namely the Finger Lakes and Long Island, to make their wines. When the Hudson Valley Wine Competition (HVWC) started back in 2008, one could count the number of wines made solely from HV fruit on one hand!

Fast forward to the 2023 HVWC, held last month at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY, and the situation has changed dramatically – of the 72 wines entered, 49 wines (over two-thirds) were made with HV fruit, and most of the major winners, too — a truly remarkable turnabout in less than a generation!

Evolution, not revolution 

Viticulture takes time, as grape vines only start yielding fruit in year three from planting (assuming things go well). It also takes land, but not just any parcel: vines have to be planted in viable areas (i.e. good sun exposure, soil composition and air and water drainage), capable of long-term, quality production. Finding suitable sites and establishing new vineyards are expensive prospects in the HV, and not for the faint of heart.

So, it has not happened all at once, but through the dedicated and dogged efforts of some veteran HV wine pioneers, like Benmarl, Millbrook and Whitecliff, coupled with some savvy newcomers, like Fjord, Milea and Rosina, the HV’s vineyards writ large have clearly expanded and improved. Not only has this commitment led to more and better locally sourced wines, but it has also preserved valuable agricultural land and open space – a win-win result!

The 2023 HVWC has confirmed this successful, happy evolution.

Winners and highlights

Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery once again shone brightly, scoring a trifecta for the Hudson River Region (HRR) with its world class North River Blanc de Blanc (NV), a méthode champenoise sparkler, by winning Best in Show, Best Overall Hudson Valley Wine (made with HV fruit) and Best Sparkling.

Benmarl Winery earned the Winery of the Year accolade on the back of three Double Golds, one of which for its 2022 Seyval, which won the Best White Wine. Another Benmarl Double Gold, its 2021 Field Blend, a spry, peppery red vinifera blend composed of Blaufrankish, Cab Franc and Saparivi, came out of my panel, and was the runner-up for Best Red.  

Speaking of Best Red, that went to Millbrook Vineyard & Winery’s Proprietor’s Special Reserve 2021 Cabernet Franc, a superb example of what the HV can do with Cab Franc, underscoring the grape’s status as a signature red vinifera variety of the HV. This was my vote for Best in Show/Best Overall HV Wine (which only narrowly lost to Whitecliff’s North River in both cases). Of the 14 HVWCs that have been held to date, a Cab Franc-based wine has won Best Red 12 times – an 86% win-rate is certainly no accident!

Rounding out the “Best of”, Robibero Winery won Best Rosé with its 2022 New Yorkie, and the Best Cider went to Merchants Daughter’s “Clara”.

On a personal note, I was quite enamored with Millbrook’s 2022 Proprietor’s Special Reserve Dry Riesling, a zesty and powerful Riesling in the Alsatian style that I scored a Gold. Alas, my panel awarded it a Silver, but I highly recommend it, as it shows Riesling’s excellent HV potential.

Overall, the 2023 HVWC was a great and encouraging snapshot of the HV wine scene, put together once again by Debbie Gioquindo and her stalwart crew. For the complete results, check here.

Cheers!