New York Wine

New York State is located in the Atlantic Northeast of the USA. It is one of the top four wine producing states in America both for number of vines planted and gallons of wine produced. From Long Island on the east coast to the shores of Lake Erie in the central west, there is a huge range of grape growing regions. Most of the State wineries are small family run businesses with much of the wine made for early drinking and local consumption.

New York State has a very diverse terrain shaped by ice age glaciers that have left behind deep valleys and sloping hillsides. The glaciers carved out the Finger Lakes and shaped the wide Hudson River. Well-drained gravel and shale soils were left behind with silt and loam adding moderate fertility. The climate is characterized by warm days and cool nights with all New York wine regions benefiting in some way from a body of water. These lakes, rivers and the Atlantic Ocean help to moderate temperatures in the summer and tame the often severe winters. Annual rainfall is 30 inches (760 mm) to 50 inches (1270 mm) and hurricanes can also be a problem. The growing season is short in Lake Erie and the Finger Lakes at 170 to 200 days but relatively longer on Long Island, which has an average of 220 days. The humidity and rainfall is also higher in Long Island.

More than 80% of the grapes grown in New York State are native Vitis labrusca varieties with a high proportion of those being Concord. The state is forging a new wine reputation based on quality Vitis vinifera varieties. Increasingly, the region is being recognized for producing premium wines with Riesling leading the way. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are being used for still and sparkling wines. French/American hybrids are also used in an endeavor to get the best from both. The native Vitis labrusca can survive better in this often harsh climate while the cross with Vitis vinifera increases quality.