Discover The Wines of New York

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.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Unique Wines & Spirits To Get This Holiday Season

The holidays are the perfect excuse to break out that top bottle of whiskey or rare stout. And giving one as a gift never fails. Here, we picked the whiskey, beer, tequila, and more we'd want to give to others over the holidays that we'll try not to just keep for our own home bar.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Wines To Stock Up On This Fall

Alexandra Reconco

Are you looking for the perfect wine for a certain kind of person or an event but you aren’t quite sure what to get? Well, we got you covered with our list of all different kinds of wines that you could buy for that event you have to go to or for someone you aren’t quite sure what to buy them. Our list of wines are perfect for the fall time and can be enjoyed by all types of people even those who say they don’t really like wine.

Perfect with dessert: 2013 Kenefick Doctor's Cuvée

A significant wine, the color is a saturated ruby purple and the wine exhibits plenty of new saddle leather, crème de cassis, blackberry, truffle, charcoal and earth followed by a full-bodied, super-concentrated, layered mouthfeel that goes on for a good 45 to 50 seconds.” 95 Points, Robert Parker,The Wine Advocate

Pair it with pasta: LAPOSTOLLE Cuvée Alexandre Carmenere Colchagua Valley 2016

Lapostolle is one of the most dynamic and influential wine producers in Chile. The Cuvée Alexandre range is named for founder Alexandra Lapostolle-Marnier’s great grandfather (who created Grand Marnier), and is entirely sourced from their own vineyards. This wine offers expressive aromas of red and black fruit such as maqui berry and spices such as red pepper, vanilla and dill. It’s ideal for rich dishes, such as a four-cheese pasta with truffles.

For the in-between moments of joy: Erath 2016 Oregon Pinot Noir

 In between holiday parties and big family meals, it’s nice to have a bottle for intimate moments, like decorating the tree or baking fresh cookies. Erath’s Oregon Pinot Noir is the perfect wine for anyone.

For when you want to show off Ao Yun 2015

Ao Yun, the first wine estate in the Himalayas introduces its voluptuous and spicy third vintage, Ao Yun 2015. Born from the pioneering spirit and tradition of Moët Hennessy, this multi-layered and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc blend is their most extraordinary vintage yet. Born from a dream beginning 10 years ago, Ao Yun is the premiere luxury wine from China, created in a previously unexplored terroir in the Yunnan province. 2015 was their warmest and driest year yet with the 2015 vintage revealing notes of cold chimenea, Mysore sandalwood, Dhofar incense, and crushed strawberries.

For a cold night in: YALUMBA Y Series Shiraz Viognier South Australia 2016

The Yalumba Y Series represents a collection of iconic classics and exciting new varietals. The Shiraz Viognier of this series displays luscious aromas of blueberry, vanilla bean and violets. The Shiraz grapes were carefully selected to ensure the perfume and aromatic profile compliment the fragrance of Viognier. The soft tannins and dark chocolate finish balance each other perfectly to show the beautiful synergy between the two grape varieties. Can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes such as slow roasted Turkish lamb and potatoes or stuffed eggplants.

For the person who can’t get enough of the holiday turkey: Chateau Ste. Michelle 2016 Eroica Riesling

Offering sweet lime and mandarin orange aromas, this Riesling is easy to match with a variety of foods – so no matter how many sides you put on your plate, this wine will pair perfectly.

For those who love to experiment with food and wine combinations: Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane

Offering melon and cantaloupe aromas with good acidity and a lighter softer tannin on the finish due to less time on the skins, this Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane is the wine to explore those food and wine combinations.  

For the person you want to impress: INSTRINSIC 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

If you need a gift that will impress, INSTRINSIC has you covered as the ultimate holiday present. This wine is every bit as delicious as the bottle is beautiful and features a rustic, yet silky texture. Whether it’s for your new beau or boss, this wine is sure to grab attention this holiday season.

For the person who loves to try something newMosmieri’s Rkatsiteli

Offering an acidic, balanced white wine with spicy and floral notes in the aroma, this Rkatsiteli is perfect for simple dishes, different kinds of cheese, dishes with potatoes, salads, and meat. This is amber wine but the fermentation is done in a steel tank, rather than in a qvevri: so, you get the grip of skins, but with some of the freshness that tank wines are known for.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Prayers of Sinners & Saints Your Go-To Wine For Halloween

Everyone’s favorite time of year is right around the corner and all things spooky and scary are beginning to pop up again. For this Halloween a brand new company, Prayers of Sinners & Saints, just came out with two wine varietals that will bring out the sinner or saint in all of us this Halloween.

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