Francesco Ciummo built Demarest Hill from a 135-acre Warwick hilltop after growing up on his family’s vineyards in Molise, Italy. He and his wife, Orietta, opened the winery to the public in 1998, and Francesco later began distilling in 2006. Today, his estate-made wines and spirits bring a distinctly southern Italian tradition to the Hudson Valley.
Ventosa VineyardsOpened in 2005 by Lenny and Meg Cecere, Ventosa Vineyards makes 100% estate-grown, produced, and bottled wines from its vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake. The Cecere family’s Italian winemaking roots reach back to Lenny’s grandfather, while the Geneva winery carries that heritage into older-vintage, dry, Old World-style reds and the uncommon New York planting of Tocai Friulano. Alongside its hand-painted Tuscan tasting room, Ventosa operates Café Toscana and a destination wedding venue on the estate.GENEVA, NY
Magnanini WineryFounded by the Magnanini family in Wallkill in 1983, Magnanini Winery grows its own grapes and turns them into Hudson Valley wines, grappas, and sangrias. The family’s roots in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region shape the estate’s signature experience: Sunday family-style dinners began in 1985 and pair multi-course meals with wine, music, and dancing. Set among 14 acres of vineyard, the winery also welcomes visitors to its tasting-room restaurant and hosts weddings and other gatherings.WALLKILL, NY
Nostrano VineyardsFounded in 2010 on the Trapani family’s 65-acre fruit farm in Milton, Nostrano Vineyards grows Hudson Valley grapes and makes small-batch estate wines. The family’s fruit-growing tradition reaches back to 1943, and today the hilltop tasting room pairs those wines with a relaxed farm setting, local cheeseboards, and wood-fired pizza. Nostrano also hosts a limited number of weddings each year among its vines, apple orchards, and creekside willow tree.MILTON, NY
Ferrante Winery & RistoranteSince 1937, the Ferrante family has been making wine, now pairing its nationally and internationally acclaimed bottles with Italian cooking at its Harpersfield Township winery and ristorante. The family’s legacy began in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood and continues today through five of Peter and Josephine Ferrante’s eight children, with live music and seasonal events adding to the table-side experience.GENEVA, OH