Oak Summit Vineyard produces estate-bottled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from six acres of vines in Millbrook’s Dutchess Cardigan gravelly loam. John and Nancy Bruno oversee hand-planted, hand-trained Dijon-clone vines, pruning away at least 30% of each crop to concentrate the character of the fruit. The Hudson River Region winery’s wines have earned more than 50 major awards in national and international competitions.
Millbrook Vineyards & WineryFounded in 1982 on a former dairy farm, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery makes estate-grown wines in New York’s Hudson River Valley. It was the region’s first vineyard dedicated exclusively to vinifera grapes, and today its 130-acre estate includes 30 acres of vines and produces 10,000 to 15,000 cases annually. The restored Dutch barn welcomes visitors for tastings and tours, while the vineyard hosts events throughout the year.MILLBROOK, NY
Frontenac Point Vineyard & Estate WineryFounded by Jim and Carol Doolittle in 1978 on a former fruit-growing property overlooking Cayuga Lake, Frontenac Point Vineyard & Estate Winery grows its own grapes and makes small-batch Finger Lakes wines. The Doolittles handle the work from planting and hand-picking through winemaking, bottling, and presentation, with son Lawrence continuing the family business as its second generation. Licensed as New York’s farm winery No. 44 in 1982, Frontenac Point is especially distinctive for wines made entirely from grapes grown on its Cayuga Lake estate.TRUMANSBURG, NY
Victory View VineyardOn a rural farm in North Easton, Mary and Gerry Barnhart grow cold-climate grapes and handcraft estate wines at their family-owned Victory View Vineyard. The retired public-service couple began planting test vines after deciding to keep their farm in agriculture, and today their children and grandchildren help with vineyard work, bottling, and harvest. Their mostly dry wines draw on the Upper Hudson region’s rural roots and local history, with every grape grown on the property.SCHAGHTICOKE, NY
Buttonwood Grove WinerySince David and Melissa Pittard purchased the property in 2014, Buttonwood Grove Winery has grown into a family-run Finger Lakes winery producing estate wines beside Cayuga Lake. Dave’s roots at the fourth-generation Beak & Skiff Apple Farm inform the Pittards’ blend of agriculture and winemaking, while the family’s expansion of the vineyards and new winemaking building carries the property into its next chapter. Its 2016 Riesling won the 2017 Governor’s Cup as New York State’s best wine, and the site now pairs tastings with lakeside music and cabins among the vines.ROMULUS, NY