WHITECLIFF VINEYARD

RECOGNIZED BY HUDSON VALLEY Magazine as “one of the Valley’s most ambitious wineries,” Whitecliff produces fine, complex wines that stand out both here in the Hudson Valley, and on the world wine stage. We have a gorgeous site, with spectacular cliff views of the Shawangunk Ridge near New Paltz.

We received a truly prestigious and game-changing award last summer, a Double Gold and Best White Wine in Show, for our 2009 Riesling at the San Francisco International Wine Competition—huge for a small East Coast family winery. San Francisco is the oldest, biggest and most prestigious wine competition in America. In 2010, 1,290 wineries submitted wines from 27 countries, and 28 states. In a blind tasting by 45 respected judges, our Riesling was judged to be the very best white, winning over some amazing wines from around the world. This says that Whitecliff—and Hudson Valley winemaking—have truly arrived on the world wine stage!

The Wall Street Journal also pointed out that “Wines often taste better at the winery for many reasons, including the scenery, but these were even more impressive with food.” Perhaps for that reason, Whitecliff wines are served at some of the best restaurants in the area, including the DePuy Canal House, the Culinary Institute of America, The Gramercy Tavern, and Peter Kelly’s Xavier’s, Restaurant X and X20.

We have dedicated more than 30 years to finding and planting grape varieties that succeed on our Hudson Valley site and will produce wines we are proud of. The driveway approach to our Tasting Room brings visitors through the heart of our vineyard. In the fall the vines will be covered with grapes, and draped with netting for protection from birds and deer. In spring the drive is past tiny soft green leaves and buds. Summer brings full foliage, and winter bare canes and pruning. Whatever the season, visitors will see what’s going on in one of the biggest vineyards in the Hudson Valley, and by the time they reach the Tasting Room will understand our serious commitment to viticulture.

We’ve completed our new green winery building just in time for the 2011 crush! Its geothermal cooling and heating system is particularly appropriate for wine processing and storage, since we will be working with the year-round underground temperature of 54 degrees – just the temperature for storage of happy wine!

We’re proud to have TWO wines on the list at New York City’s famed Gramercy Tavern: our Gamay Noir and, new there as of this summer, our Awosting White. Gramercy has traditionally focused on classic vinifera varietals, so our Awosting is their first hybrid wine!