Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery

  |  March 5, 2013
Whitecliff Vineyard

During the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week kickoff event on February 19, Mark and I got to sample some wines grown and produced from the Whitecliff Vineyard in Gardiner (Ulster County).

Michael Migliore and Yancey Stanforth-Migliore bought the land that would become the Whitecliff Vineyard in 1979 and began selling wines in 1999. At 26 acres, they have one of the largest vineyards in New York State.

The first thing I want to say about their wines is…drink their Red Trail wine. Oh my is it good. To be honest, I am not a wine buff or expert by any stretch of the imagination. So I can’t write that it has an ‘oaky undertone with a rich cherry finish.’ It might… but honestly I have no idea. I actually hesitated about writing this article because I am so ignorant when it comes to wine-speak. But I drink wine. And I like wine. And in my opinion, every wine I tasted from the Whitecliff Vineyard was really good and I will definitely be buying more of it in the near future.

What I can tell you about the Red Trail wine is what Yancey Stanforth-Migliore told me…that it is made with heritage grapes from the Hudson Valley region. So they are completely suited for the soil and climate in which they are grown. I tried several other wines from their vineyards, which were all quite good. But quite frankly I can’t seem to get the Red Trail out of my mind. I think I may have found a new obsession. 🙂

My love for their Red Trail wine aside, what really puts Whitecliff Vineyard on the map is that their 2009 Riesling took Double Gold and Best White Wine in show at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

If you are interested in trying any of these wonderful wines yourself, many of the restaurants that are participating in the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week will offer Whitecliff Vineyard wines on their menu.

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