Wine In NY Before Red Hook Winery
Ever since the Dutch settled on New York soil, in the 17th Century, the state has produced wine in one form or another. In fact, it is home to the US' oldest continuously operating winery. Hudson Valley's Brotherhood Winery has been going for over 175 years.
In total, NY has a grand total of 11 dedicated viticultural areas, i.e. 11 areas dedicated to growing grapes for the exclusive purpose of winemaking. And, as of 2019, it is home to 470 different wineries.
Despite this, however, it's far from the first place you think of when you think about American wine. Not yet, anyway.
But Brooklyn's Red Hook Winery aims to change this.
Enter Red Hook Winery
In 2009, recognising the potential of New York's flourishing wine culture, Mark Snyder set-up Red Hook Winery on a pier in Brooklyn's Redhook, just across the bay from manhattan's elevated acre. His aim: to pop the cork on NY's wine scene.
His team gather fruit from diverse and unusual vineyards all across the state, and then develop them from grape to wine, in house, at Red Hook Winery.
They offer a wide variety of wines, broadcasting the huge potential of NY's soil types and climates. The difference between the produce of the sea-whipped shores of Long Island's North Fork, and the wintry vineyards of Finger Lakes is more than remarkable. It has to be tasted to be believed!
Fortnately, Red Hook Winery have you covered there.
The Tasting Room
Their tasting room is the perfect place to sample their wines. There are over 70, however. It might take you a good few visits to taste the lot!
Still, with views of the Statue of Liberty and, across the bay, Manhattan, it's well worth the multiple visits.
One More Thing
Brooklyn also has a history in a very different type of liquor. Find out more in our post on Van Brunt Stillhouse.
Interested in finding more places like this? Try one of our Scavenger Hunts in NYC - untangle cryptic clues as a team, as you are taken on a journey to the most unique, unusual and bizarre corners of NYC.
