10 Best Wineries and Vineyards in New York State

Bully Hill Vineyards has quite a storied history. It started when Greyton H. Taylor started Taylor Wine Co. at the very same location where Bully Hill is today. Fast-forward to when his grandson, Walter, joined the winery. Walter was unhappy about wineries receiving secret deliveries of juice from California. He spoke out about it and was fired. Taylor Wine Co. had already relocated, so Walter founded Bully Hill Vineyards.

There’s a lot more to the storey that won’t fit in this small space, so give yourself time to explore the museum. There’s a restaurant at the vineyard, with great views of Lake Keuka. The vineyard is located in Hammondsport and is open daily for tours and tastings.

Benmarl Winery is home to one of the oldest vineyards in the country. The winery actually was the first in the state to get a New York Farm Winery licence. Benmarl’s 37-acre estate is located in the Hudson River Valley with views to match. The winery hosts live music regularly and has festivals to celebrate wine, such as a sangria festival.

Benmarl’s approach to winemaking is small batch, curated wines. You can take a tour of the cellars in addition to sampling daily tastings. Reservations are required for private tours, but guests can also purchase tickets to regular events. Benmarl offers a variety of red and white wines, including a cabernet franc and riesling.

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery is the Hudson Valley’s flagship winery. Its enchanting estate provides gorgeous views of the Catskill Mountains. The winery is located in the village of Millbrook, which is a short drive from Manhattan. Millbrook Vineyards & Winery offers tastings and tours both indoors and outside and has a robust calendar of events from floral design to live jazz.

The Vineyard Taproom and Terrace is the prime location for you to sip samples of a variety of white and red wines while overlooking the vineyards below – with the Catskills as the dramatic backdrop. In the taproom, you can choose wine by the glass or bottle, and enjoy cheese plates and snacks.

Brotherhood Winery has such a storied history, there’s a book about it: The Story of Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery. Located in the Hudson River Valley, Brotherhood specialises in old-world wines and spiced wines. They even have a line of fruity wine seltzers.

Here, you’ll discover that with the old-world wine comes the old-world charm of the winery itself. Whether you’re attending a wedding, private party, or corporate event, you’ll find a gorgeous setting in the Grand Salon in the winery’s 19th Century stone building. As a guest of the winery, you can choose from tours, tastings, and a bar/restaurant. Wine selections range from reds, whites, and rosé to mead, honey wine, and spiced, old-world holiday wine.

Boundary Breaks Vineyard is located in the Finger Lakes region and credits Seneca Lake with providing the perfectly cool climate to grow grapes, particularly the Riesling variety. Seneca Lake is so deep, it rarely freezes, providing a pocket of warmth in cold winters. Located in Lodi, the husband-and-wife team leading the vineyard specialises in cool-climate grapes, including Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Cabernet Franc.

At Boundary Breaks, you’ll discover offerings such as daily tastings at its vineyard overlooking the beautiful Seneca Lake. At the vineyard, you can also experience regular live music and other events.

If you are looking for a swanky spot for a private wine party, then Spring Lake Winery on the Niagara Wine Trail might be for you. Spring Lake Winery at Varallo Vineyards is located in Lockport and is a popular wedding and private party spot. Spring Lake Winery also offers daily wine tastings and small bites and sandwiches at their café.

The family-run winery is 3 generations strong and started when the Varallo family came from Italy. In addition to private events, you can also experience regular live music and events like yoga. And in terms of wine, you can discover a variety of reds and whites at Spring Lake, including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and an old-vine Zinfandel.

Fox Run Vineyards wants to make wine more approachable, so they limit their group tastings to 12 people. The rustic tasting room is in a restored barn, a remnant of the days when the land was a dairy farm. The land now nourishes grapes from reds to whites at the vineyard.

Fox Run doesn’t take reservations for their tours and tastings. Their list of wines is extensive and includes Riesling and Cabernet Franc, as well as a Lemberger – a red grape that loves the cool temperatures of the Finger Lakes region. While you are there, you’ll want to check out the 4-acre butterfly and bee sanctuary that helps pollinate all those grapevines.

Dr. Konstantin Frank was a pioneer winemaker in the Finger Lakes region in the 1950s and helped New York become more widely known as a “wine” state. The cosy tasting room has a stunning view of Keuka Lake, and the winery is home to some of the oldest Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir vines on the East Coast.

The winery is open daily for tastings, but you’re recommended to reserve a spot as the limit of people per group is 6. Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is well-known for its traditional method sparkling wines, including a brut and a sparkling riesling. They also have a variety of white and red wines for you to taste and purchase.

Did you know that there is a vineyard in Brooklyn? Rooftop Reds is exactly what the name suggests – it’s a rooftop vineyard atop the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The innovative use of urban space covers 14,800 square feet and features 42 planters where the vines grow. The vineyard produces 20-25 cases of wine each year.

As a visitor to the rooftop wine bar, you can sample Rooftop Reds wines as well as others from New York. There are a variety of red, white, and blush wines, including a Traminette, a Cabernet Franc dry rosé, and a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. You can also sip some vino on the rooftop under the stars at one of the venue’s many events, including pizza-and-wine film nights.

Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery is an artisanal Hudson Valley spot run by a husband-and-wife duo. They focus on producing sustainable wines that are also vegan. The award-winning vineyard and winery has 2 locations for tasting: one in Gardiner and one in Hudson.

Here, you’ll discover a vineyard that sustainably grows 20 different varieties of grapes, both reds and whites. The vineyard is well-known for its Merlot Malbec blend. The Shawangunk Cliffs provide the setting for the vineyard, which is open regularly for tastings and special events such as yoga and floral design.