It’s pretty safe to say that the farm-to-table local food movement is firmly established in the Hudson Valley region these days. But for whatever reason, says Perry Goldschein, proprietor of Gardiner’s Hudson Valley Wine Market, a similar appreciation for locally produced wine hasn’t quite happened yet in the same way. “People think local for all kinds of food, and the Hudson Valley has become a huge culinary region, but it seems that people aren’t connecting wine as part of that movement,” he says. “And yet it is. Many, if not most of the local wineries are growing their own grapes or buying them from Hudson Valley grape growers to make truly local Hudson Valley wines.”
So in collaboration with Hudson Valley Wine magazine, Goldschein is launching a new Wine Farmers’ Market wine-tasting event series designed to highlight locally produced wines and introduce people to wineries that have won major awards and are well-regarded by wine media and critics in recent years. Popular limo tours are being organized to promote the movement. The Wine Farmers’ Market (WFM) will be modeled after traditional farmers’ markets, but with the emphasis on Hudson Valley wines and craft beverages, as well as the foods that pair well with them.
The first event will be held this Saturday, May 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. outdoors under a tent and covered porch — rain or shine — at Gardiner Gables, the small shopping plaza where Sand Hill Road meets Route 44/55, across the street from the Hudson Valley Wine Market at 119 Main Street in Gardiner. Several wineries will offer complimentary tastings, and food vendors, including LunaGrown and Tantillo’s Farm, will offer free culinary samples.
Over the course of the series, participating wineries and food vendors will vary, so each of the planned markets will be a different experience, Goldschein says. The overall roster includes Applewood Winery of Warwick, Brotherhood Winery of Washingtonville, Cereghino Smith of Bloomington, Glorie Farm Winery of Marlboro, Hudson-Chatham Winery of Ghent, Millbrook Winery of Millbrook, Robibero Winery of New Paltz, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery and Gardiner’s Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, along with Gardiner’s Tuthilltown Spirits and Yankee Folly Cidery, a new cider maker based in New Paltz.
Pre-registration isn’t required for the free events, but for those who do register at www.HVwine.net, it brings perks. “People can come just for the fun of it and to enjoy the complimentary wine tasting, and if they want to buy, they can,” says Goldschein. “But if they do register, they’ll get a discount on anything they buy along with a free gift.”
A portion of sales will benefit local charities, including Scenic Hudson.
Following the initial Wine Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 10, the second market in the series will be held June 14, followed by events on July 19, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11 (all Saturdays).
Goldschein has featured Hudson Valley wines in his shop since he opened his doors for business in early 2013, and hopes that the markets will encourage the public to look closer to home when purchasing wine. When the conversation turned to Gardiner’s Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery’s prestigious win a few years back at the International Wine Competition in San Francisco — their 2009 Riesling was judged best white wine by a panel of 45 prominent wine judges, beating out 1,300 white wines from 27 countries and 28 states — Goldschein said, “That’s a good example of what the Hudson Valley wineries can do. They won not just best Riesling, but overall best white wine at one of the biggest wine shows, and right in Napa’s backyard. It’s a real David-and-Goliath story.”
For more information about the Wine Farmers’ Markets, call (845) 255-0600 or visit www.hudsonvalleywinemarket.com.
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