Wine tastings are the most underrated of the fall activities, which is kind of weird, because who doesn't love wine?
People don't usually immediately think of New York when it comes to wine but in all seriousness, do you know anything about the area above the Bronx (125th street actually, let's be real)?
If you travel basically less than an hour out of NYC, you hit woods, farmland, and some weird small towns– all of which make for great day trips, but none more so than the many wineries that pepper the Hudson Valley.
We've rounded up even more wineries that are just outside our city for you and your squad to hit up. So start cozying up to your one friend who has a car (we know, she sucks, but it's worth it).
Don't forget to check out their websites before you make the trip though– nothing worse than traveling an hour or more just to realize you've arrived during a ticket-only event.
Most of these places are open through the season, because when does wine season end, truly? In our hearts, never.
1. Millbrook Vineyards & Winery (26 Wing Road - Millbrook, New York)
This lovely vineyard can get pretty busy, but it's also huge. They offer tours as well as two types of tastings, a cross-section of their portfolio, and a reserve tasting of their premiere wines. Tastings are also held in their beautiful 1940's barn and loft space.
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Like many of the vineyards on this list, Millbrook boasts spectacular views of the countryside. They're open year-round to visit.
2. Benmarl Winery (156 Highland Avenue - Marlboro, New York)
Go here just to try their Blush, which has hints of lime, orange blossom, and mango. It's as amazing as it sounds. This quaint stop has a very friendly, knowledgable staff and a cute cat named Sophie, who might be lying around if you go when it isn't busy.
It's no surprise that Benmarl hosts weddings because it's seriously gorgeous. Don't forget to Instagram their amazing view and creep around the beautiful bed & breakfast (ask permission). Tastings are $10 for 6 wines and on weekends, they also fire up their wood-fired pizza oven.
3. Stoutridge Vineyard (10 Anne Kaley Lane - Marlboro, New York)
Stoutridge is probably one of the more unique wineries you could visit. Run by two chemists from Cornell, all of their wines are natural, so no additives or chemicals at all– actually, their wines take 5 years to make. Since they don't filter or even use pumps, they taste like old fashioned wines.
The winery itself is built into a hillside on the site of a pre-prohibition era winery; they were able to construct an energy efficient way, using the earth's natural temperature, to keep their wine temperate year-round. They're open Friday through Sunday.
4. Torne Valley Vineyards (1 Torne Valley Road - Hillburn, New York)
If you're looking for some bomb sangria, this is your place. Wine tastings are only offered on weekends and they also do live music.
But really, the reason to go here is because the venue and scenery are seriously beautiful. The historic 1875 mansion that sits on the property is a very popular event space– it's even on Martha Stewart's list of best New York wineries to host a wedding.
5. Applewood Orchards & Winery (82 4 Corners Road - Warwick, New York)
Um, you can also go apple picking (and pumpkin picking for a limited time!) here, so you can cram ALL the fall activities into this excursion. Also, they have insane cider donuts, do not leave without a cider donut.
BUT ANYWAY, back to wine. Tastings are $6 per person and they make Chardonnay, Carbernet Franc, Riesling, barrel fermented reds, and fruit wines like Hard Apple Cider. Speaking to how dope their wine is, you can pretty much only taste it at their winery because their bottles are usually spoken for as soon as its made.
6. Bashakill Vineyards (1131 South Road - Wurtsboro, New York)
This place is about 2 hours from Manhattan and is only open on weekends but it's definitely worth the hike for the scenic drive. You can try 4 wines for FREE but for $10 you can try their entire list of available wine, and keep your glass.
They also offer tapas and antipasti small plates that complement their wine selection.
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Fun fact: They store their red wine in a 67-yard concrete cave that they cut into a mountain, that keeps the wine at a constant temperature with high humidity– an ideal environment for reds.
7. Robibero Family Vineyards (714 Albany Post Road - New Paltz, New York)
At Robibero, you can bring a picnic lunch (no beverages, including water!) and lounge on their beautiful lawn with your wine. They also sell a selection of cheeses, meats, hummus, and crackers. Their bottles also go from $15 to $30, so you can definitely stay on a budget.
Also, heads up: Caramel. Apple. Sangria.
They're open Thursday through Monday and tastings end 30 minutes before they close at 5:30 p.m. They also have two dogs that usually hang around that are ridiculously cute. One of them is literally small enough that he can fit in a large wine glass. Like, OMG stop.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]