Wine Tasting & Local Wineries

No need to stomp the grapes like in the classic episode of I Love Lucy to get a good glass of wine. There are several local vineyards & wineries right here within your reach!

I went wine tasting last fall & this is the perfect time of year when the grapes are ripe & the wineries of the nearby capital region are open for tastings. It was a fun & cultural experience & I can't wait to go back this year for some more local wine tasting. It was fun just to see the rows & rows of different types of grapes hanging from the vines. My mom felt as though she was back at a vineyard in Italy!

With your sample of locally made wine you will usually get a brief lesson on the wine's notes & pairings. Great for entertaining at home or around the holidays. I purchased a few of my favorite bottles & opened them on Thanksgiving & Xmas. And the wine tasting was very affordable, only $12 where I visited & I was able to keep the wine glass.

Here are some local vineyard & wineries:

Altamont Winery right in Altamont only 20 minutes from Albany who's having their Annual Hallowine Fest this weekend (see my other story posted from yesterday)

Adirondack Winery only an hour away in beautiful Lake George where they brew their own wine & feature custom wine labels.

Saratoga Winery only 30 minutes away from Albany right outside of Saratoga Springs where they make their own wine, offer tastings & customize labels complete with even horses to commemorate track season.

If you would like to venture southeast of the capital region down to Dutchess County you will find many wineries in the Dutchess County Wine Trail. I visited a few of these wineries & they are only an hour & a half away.

The Cascade Mountain Winery in Amenia, nestled way on top of a mountain in the Hudson Valley Region. Although they don't grow their own grapes any more, the wine tasting & wine is of such quality its well worth it. My favorite was a sweet dessert wine called Heavenly Daze.

The Millbrook Winery in Millbrook is an experience that was so beautiful with all the rows of grapes, the wonderful wines, the art gallery, the scenic grounds &  the affordability & accessibility so close to the capital region.

The Dutchess County Wine Trail continues to Clinton Vineyards just 15 minutes away from the Millbrook Winery in Clinton Corners. With a French influence, the many wines are available for tastings including the black currant wine.

So much culture, so little time. Wine tasting was a great experience so I raise my glass of wine & toast to you on your advernture! Salude!

p.s. try the apple wine when you go apple picking, its so sweet & its wine!

credit: getty images