Cascade Vineyards, New York

Dateline: 10/27/99

When we did our three-winery trip in August, the last stop of the eastern Hudson Valley Wineries was Cascade Winery. Well known for its restaurant, this winery is tucked into the eastern edge of New York, in rolling hills and wooded glens.

They're open 10-5 year round, so we had ample time to drive slowly through the twisting roads, over hills and onto dirt roads. After a while we slowed, and saw the chalet-looking building which houses the restaurant and winery, alongside the dirt road. Very cozy!

We picked up the winery tour guides and walked around through the aging area. The guide had helpful notes, for example describing how oak barrels give wine a vanilla and oak flavor. It also explains the Cascade philosophy of grapes:

"At Cascade Mountain we believe that no grape variety is perfect by itself, hence the need to blend in hopes of compensating for varietal and seasonal shortcomings. That being the case, for our white wines we use various combinations of Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Vidal, Riesling, Vignoles and Cayuga. For our reds the blends are from Cabernet Sauvignon, Foch, Merlot, Baco Noir, Leon Millot and Chancellor."

Done with the tour, we moved up to the tasting bar where a friendly woman was pouring out the wine. We found that the Foch, Chancellor and Baco Noir are grown here, the Cab and Chard on Long Island, and the rest in Florida.

We began with the 1997 Seyval - 80% Seyval and 20% Chardonnay. This is aged in stainless steel and is very fresh and crisp tasting. The 1997 Vintage Private Reserve is the same wine aged in oak barrels. This was still a bit crisp, but had developed a more buttery flavor.

Next came "Summertide" - a Seyval/Vidal blend. This is bright and fruity, sweet, and a bit fizzy. It's made in a Riesling style.

The 1997 Vintage Coeur de Lion was a FOch & Cab blend, with a slight bite and a nice finish. The 1997 Private Reserve Red is a Foch & Cab blend where half is aged for over ten years in oak. It has a high oaky flavor with a tannic taste.

The Harvest Rose, a Chancellor/Baco Noir, is a sangria-style drink that's light, fruity, and sweet. The 1997 Late Harvest Vignoles has flavors of apple and honey, and is smooth and easy to drink.

Cascade Winery was set up in 1972, with the first grapes being produced in 1977. Its rural setting is very peaceful - a walk through the vineyards found many birds and flowers that are often absent in the crisp manicured vineyards of larger establishments. A great location for a day trip!

New York Winery Reviews