New York Riesling Experience

Spicy fruity Riesling is one of my favorite grapes (perhaps because my education in wine appreciation began when I lived in Germany during my 20s. Riesling has been cultivated in Germany for hundreds of years and the country's white wines are phenomenal). It's also a grape that does well in New York.

Now we can celebrate this grape with a local festival! Applewood Winery will host the first New York Riesling Experience from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 2 & 3 at the winery, located on 82 Four Corners Road in Warwick (Orange County). The event will feature Riesling tastings, Riesling food and wine pairings, chef demonstrations, winemaker discussions, free recipes, and live entertainment. Admission is $12 if tickets are purchased before April 30 or $15 at the door. Admission also includes admission to the Applewood tasting room with more than a dozen different Applewood wines to taste. To purchase tickets, call 845-988-9292.

Here is more info from the event's press release:

Winemaker/owner Jonathan Hull states that “Riesling is the grape of the 21st century. It is also a grape underdog. It ... is the ultimate food wine. The grape has great flexibility, as it can be made, dry, semi dry, sweet, late harvest and ice wine. This grape grows very well in New York State and I want to bring awareness of the grape and the wonderful wines it produces to the wine consumer.”

About Riesling ... Riesling vines are tough. They thrive in cold climates, on steep hillsides, and in marginal soil. The green-skinned grapes ripen later than many other varieties, and sometimes are left hanging on the vine to produce sweet late harvest wines or even ice wines when the grapes actually freeze on the vines. The aromas in the wine that the Riesling grape produces tend to be pear, apple, jasmine, lime, honey and some spice. The flavors range from bright, fresh citrus to ripe tropical fruit. The New York Riesling Experience customer will have the option to taste the many different variety of wines the Riesling grape produces, as well as a variety of Riesling wines produced throughout the world.

Applewood Winery is in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley! Come discover the oldest working farm in Orange County and one of the oldest west of the Hudson River. The Hull family and their friends began planting apple and peach trees in former pastures in 1949. In 1994 the winery was created and vineyards planted.