The Hudson River Region in mid-state New York has many wineries, of which we visited two during our short stay in the area. Let's talk today about the first one, Benmarl Winery the 2017 Hudson Valley Winery of the Year! (2018 has not been announced yet!). The vineyard has been growing grapes since the 1700's and only three families have owned and operated it. They strive to create balanced wines that are the best of the best, and they have the medals, vineyard awards, and "Wine Enthusiast" magazine awards to prove it.
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| Right outside the bow window of the tasting room was this classic truck, rusting gracefully among the late summer flowers. |
Located in Marlboro, NY, this winery was about 30 minutes from our campground and was nestled on the side of a beautifully appointed mountain which overlooked a portion of their 37 acre vineyard and the valley below. A very large tent was set up, readied for the annual grape-stomping event that was happening during the weekend. It was easy to see how this could also be a wonderful wedding and party venue for anyone looking for a rustic but elegant location. It was also perfect for a day-trip with friends, family, or a sweetheart.
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| Some of their award wining wines, proudly sporting their various medals. I only captured this bit. There was a mantle full of awards as well as other tables with medals and bottles! |
I am a white wine drinker as reds give me headaches and are always a bit too dry for my taste. My darling friend Angie (she and her husband are our friends as well as camping buddies) likes reds, so she tasted several and took home a few of them as well. Sweet honey and I tried the whites. The 2017 Seyval Blanc is a gold medal wine, a bit on the dryer side with hints of tart green apples. My favorite by far was the 2017 Stainless Steel Chardonnnay. Very crisp with a bit of an acidy aftertaste - which I love! I also loved the 2016 Traminette; very flowery and a touch sweet. We opted as well for the oaked 2016 Reserve Chardonney. It is aged in old Hungarian oak so it has a great buttery taste that you cannot find in steel aged wines. I like both types, so it's really just a preference when picking.
I am in no way a wine expert. I just know what I like and don't like, and with each wine tasting I attend I try to learn a bit more about the process of making wines as well as how to taste and understand a wine. I tend towards wines that are just a bit sweet and leave a nice aftertaste. My palette is definitely not refined but I know what I like when I drink it!
Of course, there were MANY wines to taste and pick, however, we tasted 6 in total that day.
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| Each tasting is accompanied by an informative sheet which lets you know about the wines available for tasting, as well as what would go great with that wine. When I can, I keep these for reference for future selections with our dinners. It's also great to have these on hand if you gift a bottle to someone. You can easily write the information and suggestions on a wine tag or card! You can see that I make copious notes on these sheets. I like to remember specific things about the wines and why I like it. |
The grounds of the winery are beautiful. It was an overcast day, but the sun would occasionally peak through the clouds. There were several areas to sit and watch the valley below or, if you prefer, you could tour the sweet gift shop and buy a wine related trinket or two.
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| We did not go into the B & B, but it was very reminiscent of a Swiss Chalet or Old European building. |
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| View from the rear of the buildings, overlooking the valley and some of the vines. |
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| Another view of the vines along the left back. The majority of the current vineyard was planted in the 1960's and are some of the oldest vines for winemaking in the entire Hudson Valley. |
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| Repurposed barrels as a water feature among the last of the summer blooms. I love when they go to seed and start to gently brown and curl at the edges. It gives it a romantic feel. |
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| This moss covered gazebo at the top of a short set of natural stairs would be an oh so romantic place for wedding vows or photos. It's nestled in the trees, slightly away from the vineyard buildings. |
As I conclude this post, I would highly recommend a visit to this laidback winery for a taste of the vine and a bit of a respite from stress and worry. Look for my next post about the other winery we visited that day as well. It came as a recommendation from Benmarl Winery!
I leave you with this sweet gem...
Breaking the rules... one sip at a time!
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