New York

United States

United States wine regions

About New York

America's longest-running wine state and its third-largest by volume. Eleven AVAs span Lake Erie in the west to Long Island in the east, with the Finger Lakes (Riesling) and Long Island (Bordeaux varieties) the two centres of fine-wine ambition.

United States wine regions

Curious about New York? Save it to your Discoveries and tick it off when you taste your first wine.

AVAs

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Terroir & Character

Climate

continentallake-moderatedmaritime

Three climate zones: maritime on Long Island (warmer, longer season, frost-protected by ocean); lake-moderated in the Finger Lakes and along Niagara/Erie (deep glacial lakes buffer winter cold and extend autumn); continental in the Hudson Valley and Champlain (cold winters, shorter season, strong diurnal swings). Climate change has noticeably extended the ripening window across all zones in the last two decades.

Terroir

glacialshalelimestoneslatesandy moraineschist

Glacial geology dominates: deep glacial lakes carved by the last Ice Age (Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario) provide thermal mass; the soils above their slopes are predominantly shale, limestone and slate (Finger Lakes), gravelly moraine and sand (Long Island), and Hudson Highlands schist and slate. The Niagara Escarpment continues the limestone ridge that defines Ontario's Niagara Peninsula across the border.

Grapes of New York

Pinot Noir

strawberryraspberryred cherryviolet

Best on Seneca Lake's warm east shore; light to medium-bodied with red cherry and forest floor.

Chardonnay

green applelemonpearnectarine

Crisp, citrus-driven on Long Island; leaner and more mineral in the Finger Lakes. Both still and traditional-method sparkling.

Cabernet Sauvignon

blackcurrantgreen bell peppermintcedar

Reaches full ripeness only on Long Island; structured, savoury, often blended with Merlot.

Merlot

plumblackberrystrawberrybay leaf

Long Island's flagship red. Maritime climate produces ripe but balanced Merlot, often blended in Bordeaux-style cuvées.

Cabernet Franc

strawberryraspberrybell pepperviolet

Statewide signature red: bright red fruit, herbal lift, peppery spice. The Hudson and Finger Lakes versions are leaner; Long Island warmer and more structured.