Clinton Vineyards Bought By Milea Vineyards-What It Means for Hudson Valley Wine’s Future & Identity

Transcript:

I wanted to talk to you today about an article that was in the Daily Catch. org. It was written by Scott Davis and full disclosure, I am quoted twice in the article. The article is about Milea Vineyard’s plans. with Clinton Vineyards. And if you’re not already aware, Clinton Vineyards was purchased by Malaya in 2022.

And it was a great article talks about Phyllis and Ben Feder, and how they started Clinton Vineyards with the Seyval Grapes because they knew that the Save All Grapes grew well on that property. And they made Meth and Champagnois, still wine. So what they plan on doing with the Clinton Vineyards property is make it a sparkling wine house.

Now, I thought that was great when I first started to read it. I’m like great because Long Island has Sparkling Point. They make sparkling wines from grapes grown in Long Island and we have Hearts and Hands that focuses on sparkling wines in the Finger Lakes. So why not in the Hudson Valley? Well, as I read deeper, here’s what I don’t agree with.

They are going to create a label called Hudson Valley Vineyards. And in that label, you’re going to have the left bank and the right bank. So I thought, oh, that’s great! They’re going to designate grapes from the right side of the river and the left side of the river. because that Hudson River can be a great divide.

But no. The right bank is going to be the focus of sparkling wines made with New York grapes. The left bank is going to be sparkling wines coming from Oregon. Don’t know if they’re coming already made or if they’re coming and going to be finished at Clinton Vineyards. Honestly, I am unclear on that.

However, when people go out wine tasting in the Hudson Valley, they want to taste wines made in the Hudson Valley. They want to taste wines that the winemaker can speak to, the tasting room staff can speak to, that have the terroir of the Hudson Valley and when you’re bringing in grapes from Oregon, you know, or already finished sparkling wine from Oregon.

You’re really kind of messing with the integrity of Hudson Valley wines and Hudson Valley wine region. And if people want to go and taste Oregon sparkling wine. They’re going to do one of two things. They’re either going to go out to Oregon and go wine tasting and purchase sparkling wines and bring them home or they’re going to go to the liquor store and they’re going to purchase a sparkling wine from Oregon.

Um, I don’t agree with that. The Hudson Valley is viticulture. We have wonderful winemakers. We have wonderful vineyards and Why bring Oregon wine into the Hudson Valley to sell? There’s so many opportunities within purchasing grapes from New York State and making sparkling wine and even just purchasing grapes within the Hudson Valley and making wonderful sparkling wines with them

Why are you going to bring Oregon sparkling wine to the Hudson Valley and include it in some type of wine tasting and put it on a label that says Hudson Valley Vineyards. The grapes are coming from Oregon. So, like I said, I don’t usually get my point of view known because I kind of keep to myself.

But this really got my panties in a bunch because I love the Hudson Valley. It’s my baby. The wine region is wonderful. There’s new wineries. There’s younger winemakers. They’re experimenting with different varietals. , and it’s just a wonderful place for wine tasting. Bringing Oregon wine into the Hudson Valley to sell out of a tasting room, it messes with the whole integrity of our region that we have spent a long time building up.

So I’m going to leave the article, link below. , make sure you click on it and read it and I’d love to hear,, your point of view on it. Thanks for listening.

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