Glasses were raised, bottles poured, growlers were filled, and hunger was quenched at Hudson Valley’s 17th Annual Wine and Food Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.  Hosted on the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, thirsty crowds flocked to booths representing the best wine Hudson Valley has to offer. Featured rave-worthy vineyards include  Don Tony Perez, (Yonkers, NY), with its silky Petite Verdot, and Baldwin Vineyards’, (Pine Bush, NY), award-winning Strawberry Wine along with their unique hops-touting Autumn Crush, made with apples, pumpkin and hops.

The chic Tousey Winery, (Germantown, NY), definitely made a statement with its modern museum designed booth staring its beautiful, white dessert wine, Bloomé.

Mead, spirits and traditionally made ciders rounded out the delicious weekend libations. Mysto Mead, (Carmel, NY), a honey-based wine producer, showcased its wide variety of mead including the impressive, Silver Medalist: Basil Mint.

Many New York State distilleries showcased luscious, traditional and creative selections. Harvest  Spirits Farm Distillery (Valatie, NY) fans tasted clean, flavorful swills like the John Henry Single Malt Whiskey, Core Black Raspberry Vodka, and Cornelius Peach Brandy.

Another rad distillery in attendance was Olde Farm Distillery based in Hudson, New York. Female owned and operated, this distillery uses seasonal ingredients to make gems such as Cacao Maple Vodka, Smoked Maple Bourbon, and seasonal spirits.

New York Cideries had a great presence at the festival. Specializing in traditional craftsman and taste techniques, Pitchfork Cider in Hopewell, NY offered its fresh pressed, gluten-free cider.

Another popular cidery was Awestruck Hard Cider (Sidney, NY) which use 100% New York State apples in its thoughtfully crafted and named selections like Hometown Homicider, and the pleasant Lavender Hops.

The day also included cooking demos by local chefs, food artisans with homemade condiments, and alluring food trucks serving local grilled sweet corn, Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian food, gyros, pulled pork nachos, and so much more!

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