EMPIRE RED 2008
IS FINALLY RELEASED
AT HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
Empire Red 2008 is here! Last year's historic release of the first New York state super-blend was a tremendous critical and popular success. Empire Red 2008 is an incredible step forward.

Like the previous vintage, Empire Red 2010 is 33% Cab Franc from the Finger Lakes, 33% Merlot from the North Fork of Long Island, and 33% Baco Noir from the Hudson Valley. The wines are made individually, and then the best lots are selected for this important portfolio wine. They are blended after one year's time. Then the wine is separated into three lots and separately aged in French oak, American oak, and stainless steel. The wine is then bottle aged six months. The result is a complex, mature wine of incredible depth.

2008 was a great growing season, and this new vintage has deeper and bigger flavors than our previous vintage. Flavors of cherry, plum, dark raspberry, and blackberry cme through as well as mocha, a whiff of vanilla, a little saddle leather, and Orange Pekoe tea. The flavors are varied, and each sip brings out yet another layer of flavor. A fascinating and exceptional blend.

Artist/Photographer Anne Gabriele
Photographing the Vineyards at
Hudson-Chatham Winery


Anne Gabriele
Posted on September 7, 2010 by Hudson Valley Wine Goddess
Anne Gabriele is a visual artist as well as a commercial photo stylist based in New York City and Catskill, NY. She studied photography at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, and has been exhibiting her work around the country ever since. Gabriele was a finalist selected to exhibit in the FotoFest 2004 Biennial in Houston, TX. Some of her other awards and honors include the C-Scape Fellowship and Artist Residency located in the Cape Cod National Seashore; The Seaside Institute Residency in Florida; and was a grant recipient from the Polaroid Corporation. Her work is in many private collections and in the Polaroid Collection of Photography.

Anne is excited to be pairing with Hudson-Chatham Winery for the Celebration of Art and Wine program and is inspired by the unique landscapes there.

Anne Gabriele on Hudson-Chatham Winery
Having photographed seascapes for many years, I was inspired by the juxtaposition of the rye fields and the vineyard at Hudson-Chatham. The landscape has a quiet grace and similar qualities of the surf meeting the shore.


After many years working with Polaroid materials, last year the Polaroid Corporation stopped manufacturing the film I have been accustomed to using for my works. For the pieces I will create at Hudson-Chatham, I will use my remaining supply of Polaroid film to photograph the winery while exploring alternative processes to create unique works.

Here's Anne Gabriele and Joan Damiani working the vineyards at Hudson-Chatham

Hudson-Chatham Winery is the dream of Carlo and Dominique DeVito, both publishing professionals who have long shared a love of wine. This exciting winery, which specializes in small hand-made batches of wine, is dedicated to the richness of the Hudson River Valley, particularly its wine, agriculture, literature, art, history, and many other attractions that make it a rich and special region. The Hudson-Chatham Winery, located between the historic towns of Hudson and Chatham, is the first winery in Columbia County.

As well as creating fine artisanal wines, the DeVito family and many valued friends have worked hard restoring the winery’s grounds and its prestigious circa 1780 farmhouse. The winery features hand-crafted wines, cheeses and desserts, and includes vineyard tours and a gazebo with scenic views. Visiting Hudson-Chatham Winery will inspire all your senses. More information about Hudson-Chatham Winery at: http://www.hvwinemag.com/hudson.html

SEYVAL BLANC PRESSING

AT HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

It's not always pretty, but we do what we have to to make the best wine we know how. Here's some photos form this year's pressing.

Here's one of the new friends of the farm. Sammy's little baby, Mac. Here's Ralph with the new puppy after the pressing.

FIRST CRUSH AT

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

Just this last Sunday, Hudson-Chatham Winery harvested Seyval Blanc and DeChaunac and started their 2010 winemaking season. Winemaker Steve Casscles, manger Ralph Cooley, and an assortment of helpers all brought in thie year's first of the harvest.

This year's crew was an odd assortment of help. Chris and Juliana harvested and managed the group of young pickers. Dylan, Dawson, Ben, Earl, and Noah and friends all pictched in to help with the harvest. Special assignment personnel included Robin Hoover, of The Alchemist (of Waterbury, VT fame) came in to help out.

This year's crew had a man-sized appetite, and between 11 people the crew munched their way through 24 double cheeseburgers, 12 french fries, 12 large sodas, and one small vanilla ice cream cone at the local Dairy Queen, in Ghent, NY.

Chris Terry pushing through the leafy canopy to harvest our very ripe Seyval Blanc. The crew picked Block 1 of the North Creek Vineyard, the estate grape of the Hudson-Chatham Winery.

Here's Dawson hard at work.



Here's the wine they will result from this day's picking in June of next year. Our first 100% estate white. Should be fun. Very exciting.

2010 HUDSON VALLEY WINE FESTIVAL

A GREAT SUCCESS FOR

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

The 2010 Hudson Valley Wine and Food Festival was tremendous success. We had a new booth, and were pooring our fantastic Hudson-Chatham wines on one side, and our burgeoning line of dessert wines, Paperbirch, on the other.

2010 saw us in a new location, which we weren;t sur would be a good move or not. We were thrilled. And so were our customers!

We poored thousands of glasses of wine, and met a lot of people who just didn't know about us. What a great weekend. Saturday had gorgeous weather, and Sunday, while it was cloudy to partly-cloudy, it never rained, and turned out to be a wonderful day as well.

Here's a sample of the happy crowds the surrounded our booth, with owner Carlo DeVito invited to join in this memorable snapshot. Thanks so much to everyone! Hope you had as good a time as we did!

Also...from Debbie Gioquindo

THANK YOU!

This is a note, just to say, that we are grateful for all the wonderful folks we have working at the farm. Last week, friends Chris and Juliana came to help us paint our house, and the bottling team led by Ralph and including Sammy and Robert and even Dawson worked a late afternoon shift to make sure we have a steady flow of wine. So we made a big dinner out of the whole thing, and ate hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, and grilled chicken. Nothing like a picnic at a farm.

We have wonderful staff at the winery, and we are very fortunate. This is a thank you to all of the folks at the Hudson-Chatham Winery who work so hard to make sure that everyone has a good experience for those who visit.

Thank you.