California is the largest wine growing state in the United States, with literally thousands of wineries. Due to the large variety of microclimates in the state, many different types of wine are produced in California, from ordinary table wines to fine wines that have gained world recognition.

In many ways, American wine making began in New York. Settlers first began to experiment with grape growing in the 1600s, and the first licensed winery was located in Hammondsport. However, the story of fine wine production really begins in the 1950s, when Dr. Konstantin Frank began to experiment with growing famed Old World grape varietals in the Finger Lakes region.

By the 1970s, the success of Dr. Frank’s experiment began to catch on as more wineries began to switch from sweeter juice grapes to the finer European varietals. However, many growers are also sticking to New York tradition and creating fine wines using some of the French-American hybrids that had been earlier dismissed as lower-quality.

Out of this commitment to New York’s rich wine history, melded with bold experimentation, five distinct wine growing regions have emerged: Long Island, the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson Valley and the Niagara Escarpment. Each region is earning its own distinct reputation while working together to draw attention to the great wine making being done in New York.