Whitecliff Vineyard: A Regional Winery With Something To Say

Gardiner, New York, March,2008: Ten years. It can sound like a little, or a lot, depending on your perspective. For a 10-year old child, say, or a newly established vineyard growing grapes for its own wine, it's still young. But it's a significant landmark for a business established through the sweat equity of one couple, in the unforgiving world of farming a delicate crop in a region struggling for recognition in wine production.

Whitecliff opened its tasting room doors July 4th weekend, 1999. At that time, Michael Migliore had already been experimenting for almost 20 years with grape growing on a small scale on his 18-acre Hudson Valley farm in Ulster County. He and wife, Yancey Stanforth-Migliore, started the winery that year with 450 cases of wine, and about two acres of vines.

Ten years later, the Migliores' determination has brought them to 3,000 cases, and 25 acres of vines-among the largest vineyards in the American Viticultural Area-designated Hudson River Region. Migliore's drive to build the region has expanded way beyond his own property to his current service as president of the Hudson Valley Grape Growers' Association, through which he seeks to improve both the quality and the acreage of grape growing in the Hudson Valley. As a SUNY New Paltz trained chemist, and former semiconductor engineer at IBM and Philips, he has plenty of scientific expertise to put to work on behalf of Hudson Valley viticulture. Stanforth-Migliore's interest in strengthening regional agriculture also extends beyond Whitecliff to her work at the National Campaign for Sust ainable Agriculture, an advocacy organization that works on federal policy on food and agriculture.

Establishing a successful vineyard-based winery, like success in any aspect of farming, demands great determination and tolerance for setbacks, and an almost incredible range of skills. The Migliores have ploughed ahead in the face of wild temperature swings, molds, droughts and hurricanes at harvest. And their consistent growth parallels steady expansion in the New York wine industry. There are now well over 20 wineries in the Hudson Valley, and well over 200 state-wide.

The Hudson Valley is the smallest wine region in New York, a state that is working hard for recognition for its many high quality wine producers. With plenty of wineries making fruit wines and sweeter wines, Whitecliff has staked out the "high ground" of producing complex, dry European-style wines based on grapes like Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, as well as lesser known French-American hybrids that thrive in colder climates, like Seyval Blanc and Noiret-a grape newly developed by Cornell University especially for New York. The Migliores have also established significant plantings of Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir, the Beaujolais grape that is not commonly grown in this country.

The Migliores are delighted that the 10-year anniversary of Whitecliff coincides with the release of wines from what they expect to be a one-in-twenty year vintage in terms of quality. With their vineyard finally matured to almost full production, and picture perfect growing conditions for wine grapes in New York last year, Whitecliff's production has reached the 3,000 case level in what will be remembered as a great vintage year.

Release dates are as follows: February: Awosting White (estate bottled.), Ridgewine Red; March: 2007 Pinot Grigio, Rose (estate bottled); April: Redtail, Mountain Laurel White, 2007 Riesling (estate bottled); May: 2007 Traminette (estate bottled) June/July: 2007 Gamay Noir (estate bottled,) 2007 Merlot; August/September: 2007 Sky Island Red, 2007 Cabernet Franc (estate bottled,) 207 Chardonnay (estate bottled); September/October: 2007 Pinot Noir (estate bottled.)

A number of events are planned this year. The first will take place on Saturday, May 17th, Fresh Fish in the Vineyard: A spring tasting of N