One of the family-photo wine labels
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HIGHLAND MILLS, NY -- The continual expansipn of the New York State wine industry has seen a boom in more than grape-growing and farmland reclamation.
Take Palaia Vineyards, which opened in 2006 on the Sweet Clover Farm near this Orange County hamlet, located on land once owned by Aaron Burr.
Owners Joe and Jan Palaggi, who bought the farm in 2000, invested thousands of hours and even more thousands of dollars, helped along a bit by a $15,000 state grant, to rebuild the 200-year-old main barn as the anchor of the small complex they named after the winemaker's Italian grandfather, Angelo Palaia.
"We have 10 acres of vines planted at this time -- Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Traminette," said Jan Palaggi. "We produce about 2,000 cases a year and we are open all year long with live music inside in the winter and outside in the summer months."
The farm winery utilized not only its own grapes for winemaking, but state-sourced grapes from Long Island the Finger Lakes.
"We currently have two white blends, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Traminette, a rosé pink, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Lemberger, a red blend and a raisin wine," Jan Palaggi said. "We also make a mead using local honey that has won many awards. Our reds tend to be on the dry side except for the raisin wine, and we don't oak our Chard or Traminette so you can get the flavors tf the wine instead of the oak."
Palaia (pronounced paw-lie-ah) is located on Route 32, about five miles north of the Woodbury Commons Outlet Stores at Exit 16 of the Thruway (I-87).
It is a member of the Shawangunk Wine Trail. Go here for a rundown on all of New York State's wine trails.
(Have you checked the New York Wine Events Calendar today? If not, click here.)
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