
If you don’t mind
a little dust and construction, you can now sample wines at DeWitt’s first
winery.
Greenwood Winery, at 6475 Collamer
Road (Route 298), opened to the public several weeks ago. Construction of a bar
and bistro, adjacent to the tasting room and wine-processing building, will
soon begin.
DeWitt’s first
winery? A winery in the suburbs? It’s not as strange as it sounds. Grapes are
now being grown in an estimated 80 percent of New York’s counties.
And wineries are
popping up all over New York State: along Lake Ontario, in the Thousand
Islands, near Watertown, on the Tug Hill Plateau, near the Adirondacks and Lake
Champlain.

Greenwood Winery is
an artisan winery owned and operated by local real estate developer Tom
Greenwood. Wines are made from grapes grown in DeWitt and in the Finger Lakes. The
tasting area shares space with sparkling new storage tanks and crush pads.
Most of the
grapes Greenwood is growing are cold-hardy varieties developed by developed by
Cornell University and the University of Minnesota: Traminette, Noiret,
Chancellor, Marechal Foch and others.
In a Riesling
rut? Looking to branch out from your nightly Merlot? Eight wines are available
for tasting: four whites, a blush wine and three reds. Our $5 tasting included
our choice of five wines and came with a souvenir glass.
I’m no wine
expert, not by a long shot, but I do know what I like. I particularly enjoyed
the Traminette, a crisp white wine that reminded me of the sunny
Gewurztraminers I’ve enjoyed in the Finger Lakes, as well as two reds, the
Noiret and Enthusiasm (Chancellor). The reds are dry but not bone dry. They’re
full-bodied and flavorful, with a clean, smooth finish.
They definitely
have a place at home, as we transition from light summer meals to heartier fall
and winter fare, like soups, stews and braised meats.
They also have a
place right at the Greenwood Winery, which has tables and Adirondack chairs on
a patio overlooking the small vineyard. Wines are available by the glass, and
bottles range in price from $10 to $14.

There’s also a
small market section with local and regional food products, like Thousand
Island River Rat cheeses and mustards, artisan breads, olives and cured meats –
and other items that pair nicely with wine. A small farmstand holds tomatoes,
cucumbers, summer squashes and other produce for sale, all from Greenwood’s
nearby farm, we were told.
Stroll around the
vineyards and you’ll lose awareness of the car and truck traffic on Route 298.
Enjoy a glass of wine and a little picnic on the patio.
You’ll think
you’re in wine country instead of the wine suburbs.
Note: Greenwood Winery won a Gold medal for its Baco Noir at the recent
New York Wine and Food Classic, considered the Oscars of New York State wine.
It was not available to taste when we visited – one more reason to visit again.
Greenwood Winery is at 6475 Collamer Road (Route 298),
DeWitt, a couple miles east of Carrier Circle. Tasting room hours are 11:30
a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday,
noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information call
315-399-0835.