Posts Written OnMarch 24, 2010

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Despite all the naysayers in the media and various wine geek circles, some Hudson River Valley wineries have really embraced hybrids and are making far more serious wines with them. Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent is one such winery. They make a line of vinifera reds, but that fruit comes from Long Island. Their riesling is made with Finger Lakes fruit. The most interesting wines in the portfolio — the ones that deserve the most attention — are hybrids like baco noir and this soon-to-be-released Chelois. Winemaker Steve Casscles has been growing and vinifying hybrids for years…

  By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor The easy part was the business plan. The hard part was the wine. For a family of three boys and their wine-loving father, the business side would work itself out. The boys had known since childhood that they'd figure out a way to work alongside their energetic, labor-loving father. It didn't hurt that he was a long-time cardiologist who made a good living — good enough to support a new winery. But Dr. Fred Zugibe was more than just the money. He surprised his three sons — Fred III, 34; Brendan, 32; and…