By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

I had absolutely no expectations as I drove east on the thruway on my very first trip to the Hudson Valley wine country. David Jackson of Hudson-Chatham Winery and his wife Kathy were kind enough to invite me to their home and show me around, and I could think of no better way to spend one of the first beautiful weekends of summer than exploring a new wine scene.

What was in store was a fascinating, vibrant and diverse region with a young-but-exciting quality wine industry, gorgeous farmland, exciting local beer and spirits, an amazing array of edible bounty, and passionate people who believe in the future of the Hudson Valley.

After a five-hour drive it was beer o