Abe and Bob are Red Hook’s two consulting winemakers: Abe Schoener and Robert Foley. Don’t look for them in the house though, but do look for their products – and there is a lot of product.

For Nicholson, maintaining order in the winery requires constant work. “At any time,” he says, “we have 70, maybe 80 discrete wines in the house.”

“It isn’t a trouble keeping them separate as they go, but making sure that everybody gets due respect.” There are lots of everybodys. “Right now, I guess we have 18 vineyards represented.” From that collection of vineyards, there are dozens of different wines, each demanding unique care, attention and nurturing.

When you look at a bottle of Red Hook wine, you’ll see its vineyard on the label. That’s to a purpose. “One of the principal aims of the project is to draw attention to what makes New York State New York from a viticultural perspective.” A distance of a few miles, the way the grapes are farmed, pockets of rain or wind or sunshine – everything affects the produce and the product. Wine is a great way to learn New York.

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