Popping a cork in Clinton Corners

There will be a celebration in Clinton Corners on June 24 when Clinton Vineyards releases its 40th vintage of Seyval Blanc. Previous bottlings have won numerous awards and were described as the “best wine in the Northeast.” 

Phyllis Feder, the owner of Clinton Vineyards, says the public is invited to the rain-or-shine happening that will include wine tastings, music by a jazz trio and a farmers market.

 “Last year, the conditions were great for growing and it is reflected in the wine,” said Feder, who at age 81 is very much in charge. “It”™s as if all the good forces have come together to produce a really outstanding vintage”¦we want everyone to try it.”  

The 100-acre farm winery was founded in 1969 by Feder”™s late husband, Ben Feder, who was a graphic designer and real estate developer. In the early 1980s, he learned the Méthode Champenoise technique at the renowned house of Bollinger in France, and he created the first “Champagne” made in the Hudson Valley.