The city may be deep in August melt, but the New York wine world just had its biggest night of the year. On Monday evening, the 40th Annual New York Wine Classic crowned a brand-new champion — and for the third year in a row, the same Finger Lakes powerhouse took home the top winery prize. We’re breaking down all the winners, telling you where to taste them in the city, and mapping out a North Fork weekend that ends with legendary jazz in the vines.
Ryan William Vineyard Takes the Governor’s Cup
The Governor’s Cup — the Classic’s “Best of Show” — went to Ryan William Vineyard of Burdett, in the Finger Lakes, for its 2025 Pinot Blanc. The winery’s team called the win a “decades-long dream come true,” and it’s easy to see why: this is a small, lakefront operation winning the most prestigious award in New York wine against more than 100 wineries and 700 entries. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the winners during a live virtual ceremony hosted by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, with SOMM Journal East Coast Editor Wanda Mann emceeing.
The 2025 Pinot Blanc also took Best White, giving Ryan William a historic double. Pinot Blanc has been quietly having a moment in the Finger Lakes — all that lake-effect acidity and mineral tension make it one of the most food-friendly whites in the country, and this is the proof bottle.
Weis Vineyards: Winery of the Year, Again
If you follow New York wine at all, this headline will feel familiar: Weis Vineyards of Hammondsport has been named Winery of the Year for the third consecutive year and the fourth time overall. The Keuka Lake producer, known for German-style whites that thrive in cool climates, took its usual sweep — including Best Pink for its 2025 Zweigelt Dry Rosé and Best Dessert for its 2024 Riesling Ice Wine. The winery’s social channels toasted the news the only way they know how: “Zum Wohl!”
Best of Category: The Full Rundown
Here’s who else took home top honors at the 40th Classic:
- Best Sparkling: Milea Family Wines Hudson Valley Vineyards, Right Bank Blanc de Blancs (Staatsburg)
- Best White: Ryan William Vineyard, 2025 Pinot Blanc (Burdett)
- Best Pink: Weis Vineyards, 2025 Zweigelt Dry Rosé (Hammondsport)
- Best Red: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, 2024 Cabernet Franc Clone 623 (Millbrook)
- Best Dessert: Weis Vineyards, 2024 Riesling Ice Wine (Hammondsport)
Yes — that’s a Hudson Valley cab franc and blanc de blancs right up there with the Finger Lakes elite. The judges handed out 14 Platinum, 282 Gold, 296 Silver, and 106 Bronze medals, and the breadth is the story: from the Niagara Escarpment to Long Island, New York’s cool-climate regions are making the elegant, food-friendly styles drinkers want right now. See the full winners list at newyorkwines.org.
Where to Taste New York Wine in NYC This Week
Reading about a Governor’s Cup is one thing; tasting it is another. The good news: you don’t need a trip upstate to drink the state’s best. Le Du’s Wines in the West Village continues its free Saturday tastings — an easy way to work through Finger Lakes Rieslings and Hudson Valley reds alongside low-intervention imports, with a serious sommelier pouring. Downtown, Flatiron Wines & Spirits runs free tastings and wine-school classes on the regular, and their shelves punch way above their size for New York producers.
And if you want the full context, ask for New York pours on the city’s best lists — Stars in the East Village, Chambers in Tribeca, and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in Midtown all treat the home team with respect. Order a Finger Lakes Riesling somewhere you wouldn’t expect it; you’ll be glad you did.
Hidden Gem: L’Apéro in Brooklyn Heights
Can’t get to Paris for an evening glass en terrasse? L’Apéro is the next best thing. The new Brooklyn Heights spot from the team behind L’Appartement 4F pairs French-inspired light bites with an eclectic, naturally minded wine list — and it shares its space with the group’s daytime bakery, so you can grab a morning croissant and come back after sunset for a glass of something wild. It’s already earned a spot on Resy’s Summer 2026 Wine Hit List, and it deserves the buzz. Start with a pét-nat and whatever seasonal plate looks best, and pretend the subway ride was a flight.
What’s in the Glass: Lambrusco and the Chilled-Red Summer
Speaking of what the sommeliers are actually pouring: when VinePair asked 15 of them to name the wine of summer 2026, the answers kept circling back to bubbles and chillable reds. Julia Schwartz, wine director at Stars, cast her vote for Lambrusco — “the perfect marriage of both worlds: bubbles and refreshing red fruit.” Orange wine had its moment; the momentum now belongs to light, chilled reds, pét-nats, and lower-alcohol pours with real acidity. Think Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Albariño, all served with a proper chill — and increasingly, indigenous grapes as smart-value alternatives to the usual suspects.
It’s the rare trend that actually makes sense in August. Lambrusco and charcuterie, a chilled cru Beaujolais with grilled everything, a pét-nat on a rooftop at golden hour — the natural wine bars of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side are pouring all of it right now.
North Fork Next: Jazz in the Vines Wraps Up
August on the North Fork is peak season, and Jazz in the Vines at Jamesport Vineyards is closing its 2026 series in style. This Saturday, August 15, jazz legends Spyro Gyra — led by founding member Jay Beckenstein — bring five decades of grooves to the vineyard. Then on August 29, smooth-jazz superstar Peter White closes the season. Doors open at 6 PM, shows at 7, and tickets are available through Crush Wine Experiences. It’s a two-hour drive (or a quick LIRR ride) from the city, the wine is poured by the folks who grew it, and sunset over the vines does the rest. If you can only make one day trip this month, make it this one.
The Week Ahead
One more date for your calendar: Wednesday, August 12, two-time Best Sommelier in America Mark Guillaudeu leads a six-wine guided tasting at The Cloud One Wine Bar & Lounge (133 Greenwich Street, FiDi) from 6:30 to 8:30 PM — a skyline-backed tour of climate-conscious California and Pacific Northwest producers, with charcuterie and cheese included.
Between the Classic results, a Brooklyn Heights terrace with a pét-nat in hand, and Spyro Gyra under the vines, there’s no excuse for a boring August. Drink local, drink chilled, and drink something you haven’t tried before — that’s the New York way. Cheers.