Guide
Wine Regions of the East Coast
The East Coast has been making wine since the 1600s and has spent most of that time failing at it, because humidity, hard winters and native vine diseases kill European grapes. The past forty years changed that. From the Finger Lakes to Virginia, the East now has regions with real identities, and they are an easy drive from the biggest cities in the country.
The Finger Lakes, New York
Eleven long glacial lakes moderate the winter and give Riesling a home as good as any outside Germany. The Finger Lakes also make fine Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer and sparkling wine, and prices are the lowest of any serious American region. Seneca Lake has the most wineries; Keuka is the prettiest.
Long Island, New York
The North Fork, two hours from Manhattan, is a maritime region of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc with farm stands and beaches between the tasting rooms. Long Island wineries are a day trip; the Hudson Valley, home of the oldest continuously operating winery in America, is the other New York option.
Virginia
The East’s most ambitious region. Around Charlottesville and in the horse country of Loudoun County, estates make Bordeaux-style reds from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, and Viognier is the state white. Virginia wineries are among the best-run tasting rooms in the East, and autumn in the Blue Ridge is the season.
Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
The mid-Atlantic is a patchwork: Maryland’s Piedmont estates follow Virginia’s lead; Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley and Bucks County have polished wineries an hour from Philadelphia; New Jersey’s sandy Outer Coastal Plain ripens Italian and Bordeaux varieties near Cape May. Lake Erie, shared by New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, grows more Concord than anywhere on earth.
New England
Small, coastal and increasingly good. The Southeastern New England AVA along the Rhode Island and Massachusetts shore grows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Connecticut’s wine trail runs from the Sound to the Litchfield Hills; Vermont leads the country in natural wine from cold-hardy hybrids; and cider, cranberry and blueberry wine are as much a part of the scene as grapes. New England wineries
Further south
North Carolina‘s Yadkin Valley and the mountains around Asheville, north Georgia‘s Dahlonega Plateau and the muscadine country of the coast round out the East. The native grapes guide explains the southern varieties; the regions page lists every area with its wineries and state links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wine Regions of the East Coast: where does this information come from?
Winery counts and locations come from the federal TTB permit list and each producer's own website. Nothing on this page is a paid placement and we publish no ratings.
Find the wineries
Every producer in the country is on the map, with the address, phone and website we could confirm.