In the whirlwind of pumpkin spice, cider doughnuts, and pick-your-own orchards, those who consider themselves autumn-crazed need somewhere to kick back and relax while still taking advantage of all the season has to offer. Enter: autumnal cider and wine tastings.
Whether you prefer your cider after a long day’s work picking apples and pumpkins on the many acres of farmland that Westchester and its surrounding counties have to offer or you simply want to enjoy the crisp breeze of fall with a nice, cold cup of hard cider on tap, these places have all you could wish for and more during this short-lived but long-revered fall season.
Hardscrabble Cider at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard
North Salem
Started by three brothers more than 10 years ago, micro-farm cidery Hardscrabble Cider serves up the epitome of farm-to-table cider. The complete process takes place on the Harvest Moon Orchard farm, from growing the apples (10 varieties for the cider) to bottling the final product. The farm itself has apple picking, live music, a pumpkin patch, and a café dishing out farm-raised, grass-fed burgers. At the cidery, enjoy a wide array of ciders on tap, as well as specialty cider-infused cocktails such the cider mimosa and ‘Scrabble Mule.
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Merchant’s Daughter Hard Cider at Outhouse Orchards
North Salem
Merchant’s Daughter of Purdys has partnered with Outhouse Orchards to create the combination of your autumnal, apple-obsessed dreams: hard cider trucks on a property with apple picking, apple cider doughnuts, and more. Merchant’s Daughter ferments cider onsite at its orchards, using premium varieties of Hudson Valley-grown apples, and presents us with ciders on tap as well as bottles to take home for a festive fall dinner. The hard cider pairs perfectly with Outhouse Orchard’s apple cider doughnuts and homemade pies after a long day of apple picking.
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White Hill Vineyard at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm
Yorktown Heights
Saturdays and Sundays can be spent at the White Hill Vineyard at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm, where a family tradition turned into a lively business of wine expertise and tasting. The granddaughters of the farm’s founder, Jimmy Wilkens, opened the winery in 2016 on the farm, blending the past and the present, the farm and the wine, all to create a tasting room like no other. The farm hosts a corn maze, apple picking, and an apple market and bakery alongside the wine tastings for even more fall fun.
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Nearby in the Hudson Valley
Don’t mind a picturesque ride full of fall foliage? Check out these places serving up some of the best cider and wine tastings not too far from Westchester.
Dutchess County
Treasury Cider Bar at Fishkill Farms
Hopewell Junction
Offering cider by glass and flight on the covered outdoor porch, Fishkill Farms’ Treasury Cider Bar is the perfect destination for fall-enthused cider fanatics to gaze at the yellowing trees of the orchard, the flower garden, and the Catskill Mountains. In addition to ciders on tap from a true tree-to-bottle process, the bar offers local beer, wine, nonalcoholic options, and a menu of light bites and snacks to soak up all that hard cider.
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Orange County
Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Walden
The most well-known hard cider company has roots in an orchard only about an hour away from Westchester. For true cider lovers, Angry Orchard’s cider house and orchard will spoil you with a multitude of cider-centered activities and experiences, from guided tastings and a treehouse visit to a barrel room tour and an orchard tour. Of course, more traditional cider tastings are on offer at the Cider House, with flights, canned, or bottled ciders available for purchase, along with delicious bites from the kitchen and, during fall weekends only, a rotating schedule of food trucks.
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Related: Where to Buy Apple Cider Donuts in Westchester County
Orchard Hill Cider Mill
New Hampton
Self-proclaimed creator of “cider for wine drinkers,” Orchard Hill Cider Mill & Taproom at Soons Orchards follows the tradition of the great cider regions of Europe with the even greater apples of upstate New York. Orchard Hill aims to let the apples speak for themselves, utilizing a minimalist approach to cider making with modern winemaking techniques to present a wholly unique variety of apple ciders curated for cider and wine lovers alike.
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Pennings Farm Cidery
Warwick
Inside an Amish-built barn that sits on a field surrounded by acres and acres of fruit trees at Pennings Orchard lies its one-of-a-kind Cider Taproom. At Pennings Farm Cidery, you can not only get a taste of 12 locally grown and created ciders and beers, but you can also try a selection of New York State wines, farm-grown apple vodka, signature cocktails like cider sangria, and homemade Neapolitan, old-world-style, brick-oven pizzas. Loved it so much that you want more? You can fill a Pennings 64-ounce growler with a cider on tap to go or bring one and get it filled for you. There’s also a bottle shop of pre-packaged hard cider in bottles and cans.
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Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery
Warwick
Located in the foothills of the Hudson Valley, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery’s 120 acres of manicured grounds and orchards are home to the first distillery in New York State since prohibition and a critically acclaimed wine collection. The tasting room offers a wine, cider, or spirits guided tasting or a combination of all three. With live music every weekend, a tasty farm-to-table café, and apple picking during the peak fall season, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is a must-visit this fall.
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Ulster County
Bad Seed
Highland
Bad Seed will lure you into its hard cider taproom with a selection of 12 rotating taps of local, small-batch ciders and beers that highlight a large range of unique flavors, including blueberry lavender, honey mint tea, and pineapple. With a four- or six-cider flight, you are guaranteed an adventure for your taste buds.
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Weed Orchards & Winery
Marlboro
Offering guided signature wine tastings as well as HomeGrown Hard Cider from onsite apples, Weed Orchards & Winery’s tasting room is a must-visit. With a farm-to-table café, a bakery filled to the brim with autumnal goodies, and apple picking, Weed Orchards provides a well-rounded autumn experience.
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