About Us
Who are we?
We are farmers, business people, career builders, and first job creators. We are risk-takers, trailblazers, and memory makers. We have a fanatical obsession with horticulture, culinary arts, spirits, wine, cider, apples, music, and fun. We are land stewards, students, and educators. We’ve watched generations of employees grow up on our farm, many of whom are still with us. We are eternally grateful to everyone that helped us along our way.
We are lovers of life.
In 1990, we started growing apple trees. Today, we have one of the most diverse pick your own orchards on the east coast with over 65 heirloom and modern apple varieties.
In 1994, we created Doc’s Cider. We are the oldest cidery in New York State. We made and sold cider from real fruit decades before there was a craft cider industry. Today, our cider is distributed in 28 states and 3 countries.
In 1995, we hosted our first Bob Dylan Tribute Festival. Ever since then, we’ve had live music every weekend and multiple music festivals each year.
In 1998, we built our cafe. It has grown over time, but the premise of making food from scratch with locally sourced, farm-grown ingredients has never changed.
In 2001, we helped kick off the craft spirits movement through applying and receiving a grant to become the 1st craft distillery in NYS since prohibition. We started by making fruit brandies, liqueurs, and cordials under the name, American Fruits.
In 2012, we built the largest craft distillery on the east coast, Black Dirt Distillery.
After nearly 30 years on this farm, we remain a tight-knit group of family and friends that are forever humbled by the support of our customers who return to us year after year.
Jeremy Kidde
Jeremy’s role as the CFO of Warwick Valley Winery stems from his past and present work in the financial industry. He joined Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery as an owner in 2002 to concentrate on sales and marketing for the company. Immediately he saw an opportunity, created a wholesale division and started selling the ciders and wines throughout the region with a special focus on Manhattan and Brooklyn. In 2003 Warwick Valley Winery started distributing their ciders on a larger scale through a craft beer distributor. Through Jeremy’s efforts, winery products are currently distributed throughout the state, and the ciders are distributed throughout 25 states and 3 countries. Jeremy is an outdoor enthusiast and spends his free time traveling to ski, surf and kite surfing destinations throughout the country and internationally. He currently lives in Tuxedo Park, NY with his wife, Heather Kidde and children Edie & Bodie Kidde.
Jason Grizzanti
Jason Grizzanti is the Master Distiller, Executive Cidermaker, and Co-Owner of Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery. He has made fruit-based alcohol for over 20 years. He possesses numerous awards and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of the craft cider and spirits industry. Jason has grown apples since he was 12 years old. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Fruit Science. He attended the Master’s Degree program at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, studied at the Siebel Institute in Chicago, and Pershore College in England. Jason loves farming, playing guitar, and making craft alcohol. When not working, Jason loves to spend time with his wife, Erika, and two children, Walter and Samuel.
Dr. Joseph Grizzanti
Dr. Joseph Grizzanti (aka “Doc”) co-owns and founded Warwick Valley Winery in 1994. He was already a prominent physician in the fields of pulmnology and immunology when he decided to pursue wine as a hobby and activity to do with his family. Recognizing the Hudson Valley’s limitations for growing grapes, as well as the abundant apple crop that existed on the winery farm, he focused efforts on making hard cider. Thus, Doc’s Draft Hard Cider was born. Early on, Joseph recognized the importance of exposing people to new and interesting apple varieties and consequently planted and extermely diverse heirloom apple orchard. Joseph continues to practice medicine in New Jersey, and he is actively involved in everything that grows on the farm. He is a consulting rosarian, and he remains passionate about apples, trees, farm-to-table food, horticulture and the environment. When not working with patients, in the orchard or in the gardens, Joseph enjoys listening to music, and celebrating life with friends, his family and beloved wife, Katherine.
Katherine Grizzanti
Executive chef and co-owner of Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery. Katherine was instrumental in creating the winery, as her love of farming, horses, and animals prompted Katherine and Joseph to purchase the winery farm in 1989. Katherine created and built the original bakery and cafe, and she continues to run the kitchen today. Katherine is a Culinary Institute of America, and French Culinary Institute trained chef. She was an Instructor at the French Culinary Institute and is a phenomenal equestrian. Katherine is an artist and created the winery logo, as well as many of the wine labels. Katherine’s passion for food and agriculture shines through in her culinary creations that showcase the flavors of the Hudson Valley. When not working in the kitchen or training generations of young cooks, Katherine enjoys riding horses, entertaining guests and family, as well as training her Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
Press
“It really balances the apple and pumpkin—it’s like a hug from autumn.”
Willamette Week Drank: The Greatest Pumpkin, A blind taste-off of 23 pumpkin beers and ciders.
“The latest bottles–arguably their best yet–are named not for trees but the soil in which they grow.”
Edible Manhattan A Glass of Black Dirt Barkeep
“The folks at Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery have been at the cider game for a long time — and their experience shows.”
Hudson Valley Apple of Our Eye: Local cider producers press on…
“The Fort Warwick combines two from the Upstate New York-based Warwick Wines and Spirits: its gin and liqueur, along with muddled fresh tarragon and honey simple syrup.”
The L Magazine The 12 Best Locally Produced Drinks in Brooklyn
“…the star of the tasting were his American Fruits. I know cordials have lost their spot in our culture, but I have to say if you tasted these you would find a way to either put them in your cocktails, or drink them straight.”
“The Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery is building a barn in Pine Island, buying a new still and developing a liquor line under the Black Dirt Distillery Company label”
Times Herald-Record, Local distilleries expand operations by Jessica Dinapoli
“…in the Hudson Valley foothills, Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery makes a rustic gin flavored with fresh citrus rind, giving it a bold flavor of fruit and spice.”
Imbibe Magazine, New York’s distillery boom revives a spirited tradition
“Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery has been distilling the local berries into their beautiful Black Currant Cordial cassis since 2005 as part of their American Fruits line of fine brandy and liqueurs…
Edible Manhattan, Message In a Bottle: The Currant’s Second Coming
“…tastes like ripe fruit drizzled with honey.”
Saveur Magazine, Fruits of their Labor: The Fruit Cordials of American Fruits.
“In New York State, Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery in the Hudson Valley makes a black-currant cordial with a bright aroma and tannic grab that pull the drink in a fresh direction…”
The New York Times, Case Study | The Bramble
“Recent changes in state license laws facilitated the establishment of three new craft distilleries in the Hudson Valley—Warwick Winery, Harvest Spirits and Tuthilltown Spirits—and their shiny copper stills can spin apples into liquid gold…”
“I couldn’t decide among four beautifully packaged American Fruits cordials and liqueurs, made in a traditional German copper still by the Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery, in Orange County — so I bought them all…”
The New York Times, A Cornucopia of Stocking Stuffers
“Unrefined and charmingly astringent, this is a throw-back to the rustic fruit brandies of days gone by. Its small-batch distiller, in upstate New York, uses local fruit for all of its distillations.”
Awards
Gold Medal for Warwick Gin at the 2018 L.A. International Spirits Competition
Double Gold for Black Dirt Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
2011 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition:
- American Fruits Pear Brandy – Double Gold
- American Fruits Bartlett Pear Liquer – Gold
- American Fruits Sour Cherry Cordial – Silver
- American Fruits Black Currant Cordial – Bronze
- American Fruits Black Apple Brandy – Bronze
American Fruits Apple Brandy
Beverage Testing Institute, 89 • (Highly Recommended)
“A stalwart apple brandy that will shine in artisan cocktails. (tasted on Apr-27-2011)”
American Fruits Apple Brandy
Beverage Testing Institute, 89 • (Highly Recommended)
“Golden yellow color. Floral apple blossom and Anjou pear skin aromas follow through on a silky, soft entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body with a warm creamy texture and notes of clove, cinnamon bark, and pink peppercorns. Finishes with a drying dried apple and wet stone accented fade with spicy heat lingering. A pure, somewhat rustic yet elegant fruit brandy. (tasted on Mar-25-2009)”
American Fruits Black Currant Cordial: Best Buy
Beverage Testing Institute, 89 • (Highly Recommended)
“Nearly opaque garnet color. Dense, earthy dried currant, pickled beets and peppers, and waxy honeycomb with a tangy, supple fruity medium-to-full body and a pure currant and tart, appropriately bitter, cranberry finish. Nice purity and balance. (tasted on Sep-28-2010)”
Double Gold for American Fruits™ Pear Brandy (Eau de vie de Poire) at the 2009 Fingerlakes International Wine Competition.