ONLY A FEW HOURS FROM NEW YORK CITY, ALONG THE picturesque back lanes of the state and often amid spectacular natural beauty, the countryside is dotted with hundreds of small wineries where world-class vintages are being made. These are the hand-crafted wines with increasingly international reputations that you won't find readily on the grocery store shelves, produced in small, artisanal lots by producers guided by one shared passion: making New York State wines that are redefining excellence. Along the back lanes, there are still discoveries to be made, and this is the quintessential insider guide to the New York State wine country. Lushly illustrated, with insider tips on both up-and-coming new producers and established cult wineries, this is your road-trip passport to the tasting trail.