Rolling Hills Estate Winery Bets on the Future of New York Wine
A former Napa Valley winemaker and a patient team of visionaries are building more than a winery—they're helping shape the identity of an emerging American wine region.
For most winemakers, leaving Napa Valley is a move that requires an explanation.
For Kyle Mizuno, it was an opportunity.
“Everyone jokes about why you’d leave Napa,” Mizuno said with a laugh. “But for me, it was all about cool-climate wine.”
After years spent working in some of America’s most recognized wine regions, Mizuno arrived at Rolling Hills Estate Winery in New York’s Champlain Valley with something many winemakers rarely find: a blank canvas.
“In Napa, you make Cabernet Sauvignon, then bigger Cabernet Sauvignon, then bigger Cabernet Sauvignon,” Mizuno said. “You can get caught in the same rut, the same hamster wheel. Here, it’s a new region, a new AVA, exciting varieties, and no defined style. That’s fun.”
That sense of possibility is exactly what attracted him to Rolling Hills, where the winery’s leadership is pursuing an ambitious vision far larger than a single tasting room.
Perched on a spectacular property overlooking Lake Champlain, Rolling Hills sits near one of the original test vineyards that helped establish the Champlain Valley AVA in 2016. Chief of Staff Missy Leonard believes the region is only beginning to realize its potential.
“We want to make Champlain Valley the next ‘it’ wine region,” Leonard said. “We’ve proven there’s an opportunity here and that it can work.”
The winery’s leadership sees itself as part of a broader movement to build a destination centered on wine, hospitality and outdoor recreation. Hiking, sailing, golf and the Adirondack lifestyle all create opportunities for wine to become the common thread connecting visitors to the region.
“Wine should be for everyone,” said Copilot Marketers founder Henry Chateauvert. “It shouldn’t feel exclusive or reserved for a special group of people. We want people driven by taste, not by tiers.”
That philosophy has guided Rolling Hills since its inception. Rather than rushing bottles to market, the team spent years patiently refining both its wines and its vision.
“We were the horse in the starting gate for five years,” Leonard said. “We wanted to make sure we got it right. We didn’t want to put out a product that wasn’t great. We made a promise to the region and to the people here.”
The winery has remained direct-to-consumer, avoiding wholesale and distribution channels while focusing on creating an experience that reflects the community it hopes to help build.
For Mizuno, the excitement extends well beyond hospitality and into the vineyard itself.
The region’s cold-hardy varieties, particularly Marquette, Petite Pearl and Crescent, represent what he calls an undiscovered frontier in American wine.
“These vines are adapted to this place,” he said. “The goal isn’t to make Napa Cabernet in New York. It’s to figure out the best version of these varieties.”
Unlike mature wine regions where expectations are firmly established, Champlain Valley offers freedom. Marquette can be crafted in multiple styles. Petite Pearl continues to reveal new dimensions of structure and character. Every harvest presents fresh opportunities to experiment.
“That’s when I realized how exciting this is,” Mizuno said. “Nobody’s going to be up in arms if you try something different. The world is your oyster.”
That spirit of exploration extends to farming as well. The region’s compressed growing season, unique trellising systems and cold-weather challenges require a different approach than California. Yet those same conditions help shape wines that are distinctly tied to place.
