The Grapes of Wrath: A Plastic Surgeon, a Vanity Vineyard, and the Dirt-Road Rebellion of Columbia County
A Small Town Versus the Plastic Surgeon Come Vintner
Columbia County lies in New York’s upper Hudson Valley, bordered by the Hudson River to the west and the Berkshire foothills to the east. The Town of Chatham occupies the county’s eastern portion near the Massachusetts border, encompassing several distinct hamlets: Chatham village serves as the commercial center, with a walkable main street and the historic Crandell Theatre; East Chatham stretches toward the Taconic Range along rural roads; Old Chatham is known for its horse farms and the Old Chatham Country Store; Malden Bridge sits quietly along the Kinderhook Creek in the town’s northeastern corner; North Chatham follows Route 203 through traditional farmland; and Chatham Center marks a small crossroads between the village and Old Chatham. The area remains a mix of working agriculture and newer residential development, with local planning boards regularly weighing questions of growth and preservation.
