Seneca Lake, springboard for a Finger Lakes wine weekend

Why the Finger Lakes is a High Wine-Producing Area

The Finger Lakes is the nation’s third-largest wine-producing area, after California and Oregon. The final Ice Age, which sculpted the world’s dramatic panorama, was additionally liable for chiseling out 11 deep, temperature-moderating lakes. “They do that unimaginable job of making concord between the land and the climate. It type of creates this magical environment for producing lovely wines,” says wine author Maia Johnson Dunn.

Riesling is the varietal that put the Finger Lakes on the map, however that’s not all you’ll discover right here, neither is all the Riesling candy. Following the passage of the Farm Winery Act in 1976, vineyards massive and small expanded into different cool-climate varietals like Gewürztraminer, Blaufränkisch, and Pinot Gris, in addition to wines we usually affiliate with dry, sunny climates, comparable to Chardonnay and Merlot. And there are outliers, like Galician native Albariño, or Saperavi, which hails from the republic of Georgia.

Finger Lakes wines have a fantastic steadiness of acidity and sweetness, with a “implausible minerality that makes them extremely meals pleasant,” in accordance with Laura Winter Falk, Ph.D., a licensed sommelier and proprietor of the tour firm Experience! The Finger Lakes. That is the first motive why the area has been showered with accolades, together with being voted one of many nation’s 10 best wine regions.

Vineyards are clustered across the 4 largest Finger Lakes: Keuka, Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Seneca. The latter is the most important in quantity and the beneficiary of the perfect terroir. With 50 wineries and a slate of choices for outside recreation, leisure, eating, and lodging, Seneca Lake makes an easy-to-navigate weekend vacation spot.

Learn how to Plan Your Finger Lakes Wine Weekend on Seneca Lake

First, acknowledge a easy fact: you may’t go to all of the wineries. When you’ve accepted that some worthy contenders can be overlooked, go to the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and Seneca Lake Wine Trail and skim up on the totally different producers.

Plan to go to the jap aspect of Seneca in the future, and the western aspect on the opposite. Falk says, “I believe three [wineries per day] is the proper quantity so as to have the ability to get pleasure from that final vineyard as a lot as the primary.” She additionally advocates for taking an prolonged break for lunch.

Choose to linger over a glass together with your meal? Strive a two-in-one outfit like Kemmeter Wines, a boutique vineyard in Penn Yan with a next-door kitchen, Sans Dumplings.

Understand that most venues have reverted to a reservations-only system for security in the course of the pandemic. Name forward to keep away from disappointment.

Don’t stick with solely the wineries or varietals you’re accustomed to. “Strive the whole lot,” says Dunn. “In the event you go to a winery otherwise you’re in wine nation, you’re there to discover and see what they excel in. You would possibly shock your self.”

Can’t select? Take out the guesswork by hiring a tour firm, like Falk’s. Or ask bar managers and sommeliers at native eating places which wineries they like. 

Jap Facet of Seneca Lake

A few of Seneca Lake’s finest reds come from its jap aspect, particularly the southeastern quarter. Generally known as the Banana Belt, it has steep slopes, well-drained soils, and longer publicity to afternoon solar, which makes it hospitable for varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

At Damiani Wine Cellars, vintners purposefully restrict the quantity of fruit rising on every vine, to encourage concentrated flavors. They’re identified for punchy reds like Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Vino Rosso, but in addition make Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and the Prosecco-style Bollicine.

Silver Thread Vineyard is a pacesetter in sustainably produced, small-batch, vegan wines. Amongst their standouts are dry rosé, Chardonnay, and vary of fragrant, dry and semidry Rieslings.

Among the finest views of Seneca Lake could be loved at Boundary Breaks Vineyard, about midway up the jap aspect, and Atwater Estates Vineyard, within the Banana Belt. For greater than twenty years, Atwater has persistently produced crisp, fruit-forward whites (some blended with mandarin or blood orange) and strong, plummy reds. Whereas Boundary Breaks makes a handful of reds, they’re finest identified for his or her Riesling, which they name the “best white on earth.”

Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars has been sustainably producing wines for 3 generations, and has one of many area’s most distinctive glowing packages. They’re additionally identified for his or her crisp, lower-acidity Chardonnay and delicate, ethereal Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Aaron Roisen says, “There’s a distinctive sense of place that every one Finger Lakes wines share. The best way they develop right here isn’t expressed the identical approach in another a part of the world. It’s slightly enigmatic.”

The Western Facet of Seneca Lake

On the western aspect of Seneca Lake, you’ll discover Finger Lakes pioneer Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard. It was named after a German viticulturist who introduced acclaim to the area’s Rieslings all the best way again in 1976. Wiemer retired in 2007, however his legacy lives on in well-reviewed reds, whites, glowing, and dessert wines.

Talking of historical past, one of many oldest Finger Lakes vineyards belongs to Missick Cellars (previously Bellangelo). Established in 1866, the vineyard is thought for its fusion of European and American strategies.

For greater than 1 / 4 century, Fox Run Vineyards has been turning out limited-production property wines from non-hybrid European grapes. They have been additionally utilizing sustainable farming strategies earlier than “sustainability” was a buzzword.

Barnstormer Winery is likely one of the newer children on the block. Established in 2013, they use grapes from seven totally different regional growers to create boutique wines like Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Blaufränkisch. In addition they emphasize wine training.

What to See & Do on Seneca Lake

While you’re not tasting wine, get out and discover. Begin with purchasing at Hector Handmade, a renovated Thirties fuel station that shares artwork and items from greater than 40 native makers, or the family-owned farmstand Thyme Stands Still (don’t miss the cherries in season).

Watch a race or two at Watkins Glen International, New York’s house for NASCAR racing, or drive the course in your individual automotive, escorted by an official WGI tempo automotive.

Take a hike at Watkins Glen State Park, which includes a two-mile path with jaw-dropping views of a 400-foot-deep gorge. Use the principle entrance, the place newly put in signage provides and overview of Seneca Indian historical past. You’ll even be handled to front-facing views of 19 waterfalls.

Choose to be on the water? Go boating, and swimming at Seneca Lake State Park. Or kayak or paddleboard by means of the lake’s many quiet coves, the place you’ll be accompanied by wildlife like double-crested cormorants, frequent eiders, and minks.

Wind down with a stroll alongside Seneca Lake Pier. Stroll out previous the enduring pink pier home to the stone jetty, have a seat, and look forward to the spectacular pure fireworks of sundown.

Very similar to its wines, the Finger Lakes area is ever evolving. Hold an open thoughts and a spirit of exploration, and also you’ll be rewarded with a weekend journey that’s filled with advanced, memorable flavors — each literal and metaphorical.