by Michael Warren
Thomas
The seductive pull
of the Finger Lakes wine region beckons in all seasons, and the
wineries are close enough that it only takes a few hours to get a
taste of what the world is talking about. Casa Larga Vineyards in
Fairport is the closest, and just won Best Dessert Wine at the
Florida International Wine Competition. The March 2007 National
Geographic Traveler paid compliment to the Finger Lakes’ “long
vistas of blue water” and “wines that stand alongside
California’s best.” The Finger Lakes have been featured on the
cover of the Wine Spectator and in numerous trade magazines and wine
books. The world is just beginning to discover the Finger Lakes, and
the next decade will bring growth and big business to the region.
For now, the
wineries are family-owned and -operated businesses, where visitors
will meet two and sometimes three generations of grape growers and
winemakers. In Napa and even Long Island, many of the wineries have
been purchased by corporations as investments, but the Finger Lakes
remains a close-knit community of small-scale wine producers. For
links to the wineries and events in the Finger Lakes, visit
www.NewYorkWines.org and www.FingerLakesWineGazette.com. The Finger
Lakes Wine Festival in Watkins Glen is the best opportunity all year
to taste the wines of the region in one place. This year it will take
place July 20-22, with roughly 70 wineries attending.
Starting in the
western Finger Lakes, there are several new — and one really
old — wineries in the Little Finger Lakes (Honeoye, Conesus, and
Hemlock lakes). Eaglecrest Winery was started on Hemlock
Lake’s west side in 1872 by Bishop Bernard McQuaid, to produce
sacramental wine for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Now 135
years later, it still produces sacramental wine as well as a new line
of table wines.
On the west side
of Conesus Lake, Deer Run Winery was opened several years ago
by Joan and George Kuyon. The disadvantage of the Little Finger Lakes
is their shallow water, which does not protect the surrounding
hillsides like the exceptionally deep larger Finger Lakes (for
comparison Seneca Lake is 630 feet deep; Conesus Lake is 65 feet
deep.). Deer Run has planted hardier French-American grapes like
Seyval, and several new experimental grapes from the Geneva
Experimental Station. Some Rochester Public Market patrons may
remember Arbordale Winery, which offered samplings and sales
last year. It will build a tasting room on the east side of Conesus
Lake in 2007.
To experience
one of the scenic wonders of the Finger Lakes, take County Route
12 over the hill to Naples. This short road begins south of Bristol
Mountain, near the junction of routes 64 and 21, where the Arbor
Hill Grapery and Winery is located. The Brahm family continues to
plant and make wine with heirloom varieties of grapes like Vergennes
and Isabella, as well as new varieties such as Traminette. Next to
Arbor Hill is one of the newest Finger Lakes restaurants, The
Brown Hound Bistro, which carries an astounding 35 to 40 Finger
Lakes wines in its 18-seat restaurant.
The Violet
Barn is located on County Route 12 and worth a visit; it’s one
of the preeminent growers of African Violets in the United States.
The road through Naples is one of the best routes to Keuka Lake’s
west side wineries and Hammondsport. Widmer Wine Cellars is
located in Naples, and offers tours on a daily basis. Head south on
Route 53 to Prattsburg, and then get out a map because the turns are
not well marked, although there are small signs for Heron Hill.
Dr. Konstantin
Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Hunt Country Vineyards, Bully Hill and Heron Hill wineries are in close proximity, and the Village
Tavern in Hammondsport features hundreds of Finger Lakes wines
and wonderful food. The Glen Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport is
a fascinating place to visit, and Chateau Renaissance Winery
nearby produces one of the only dandelion wines in the region, as
well as many other grape wines.
The east sideof Keuka Lake has some interesting newer wineries like Ravines
Wine Cellars and Rooster Hill, as well as long time
favorites Keuka Spring (which recently built a new tasting
room on the hill) and McGregor Vineyards, famous for its Black
Russian wine. A visit to the east side wineries should include a stop
at Esperanza Mansion on the north end of Keuka Lake, which has
one of the best views in the state.
Although Keuka
Lake was the wine capital of the Finger Lakes for more than 100
years (in 1860 the Pleasant Valley Wine Company was the first bonded
United States winery), Seneca Lake has grown from zero wineries in
the early 1970s to 52 licensed wineries in 2007. There are also at
least four future wineries that are planting grapes and preparing to
build tasting rooms.
On the east side
of Seneca Lake, most of the wineries are clustered midway down the
exceptionally long lake, but the north end has one new winery,
Ventosa Vineyards, and several other new wineries under
development. Ventosa is almost across Route 96A from the Rose Hill
Mansion, a Geneva Historical Society property.
It appears to be
a trend that the most interesting Finger Lakes restaurants are
locating at or near the wineries rather than in the towns at the
north and south ends of the lakes. On the west side of Seneca Lake,
the restaurants include Veraisonsat Glenora, The
Café at Fox Run, Madderlake Café, Ports Café, Edgar’s at
Belhurst and Geneva-on-the-Lake. On the east side of
Seneca are Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine, Red Newt Bistro, Dano’s
Heuriger (Austrian), Stonecat Café, and the Ginny Lee
Café at Wagner Vineyards.
On Cayuga Lake,
Samantha Izzo has continued this trend by moving her Simply Red
Bistro in Trumansburg to Sheldrake Point Winery. On the
east side of Cayuga, the Aurora Inn has excellent food in a
beautifully renovated building from 1833. Although there are only two
wineries on the east side of Cayuga Lake, Treleaven Winery and
Long Point, these both produce excellent wine and gardeners
might appreciate visiting Baker’s Acres.
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This article appears in Mar 21-27, 2007.
