The Finger Lakes Wineries with Prof. John C. O'Neal

During the wine tasting I held recently in the Pub during Feb fest, I happened to mention that there were wineries close by in the Finger Lakes region, which came as a surprise to many students in the audience. To be sure, New York has some very fine wineries that are “worth the detour,” as the Michelin green guides put it for cultural or tourist attractions worth visiting.Although there are, in fact, wineries all over the state (both east and west banks of the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and elsewhere), I shall focus primarily on the ones in our so-called back yard along Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka lakes just to the west and south of Syracuse. It has been a few years since I visited them, but I trust the information given below still holds true.

However much Seneca Lake remains my favorite lake for wine tasting, there are some real finds along the shores of the other two lakes. King Ferry Winery (www.treleavenwines.com) on the east side of Cayuga Lake bottles its wines under the name Treleaven. Its tasting room is not fancy—at least when I visited some time ago--but it produces one of the finest Chardonnays I’ve tasted in Upstate New York. If you want to splurge, try the Reserve Chardonnay, which has even more of a refined oak taste. While you’re in the area, consider at least lunch, if not an overnight stay, at the Aurora Inn (www.aurora-inn.com), a lovely 1833 Federal style building on the lake. On the west side of the lake one can find Knapp Winery (www.knappwine.com) with an attractive tasting room I remember well and now a vineyard restaurant. As at any well-rounded winery like Knapp, one can find a variety of good wines and should try most, if perhaps not all, of them. Personally, I steer clear of any sweet or even semi-sweet wines (Vignoles, etc.), as they tend to give me a headache, which is not what one wants on a wine tasting tour!

Heading west, one arrives at Seneca Lake, at the top of which is the town of Geneva, where I had a conference last fall, staying at the Ramada Inn on the lake. (If you choose to stay here, make sure you tell them you want a lakefront room with a full window.) The downtown has undergone an urban Renaissance, and I found the atmosphere young and lively. Geneva is home, as you may know, to Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Belhurst Castle has a long, distinguished history worth exploring while you’re in town and not wine tasting. (One can’t taste wine around the clock!) Don’t miss the pumpkin pancakes at the little coffee shop in downtown Geneva; they were a real treat. But let’s proceed now on to the vineyards, now that you have a place to eat and sleep. Chateau LaFayette Reneau (www.clrwine.com) also offers lodging at its vineyard, which produces some good wines, although I prefer the modern elegance of Lamoreaux Landing Winery (www.lamoreauxwine.com). Seneca Lake provides in fact an embarrassment of riches for wine tasting. Let me simply mention some of my favorite wineries on this lake and what I especially enjoy there: Red Newt Cellars (http://rednewt.com/web/; the Merlot is the best I’ve had anywhere, and they have a good restaurant), Prejean Winery (http://prejeanwinery.com; their Dry Riesling, done in the Alsation tradition of wine making, is delicious); Seneca Shore Winery (www.senecawine.com; they make a lovely, dry Cabernet Franc; not a fancy place, but they produce good wine at an affordable price); Fox Run Winery (www.foxrunvineyards.com; great quality-price ratio, especially for the Chardonnays), Standing Stone Vineyards (www.standingstonewines.com; here you’ll want to focus on all of the reds, especially the Pinot Noir, which they have perfected); and for the serious aficionado of red wines Shalestone Vineyard (www.shalestonevineyards.com; it might be a good idea to call ahead with them, as they are somewhat more private and less commercial than some of the other wineries).

Keuka Lake, the last of the trilogy of Finger Lakes on my list, offers what I believe to be the finest view in the region, one reminiscent of Switzerland to me. To see it, one must travel to McGregor Vineyard & Winery (www.mcgregorwinery.com). Their wines may not have been memorable, but the view was indeed. For wine, Keuka Lake presents fewer choices, but one should not miss Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars (www.drfrankwines.com) for historical reasons. Dr. Frank was the first to make “world-class wines” (sic) from European varietals in the Finger Lakes back in the early 1960s. It is not an understatement to claim that he revolutionized the wine industry in Upstate New York. At the foot of the lake is Watkins Glen, whose state park’s trails wend their way through a gorge with 19 waterfalls, a welcome respite from the other activities.

Finally, on your way home drive through Skaneateles, another Finger Lake town, whose wine growing industry is just starting. But it’s less for wine tasting than the sheer beauty of the town that you’ll want to pause here. The Sherwood Inn (est. 1807) is one stop among many others you’ll want to make. If you’re here ever in the summer, take in a concert at the Skaneateles Festival, particularly one of the outdoor concerts on Brook Farm overlooking the lake. As one can see, there is a lot to see and do in addition to wine tasting in Upstate New York. If you haven’t yet visited this region, put it on your agenda before graduation. Plan on spending at least one night, if not two, in the area to savor it and the wines fully and responsibly. Bon voyage!