The Finger Lakes, New York

     

Lake Seneca, New York

     Recently my husband and I helped our son and daughter-in-law with their move to Boston. It was a bitter sweet event. We are very proud of Ben's new opportunity, but we will miss them-especially our grandson. My husband realized I might need some cheering up, so he planned a visit to New York's Finger Lakes region for some wine tasting as we made our way back to St. Louis. It was the perfect way to cheer me up!

     Our home base was the Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen. A beautiful hotel at the tip of Lake Seneca. A quaint, small town, Watkins Glen has restaurants and shops all an easy walk from our hotel as well as a nice restaurant and bar on the property with a large patio for outdoor dining. The Tasting Room and Wine Merchant by Atwater also recently opened in town. They offer tastings of select wines from a variety of wine regions in New York and some wonderful cheeses from the Empire state as well. It was the perfect spot to have a glass of wine and cheese plate before dinner on the day of our arrival. I enjoyed a glass of the Atwater Chardonnay! The wine was bright and crisp and paired well with our cheeses.

     Over our two day stay we visited wineries on both sides of Lake Seneca. Views were beautiful, everyone was friendly and the weather perfect! Here are a few of our favorites.

Herman J. Wiemer Vineyard
From the outside the tasting room looks like a large barn. Inside it is a modern and elegant spot to sample their wonderful wines. Herman Wiemer (www.wiemer.com) is considered a pioneer in the wine industry here. The tasting room and staff, as well as his wines, are elegant and classy. Our favorite was the 2013 Dry Riesling that recently received 91 points from Wine and Spirits and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. I also loved their Rosé that we brought home and have enjoyed by the pool. They also have vines to purchase from their nursery. This is a must if you are visiting the Finger Lakes!

View from Silver Thread Vineyard

Love the label from Silver Thread

Silver Thread Vineyard
This beauty is on the east side of the lake, down a dusty road with gorgeous views of the lake (www.silverthreadwine.com). They are primarily known for Riesling, a grape well suited for this terroir, but also produce Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. We loved the 2012 Dry Riesling. Brought a few of these home and will be sharing with Lisa and Mary Jo soon!

Barnstormer Winery
This tasting room is in....... a barn! The barn itself is over 100 years old. Inside the tasting room is large and bright. The staff here was excellent. My favorite wine from Barnstormer (www.barnstormer.com) was their unoaked Chardonnay. A bit leaner than a California Chardonnay, it was bright and crisp. Also loved the Rosé that they offered. They also have a large deck to enjoy a glass a wine and cheese plate that we took advantage of.

Shalestone Vineyards 
I am a sucker for a wine dog, so when I saw this sign outside the Shalestone (www.shalestonevineyards.com) tasting room I knew I was in the right place. This unique winery only offers red wines! The Finger Lakes region is not known for having much luck with dry red wines, but Shalestone had some wonderful offerings. Our favorite was Harmony, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Just to show you what a small world it is, our hostess in the tasting room, Martha, was from our hometown in Northern Illinois!

Watkins Glen State Park

     If you get a chance to travel to upstate New York, find time to visit the Finger Lakes. The scenery is breathtaking and the wines are delightful. And don't forget to take a walk through Watkins Glen State Park to see enjoy the waterfalls!

Cheers,
Beth