Finger Lakes Region
The 10 Best Wineries in the Finger Lakes are…
With over 100 Wineries in the Finger Lakes, there are a lot of good and sometimes not so good options. We recently completed our 2021 tastings, and here are the 10 Best!
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Keuka Lake, Hammondsport
In 1957, Dr. Frank planted his first vinifera grapes in the Finger Lakes and became one of the first wineries in the area. The quality of their Rieslings and other wines paved the way for a region that is now regarded as one of the best winemaking areas in the world. They still make great Rieslings and over 40 other wines including a Sparkling Riesling made in the Champagne style which is fantastic. For wine quality and to see where the FLX wine movement started, this is a must see on your wine tour experiences. Their Brut Sparkling Wine and the Saperavi were our two favorite of the wines we tasted.
Damiani Wine Cellars, Seneca Lake, Burdett
Our host, Jeremy, was both incredibly knowledgeable and a fun ambassador for the winery. Damiani has always been one of our favorite stops because the overall experience is not only a lot of fun, but the wines are all top notch. Jeremy shared a touching story about their 2019 Rhysling - a Reisling named after the winemaker’s son Rhys. Rhys was born with a congenital heart defect and spent a lot of time in the hospital during his first year. The vineyard sends 20% of the proceeds from every bottle to help research pediatric cardiology. Great time, great wines, great experience. Our two faves were the Brut Methode Champenoise and the 2019 Saperavi.
Hermann J. Weimer Vineyard, Seneca Lake, Dundee
It is of no coincidence that the two of the best wineries for Rieslings in the FLX have German roots. Germany has been making Rieslings for almost 600 years! At Weimer, they have 10 different Reislings to taste. When we were there, our Tasting Master shared a story about how the previous day they had been working on a 2021 Reisling and they tested numerous blends of 40 different Reisling samples in various ratios in order to make the best wine. Weimer also has very sustainable vineyard practices with minimal pesticides in the process of growing grapes. This winery is always a pleasure to visit because every wine is great. Their 2019 BIO Reisling was excellent along with the 2020 Rose, and the 2019 Chardonnay.
McGregor Vineyard, Keuka Lake, Dundee
McGregor is a great vineyard with a lot of terrific wines! Their Black Russian Red is a mix of Saperavi and Sereksiva Charni varietals which are both very rare in the U.S., but grow well due to the FLX climate and soil. The Reislings are good as well. We had a great conversation with the owner, John McGregor, during which he shared a story about how his father left Kodak and started the winery in 1980. It was touching to hear him also state that his Mom was just as important to the winery as his Dad during it’s early days because she would do all the packaging, baking, and the million other little things that you have to do in order to run a successful business. The view of Keuka Lake from their patio is breathtaking! The Dry Rose and the 2019 Sparkling Reisling were our faves!
Click here to see our interview with John McGregor, 2nd generation proprietor of McGregor Vineyard
Heron Hill Winery, Keuka Lake, Hammondsport
Sitting majestically on a hill overlooking the west side of Keuka Lake is the most beautiful winery in the FLX. It reminded us of something you would see on a hill in Sonoma. Blaufrankisch sounds like a character from the movie Young Frankenstein, but it is actually a hearty red wine that Heron Hill makes very well. Every time that we go on a tasting there, it is the first wine that I taste. Their other wines are great as well, in fact superb works here, but the 2019 Blau as hipsters call it, is our fave. Reds can be tougher to perfect in the FLX due to the shorter growing season than California and other warm climate wine making regions, but Heron Hill has a slate of good reds. The 2020 Dry Reisling was our other Top Pick.
Click here to see the Video of our Heron Hill Interview with COO Eric Frarey
Boundary Breaks Vineyard, Seneca Lake, Lodi
We had never been to Boundary Breaks in the past, but we quickly realized what we were missing out on! The consistently smooth and tasty wines in our flight were a perfect compliment to the gorgeous view of Seneca Lake. We started our tasting with the 2019 Sparkling Gewurztraminer, and after just one sip we all looked at each other and said - Wow! It was one of the best wines we had on our 2021 Best of FLX Wineries tour. The Dry Rose was delish as well. When you are driving down the east side of Seneca, definitely add Boundary Breaks to your wine tour.
Ravines Wine Cellars, Seneca Lake, Geneva
The owner of Ravines, Morten Hallgren trained extensively in Europe before he opened his winery in 2001. Their wines are consistently among the best of any winery in the Finger Lakes and they consistently score 90+ ratings in national wine publications. They also have monthly food and pairing meals at the winery which feature incredible foods paired with their various wines. We have attended a few and the food has always been fantastic. Their 2018 Pinot Noir, and the Ampersand Port are our faves, but you can’t go wrong with any of their wines.
Heart and Hands Winery, Cayuga Lake, Union Springs
Cayuga Lake doesn’t have as many great wineries as Seneca or Keuka, but Heart and Hands definitely makes the grade. Like most Finger Lakes wineries, the Reisling and Pinot Noir are the best. They also have a dry rose that is quite tasty.
Lamoreaux Landing, Seneca Lake, Lodi
The Lamoreaux Landing winery has a simple elegance in the design of the winery that also is evident in the light and sophisticated wines that they produce. Located on the East side of Seneca Lake in what is called the banana belt due to the curve of the lake on the Southern end, the microclimates in this region make for great tasting wines. Their Dry Rose is quite tasty as is the Chardonnay and Reisling.
Long Point Winery, Cayuga Lak, Aurora
On a recent Daycation to the Finger Lakes, we stumbled upon a winery on Cayuga Lake called Long Point Winery that we had never been to. The property was beautiful with a magnificent view of the the lake, but the best part was waiting for us in the tasting room! OMG on the wines. We are rarely Wowed when we do tastings, but here each wine that we tasted was spectacular! Finger Lakes Reds can sometimes be iffy, but the winemaker here got it perfect. Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot - all really good. They even brought in Zinfandel grapes from California and made a couple of really good wines with them. And yes, the whites were very good as well. This is a “must go” when you are in the area.