If someone told you there was a place in upstate New York that had Rieslings that could rival those in Germany, possesses breath-taking lakeside views, and has an amazing state park, one would think you are talking about an imaginary place such as Doggerland or Zealandia. Well the truth is the latter two places did exist, albeit now submerged after the last Ice Age. But lucky for you, New York’s wine Shangri-La still exists: The Finger Lakes Region. Despite upstate NY’s reputation for harsh winters secondary to its continental climate, the local microclimates created by the glacially created Finger Lakes themselves as well as nearby Lake Ontario allow for the Finger Lakes region to uniquely and surprisingly support viticulture. Furthermore, the region is often overlooked given the challenge in getting there; the Finger Lakes are far from major metropolitan centers and large well-connected airports. But this arduous path will reward those who complete the trek with wonderful surprises and smaller crowds. In a COVID world where air travel should be eschewed, we chose to take advantage of our vacation days to make the approximately 5 hour drive from NYC to explore the Finger Lakes in early October (when COVID positivity rates in NY were low).
For newbies, please note that the Finger Lakes are 11 vertically-oriented glacial lakes running north-south in northwestern NY. Many amazing vineyards circumferentially dot the 2 largest lakes in the region: Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Given the large geographic area encompassed by these lakes, it is most effective to concentrate on one lake at a time to minimize driving time and maximize your ability to do as much as possible. Given the many colleges in the region (Cornell University, Ithaca College, etc.), if you are visiting the area to see friends and family, take advantage of the trip and definitely explore the region. We chose to explore Seneca Lake and below are our experiences and recommendations.
WHERE TO STAY:
There are several hotels and bed & breakfasts in the region. AirBnB will also have a decent inventory in the region. As noted above, given the large geographic footprint of the area, your choice should be based on the specific lake you choose and the attractions you wish to explore. We stayed at a friend’s place in Corning, NY.
WHEN TO GO:
Given how cold temperatures can get here in the winter, we would recommend coming during the Spring, Summer, or Fall. If you can time it with the fall foliage, even better!
EXPLORING RESPONSIBLY:
If you are doing multiple vineyards, please remember to explore responsibly. There are many transportation services in the Finger Lakes Region whereby you can book a driver (get a driver for your car) or arrange for a car/SUV (have them drive you in their car) for several hours. Please note that if you are going on a weekend, to book this well ahead of time as they are very popular.
WHAT TO DO:
SENECA LAKE (East Shore)
DAY 1 - VINEYARD CRAWL (Going North to South)
BOUNDARY BREAKS VINEYARD
-Started our food and drink tour of Day 1 here. Considered a fast rising superstar in the region. Produces some tremendous Rieslings that can hold their own against their German counterparts. Has a really passionate owner (Bruce) who we were fortunate to meet, who has quite the eclectic background (previously worked with Elon Musk), and a true passion for the region.
-Stop 3. Not only a place to grab wine, Wagner’s has good beer and food options at its adjoining cafe. We grabbed a great lunch on the outside deck with lakeside views.
-Stop 4. Post lunch, we stopped by this popular and extremely scenic brewery with gorgeous decks. Finished our crawl here before heading back to Corning for dinner.
DAY 2 - HIKING (and a little more VINEYARD CRAWL-ing)
WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK
We started Day 2 here. This ended up being one of the best state parks we’ve explored. Really well maintained with some great scenery as you hike along waterfalls, gorges, and rock formations. Easily hit >10,000 steps here.
-Post hike, we were ready to eat. Chose this vineyard to soak in more spectacular panoramic views and grab lunch. P.S. A great place to also create your own picnic and grab a bottle from the cellar
-We didn’t do a tasting here. But given that this a venerable institution in the region, we came to buy some bottles for the future before heading back to Corning. And when the time came to uncork them, these wines were marvelous.
