7 Wineries to Visit in Finger Lakes New York

If you are in your grocery or local wine store looking for a bottle of US wine, chances are it’s from California. That is about to change. Lately, Finger Lakes New York wineries have been gaining national attention. Wine Spectator, the ultimate online resource on wine listed over 40 Finger Lakes wineries with ratings above 85.

Planning a road trip to Finger Lakes Wineries is easy. To start off, check out these three wine trails’ websites:
Keuka Wine Trail
Seneca Wine Trail
Cayuga Wine Trail

Where exactly is Finger Lakes New York?
The Finger Lakes consists of 11 lakes between cities of Syracuse (east), Rochester (north-west) and Elmira-Corning and Ithaca (south). Syracuse is 94 miles from the town of Hammondsport in Keuka Lake and 58 miles from Romulus near Seneca Wine Trail and Cayuga Wine Trail.

It takes four hours 56 minutes to drive from Philadelphia PA to Hammondsport NY. Your drive from Newark NJ to Seneca Falls NY is four hours 52 minutes. Most driving time is within five hours from major cities in the New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania areas.

Driving from Ottawa Canada (excluding custom and immigration procedures) to Seneca Falls NY is four hours compared to New York City to Seneca Falls of four hours 45 minutes.
Here is Travelmath’s Top Seven Wineries to visit in Finger Lakes New York (in no particular order):

One: Keuka Spring Vineyards
This winery won the Best White Wine in America award and the Governor’s Cup for Most Outstanding Wine. Wine tasting is free in this delightful winery with a view of Keuka Lake. The owners Len and Judy Wiltberger have been producing wine since 1985. Their winemaker, August Deimel has many great wines in the works for the new season.

More information: Keuka Spring Vineyards

Two: Ravines Wine Cellars
Ravines Wine Cellars is known for their dry wines including Dry Reisling, Dry Rose and Sauvignon Blanc. They have two locations for wine tasting, one in Geneva (Seneca Wine Trail) and the other in Hammondsport (Keuka Wine Trail).

Their 2012 Dry Riesling was ranked 33rd on Wine Spectator’s list in Top 100 Wines of 2013.

More information: Ravines Wine Cellars

Three: Domaine LeSeurre Winery
Winemakers and owners, Celine and Sebastien Leseurre have many years of winemaking and wine tasting experience despite their age. This French couple’s winery is the newest addition to the Finger Lakes Wine Country.

Sebastien is from the Champagne region of France and Celine is from Pyrénées Southern France. Domaine LeSeurre is definitely worth a visit. Try their limited edition Sweet Reserve Riesling Barrel No. 3.

More information: Domaine LeSeurre Winery

Four: Heron Hill Winery
Heron Hill has three wine tasting locations with about 20 wine varieties. The variety includes Rieslings, dry Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Francs and specialty dessert wines.

Their website features recipes with wine suggestions including recipes for making sangria and holiday mulled white wine.

More information: Heron Hill Winery

Five: Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars
Dr. Frank’s is the most award-winning winery in New York States since 1962. A professor of plant sciences, Dr. Konstantin Frank founded the winery and his legacy has lived through four generations of the Frank family.

Guests can taste their world-renowned Rieslings, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay.

More information: Dr. Frank’s Wine Cellars

Six: Knapp Winery and Vineyard Restaurant
Knapp is known for their French-American hybrids and native grapes. The winery’s restaurant offers a five course gourmet meal and wine pairing that complements each course.

It is one of the wineries that is the closest to Syracuse, a perfect place to get away for the weekend. The winery has a restaurant and a guesthouse.

More information: Knapp Winery and Vineyard Restaurant

Seven: Swedish Hill Winery
Another most honored winery in Finger Lakes, Swedish Hill received three Governor’s Cup in 1994, 2008 and 2010, 54 golds in 2010 and 53 golds in 2011 and many more.

You can order a personalized label as a gift with custom image or standard image with Swedish Hill Winery. Meet Doobie, their donkey mascot behind the tasting room.

More information: Swedish Hill Winery

The various types of Reislings from Finger Lakes Wine Country are the most well received wines to date. When taking a wine tasting tour remember to always have a designated driver in your group. Don’t drink and drive.

There are over 120 wineries in the Finger Lakes Region. Please let us know your favorites. For help in finding the best accommodation or flights to the area here are two places to look:

Airline
Hotel