Finger Lakes Winery Recommendations

WINE TALK
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Hi everyone,

Looking for recommendations for the best wineries to visit in the Finger Lakes. My tentative plan is to stay in Watkins Glen, which is at the south end of Seneca Lake, so I’m most interested in ones not too far away.

Wine quality, beautiful setting, and quality of tasting experience all important!

Thanks so much!
Noah

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Wiemer and Aurora Brewing Co.

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And Ravines and going to add Red Newt

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Bloomer Creek has been making nice wines. And I recently discovered Weis Vineyards, run by a youngish guy from the Mosel. He makes some excellent rieslings, sweet and dry, and a pretty good Blaufrankisch. Those two places are at the top of my list to visit.

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Highly recommend Forge Cellars - excellent Pinot Noir and Cab Franc

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Many good choices above but +1 on Ravines and Aurora Brewing in particular.

If you do go to Aurora, Heart & Hands Winery is a little further north on the east shore of Cayuga Lake and is well worth a visit. Their Paul’s Legacy wines, only available at the winery, are particularly good.

Cellar d’Or in Ithaca is an excellent wine shop with a well chosen selection.

If you’re going to Bloomer Creek, Standing Stone is conveniently near, a bit further north on the east shore of Seneca Lake. They were bought by Wiemer a few years ago and are now functionally, though not literally, Wiemer’s budget label. Very nice setting, quality wines, and definitely worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood.

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What about our berserkerday superstar Red Newt Cellars?

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See my recco above.

And don’t miss the Watkins Glen State Park. Park at the top, walk down and take the bus back to the top. An extraordinary walk (down hill with fewer people)

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Great recommendations in this thread already. Going to toss in Lakewood on southern Seneca as well. Definitely do Weimer and Ravines. Once on Seneca is a nice wine bar with a handful of FLX wines btg and on flights.

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Don’t miss Hermann J. Wiemer. Highly recommend FLX Wienery for lunch.

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My most recent visit was fall of 2019. Comments are restricted to wineries I visited on the trip.

Absolutely Wiermer and the Wienery and then also stop at Hickory Hollow (Hickory Hollow). All three are within minutes of each other. I don’t know why the Nathan K wines don’t get more love here but I think they are top notch. Opened a 2017 Riesling last weekend and immediately wished I had brought back more.

Ravines is great but it’s also all the way at the other end of the lake and a bit of a drive. Another stop or two up that way is required to justify the driving. Not sure what to recommend but will say to avoid Anthony Road based on our experience. I set up a tasting for a group. Discussed what I wanted and willing to pay more as needed. We arrive for our appointment and they are not ready for us, scurry around to set up the room and end up pouring the standard tasting, none of which were great and most of the group didn’t like anything. I and another person bought a few sympathy bottles which we drank later that week and will say they were better than at the tasting but nothing I would rebuy.

Boundary Breaks (https://boundarybreaks.com/) is nice. Riesling in multiple styles. Maybe better for groups with less experience but I like them. Everything was solid but nothing was spectacular.

I seem to always be the outlier on Bloomer Creek but I was not impressed. I didn’t like any of the whites. I brought back a few reds to try again later but haven’t opened one yet.

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Are reservations needed for winery visits?

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Wiemer
Frank
Ravines
Forge
Heart & Hands (the only good pinot in the region)

I don’t understand the love for Red Newt. I have been there many times because visiting guests/friends want to visit. We always leave disappointed. Silver Thread is not bad. But, the above are worth a visit.

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Have you tried The pinot from Nathan K?

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I was going to mention a stop a WGSP. It’s gorgeous! We were there years ago and walked up all of the stairs. What a workout.

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When I visited in Nov 21’ we just did walk in visits to Hermann J Weimer and Weis and I really enjoyed both. I couldn’t get into K Frank since they were booked solid. I will likely make reservations next time I visit at the places that I’m most interested in. Overall it’s beautiful and much closer than Napa/Sonoma.

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Forge and Weimer didn’t disappoint when I went last summer

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Thanks for pointing out Weis. I just ordered a wine to try.

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Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. Please keep 'em coming!

Absolutely. I’ve never been, but have heard great things. The plan is actually to camp there and go to a few wineries and kayaking trips during the day.


This is good advice. I should mention that there will be four of us but I’m the only total wine geek in the group. So that might also influence where to go.

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I’ve wanted to, but still haven’t, visited Kemmeter Wines on the lake. Particularly interested in their attached dumpling restaurant. Unfortunately, they’ve been closed the last two time we’ve visited after dropping off our son at Syracuse (if I recall, they’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)

You may also want to see if you can get dinner reservations at FLX in Geneva