This post is Part Two of my posts about a recent trip to the Finger Lakes wine region. Today I want to continue with the wineries we visited on Seneca Lake and then three on Keuka Lake. I thought I would share my tastings at Two Goats Brewing and Finger Lakes Distilling, but they will have to wait for another post…
Lakewood Estate Winery was not in my original plans for this visit, but I am really glad I allowed for some impromptu visits. The tasting room is warm and inviting, as we were greeted by one of their Labs. The owners actually have five dogs who enjoy the lay of the land and this is a very pet-friendly winery. I was able to taste a number of delicious whites and reds here. The prices were very reasonable and the quality of the wines was excellent. Among my favorites were:
- 3 Generations Riesling-one of the best Rieslings I tasted in an area of amazing Rieslings!
- 2017 Chardonnay-gently oaked and finely balanced
- 2018 Long Stem Red-Jammy, soft blend of Leon Millot, Frontenac, Marechal Foch, Vincent and a fifth varietal that escapes my memory. At $10/bottle, a steal!
- 2018 Port-Made with Baco Noir and fortified with Sherry (18% ABV); delish!
We loved it here and took home these four beauties. My wife wanted to take home a couple of their dogs, but that wasn’t in the cards.
Shalestone Winery was another late addition. It was not on my radar until I read a letter to a post on The Cork Report (a great blog you should really check out). A reader shared that he and his wife had come to the Finger Lakes region and its wineries for over 20 years and they made it a point to stop at Shalestone Vineyards every year. It was their favorite. A sign outside says “Red is All We Do.” Since white wines (especially Rieslings) tend to dominate around here I thought it a welcome change of pace. What I did not expect was the amazing quality of the wines they produce. Every wine we tasted was incredible. Hard to pick favorites, but here goes:
- 2015 Harmony-an amazing red blend of Merlot (50%); Cab Franc (36%); and Cabernet Sauvignon (14%)
- 2017 Cabernet Franc (a full-bodied, delicious version)
- Pinot Noir (Perhaps the best I tasted on this trip)
- Red Legend (another awesome full-bodied red blend)
* While I did not purchase it, they also had a wonderful Saperavi (next time, when I have more room).
Damiani Wine Cellars
I had read that Damiani specializes in producing red wines and they certainly make some excellent ones. They have a very attractive tasting room with a view of Seneca Lake (across the street). The following were my favorites here in order:
- 2016 Pinot Noir-This Pinot Noir and the MC2 made the stop well worth it, just for them.
- MC2 (a great red blend)
- 2017 Dry Riesling
- 2017 Pinot Grigio-Surprisingly one of the few Pinot Grigio I got to taste in the area, but a good one.
Keuka Lake
Keuka Lake is much smaller and not nearly as deep as Seneca Lake, but very beautiful and helps to offer similar moderating effects with the temperatures. We visited three well-known wineries on Keuka Lake: Heron Hill Winery, Ravines Wine Cellars and Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. All three were wonderful.
Heron Hill Winery was named one of the 10 most spectacular tasting rooms in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine (Pictured below).
Fortunately, the wines were also exceptional. We did a local cheese and wine pairing, as we were in serious need of nourishment. I heartily recommend the pairing, which was perfectly selected by the staff. By doing the wine and cheese pairing I was able to taste 10 wines in all. They were very good. Among my favorite wines here: 2016 Reserve Riesling, 2017 Reserved Gruner Veltliner, 2017 Oaked Chardonnay Morris Vineyard, 2017 Oaked Chardonnay Macri Vineyard and 2016 Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir. If we had more time, we would have enjoyed a glass of wine on their sun-drenched decked area.
Ravines Wine Cellars does not have a lake view, but they have a very attractive tasting room and dining area. They also make some wonderful wines. Like many of its competitors, Ravines makes some award-winning Rieslings. Wine and Spirits named them twice as among the Top Wineries in the World. They have had a wine on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in the World four times. My personal favorites:
- 2017 Dry Riesling White Springs Vineyard (WA=91 Points)
- 2016 Chardonnay, 2016 Pinot Noir (WA=91 Points)
- 2016 Pinot Noir (WA=91 Points)
- 2015 Maximilien (fabulous Bordeaux-style red blend; WA=90 Points)
- 2016 Le Petit Caporal (red blend; WA=92 Points)
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery (pictured below) has a view of Keuka Lake and a very rich history. Dr. Frank is considered a legend in the area and his legend lives on at the winery with the family continuing his tradition of excellence. The tasting room is in the home he lived in. Dr. Frank was the first winemaker to bring vinifera grapes to the Finger Lakes region, transforming the New York wine region forever. The winery was established in 1962. This was one of the most extensive tasting menus during my visit to the area and we were able to taste whatever we wanted! I liked every wine I tasted here, but among my personal favorites are:
- 2016 Cab Franc-Like NJ they do very well here and this is a fine example.
- 2018 Dry Riesling (blend of Keuka and Seneca Estate Old vines)
- 2018 Dry Rose (utilizing Blaufrankisch)-Beautiful color and acidity.
- 2017 Saperavi*- You really need to try this grape is you have not yet done so.
- 2017 Chardonnay(oaked in Hungarian and French Oak)
- 2016 Pinot Noir (great Pinot Noir)
* Saperavi is a dark-skinned grape, high in acidity and native to Georgia (the country).
My take aways from this great Finger Lakes adventure:
- Much has changed in the past 20 years. Not only are there many dry wines (and not all Rieslings), but many superb red wines are produced around these lakes.
- Riesling is an underrated varietal. It is very versatile. You can buy a bone-dry Riesling or a super sweet Riesling and everything in between. My favorites have a minerality that must be tasted to truly appreciate this quality. This may be the best place in the world to taste one. I haven’t been to Germany, the origin for this grape, but I have tasted German Rieslings as well as those from the Alsace region in France. In my humble opinion, these are among the best. Definitely the best I have ever had. Rieslings have been around since 1435. They are also one of the least expensive wines, even at the highest quality. Despite all of these positive points, Riesling doesn’t even make the top 10 list of the most popular or most planted grapes in the world.
- I only explored two of the 11 lakes in the area. I would love to return and stay long enough to explore some of the other lakes and perhaps take a boat out and maybe even do some fishing. These lakes have some of the widest array of species around. The whole area is so picturesque!
- So many wineries, breweries and distilleries and so little time! Plan on a longer stay.
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- NJ Coeur d’Est and other NJ Wine News
- The Federal Twist Vineyard – NJ’s newest winery
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