I can’t believe summer is over already! But, I must say, we have had a great summer-a little travel, a couple of resorts, and some great food and wine. Today, I want to finish sharing our recent visit to the Finger Lakes. This post will highlight wineries we have previously visited, but worth another look (and sip or two). We revisited five wineries and made a few purchases at one of our faves for red wines.
Heron Hill Winery
We love everything about this winery, located on Keuka Lake, high on a hill in Hammondsport, overlooking the lake. The winery and tasting room, look like they are part of a mansion. It is elegantly and tastefully decorated, with lots of large windows and seating overlooking the lake. But it doesn’t stop there. The wines are very good and the whole experience is first rate.
Our faves here were:
- Heron Hill 2021 Reserve Chardonnay-A tasty, lightly oaked version.
- Heron Hill 2021 Friends of the Equicenter-A very good white blend. A portion of the proceeds go to a charity utilizing horseback riding for individuals with disabilities. It is a blend of Riesling, Muscat, and Chardonnay.
- Heron Hill 2022 Classic Dry Riesling-One of the best Dry Rieslings on the lake. It received 91 points and Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast.
- Heron Hill 2020 Cabernet Franc Ingle Vineyard-Awesome Cab Franc-full-bodied and full of flavor, sourced from the owner’s home vineyard. It received 94 points and a Gold Medal from NYWC.
Our Take Aways
Atwater Vineyards
Atwater Vineyards is located in the town of Burdett, and overlooks Seneca Lake as you can see in the photo below (with my wife seated at the corner window table). We had a great tasting there.
Our Favorites Here
- 2022 Cabernet Franc-An excellent Cab Franc. Deeper in color and more robust in flavor than the previous vintage.
- 2022 Dry Riesling-One of our favorite Rieslings, in a Nirvana for Riesling lovers. This one was very well balanced, with no perceived sweetness and a bit more body than most versions. It garnered 91 points from Wine Enthusiast earlier this year.
- 2022 Chardonnay Reserve-A tasty oaked version.
- 2023 Dry Rose-a very good Rose made from Barbera and Blaufrankisch. It earned 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. Delicious!
Our Take Aways
Damiani Wine Cellars
Damiani Wine Cellars is located on Seneca Lake (across the street from the Lake) in Burdett. Great views. Great wines. Knowledgeable staff. What more could you want?
Our Faves Here
- 2022 Chardonnay Reserve-Delicious oaked Chardonnay
- 2022 Dry Riesling Davis Vineyard-Beautifully balanced Riesling.
- 2022 Merlot-Velvety smooth version.
- 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon-Very good, full-bodied Cab with smooth tannins.
- 2021 Sole e Terra-A tasty and interesting red blend of Pinot Noir, Lemburger, and Saperovi.
Our Take Aways
Lakewood Vineyards
Lakewood Vineyards is located on Seneca Lake in the town of Watkins Glen (close to our favorite place to stay in the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel). It is a beautiful property, with a great view and an expanded outdoor space to enjoy your wine. They are very dog friendly. The owners have several dogs of their own, who you are likely to see at some point. You may bring your own dog to their fabulous outdoor grounds.
We enjoyed a very good tasting on their side porch. They have two bars on the porch. After our tasting we decided to enjoy a little wine on their lawn, while deciding on our take home stash.
Our Faves Here
- Chardonnay-A good easy drinking Chard with notes of green apple on the palate and offered at a great price.
- Dry Riesling-A very good Dry Riesling, with just a hint of sweetness.
- Lemberger (also known as Blaufrankisch) it is a nice dark red with a bit of spice. Great with barbecued meats.
Our Take Aways
Shalestone Vineyards
We didn’t get a chance to do a tasting again this year, but I like all of their wines, so I did stop by and pick up a few of my favorites. This is probably my favorite winery in the Finger Lakes for red wines. Great Cabs, Cab Francs, and great red blends. My only disappointment was they were sold out of their Saperavi. Our take aways are pictured below.
What an amazing visit we had this year in the Finger Lakes. We even got to try a new brewery on Seneca Lake called Grist Iron Brewing. In addition to some decent beers, they have a little restaurant, and great views of the lake…or as they say “Brews, chews, and lodging. We love it up here and hope to return next year.
My NJ Wine of the Week
This week I want to highlight a wine I had a few days ago at Saddle Hill Winery in Voorhees. Saddlehill is one of our newest wineries in the state.
Saddlehill Vineyards Ashenfelter Vineyards 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon-This was a wonderful full-bodied version with notes of blackberries and ripe cherries, and a very smooth finish. The grapes were sourced from Ashenfelter Vineyards. The vines at Saddlehill are still young, so they source some of their grapes from some of the best New Jersey vineyards (like Orley Ashenfelter’s vineyards in Vineland). I’d like to give a shout out to Orley. He recently retired from his day job-Professor of Economics at Princeton University. He has also been called “The Father of Wine Economics.” Congratulations, Orley!
Coming Attractions
- Bellview Winery September ’24 & John Rossi
- Another NJ Wine of the Week
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