FLX Wine Writers

While the main winery and tasting room has an incredible view and is definitely worth visiting, this is a nice option if you’re dashing in from Rochester or Geneva and only doing the North end of the lake. Next, we moved on to the 2018 Cabernet Franc Rose, which started with an aromatic strawberry, red plum, cherry and herbal nose, with strawberries and cream on the palate and a dehydrated strawberry finish. The main location has a special Riesling Experience you can do for $25 that includes a VIP flight of select Rieslings and a book all about their Riesling. I need to go back and grab some bottles of Cabernet Franc (for which my tasting note only says “Typical but dense… YES” and some more of the Sparkling Riesling, because it’s wild and wonderful.

when Indigo Sky Yoga Collective invited me to join a class of theirs at Sheldrake Point Winery, I knew it was the perfect chance to try what seemed to be the winning Rosé of the summer, and also get a little exercise in. In addition to their renowned Rosé, they also produce ice wine made using the traditional method of letting the grapes freeze before harvesting, and they have a deep library of their wines that they periodically dip into, meaning you can try some fun older vintages on site. Tasting Fees: $5 for 4 tastes of their estate wine list; $10 for 4 tastes of their reserve list, and $3 for single tastes of the reserve list. Sheldrake Point Winery is a great place to taste wines that exemplify the region, but also a great place to try different experimental wines.

Whenever I saw those mini trailer houses on television they always seemed a little too small, a little cramped, a little dark. We were looking for a place to stay during the Finger Lakes Wine Festival, and because I was teaching, and not really drinking, I didn’t want to end up at a hotel or campsite filled with people who were… well, let’s say We found JuneBug Lodge after a brief search on AirBnB, and were thrilled to see that they had space in one of their Tiny Homes for us to spend the night. In addition to the private space, there is a small fire pit with chairs and a main lodge space where the complementary breakfast is served (there’s also a hygge space for quiet discussion and reflection).

Our signature grape is often portrayed as sweet and fruity, a fun drink for the summer, but not something that more “serious” wine drinkers would appreciate. This is a misconception I often find myself correcting, noting the many wineries producing fantastic dry Rieslings that emphasize a completely different range of notes, but even I am selling Riesling short. In fact, like its noble counterpart Chardonnay, Riesling can be done in a wide range of styles and made with a variety of methods rendering it un-Riesling-like in some circumstances. This fact crystallized for me while I was attending FLXcursion, a celebration of cool climate wines that featured seminars, dinners and a grand tasting.

Prior to this past weekend, the only McGregor Vineyard wine I had ever tried was their infamous Black Russian Red, a highly celebrated and prized Bordeaux style blend. Usually, their tasting room is set up with tables so you can sit and enjoy a flight at your own pace, rather than bellying up to a tasting bar. We grabbed our BBQ pairing (a fabulous pulled pork with corn salsa, cheese and pesto cracker, and pineapple upside down cake), and started tasting! Wine Prices: Wines range from $10 for the Highland White Blend or Chardonnay to $16 for their Dry Riesling to $60 for their Black Russian Red.

They are now known for Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery and Idol Ridge Winery & Alder Creek Distillery. Fossenvue Winery was named for a women’s suffrage campsite in Lodi, NY famous for guests like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton that stood near to that location. Since the winery is next door to Idol Ridge, for $8 you can taste six wines at both wineries and similarly, for an extra $2 you can keep either the Idol Ridge or the Fossenvue Glass (personally, I’d go for Fossenvue because I love honey bees). The Diamond Pet Nat is a super fun wine that is perfect for summer, and the Valvin Muscat is wonderfully weird and I definitely want to hear what you all think about it.

That’s why, when you have a great bottle of wine that tastes a little young (think green notes, like how bananas have that tart taste to them), you should consider buying a couple, putting them in your basement (or other cool dark area), and aging them yourself for a few years. Personally, I tend to like my Rieslings young because I appreciate those citrusy notes more, but these older barrel-fermented Rieslings were surprisingly divine. Next, we tried three years of their Cabernet Franc, a wine that has a lot of bright red fruit and sometimes sharp green pepper notes when it’s young, but can turn to rich, dark fruit, smoke and black pepper notes when aged. 2014 Cabernet Franc: my personal favorite was this one with its bold nose of black pepper and smoke, followed by tart cherry and raspberry, with those hints of green pepper that come from younger Cab Francs.

Despite the fact that the Finger Lakes is gaining renown for being a top wine region to visit, there still seems to be a misconception that you cannot find great red wine here. it’s too bad they don’t produce dry wine,” seem to be fairly common despite the fact that dozens of wineries have a focus on drier styles and produce amazing reds. If you’re heading into the Finger Lakes, and are a lover of dry red wines, I suggest challenging yourself to doing a red wine only tour on Seneca Lake. Here are five wineries that are producing delicious reds on the West side of Seneca Lake.”

Across the Finger Lakes lie small towns and villages, tucked away in the rolling hills, hidden amongst the vineyards and lakes. As you travel along Cayuga Lake’s East side, you could almost miss the village of Aurora. But you should never miss it, because it is so unique, so charming, almost anachronistic in its historic feel. Aurora is the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away to clear your mind, refresh your body, and, of course, try more than a few delicious wines.

I’ve been to a lot of different wine and beer festivals over the year, and for the most part, I’m tired of them. I’m tired of their lines, I’m tired of the pour people not knowing anything about the wine or not having time to talk, I’m tired of the drunken crowds. That is why First Fest was so refreshing, and so much fun- it wasn’t your typical wine fest; why? JD Wine Cellars’ Triology, also a a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but with brighter notes of red cherry and berries, pops of pepper, and a lil hint of smoke.