As seen in U.S. News & Travel
If you enjoy wine – especially white wine – a visit to the Finger Lakes is in order. The region, which spans 11 lakes in New York, makes the perfect escape from New York City and other locales in the Mid-Atlantic and New England for a weekend or even a week – though the Finger Lakes are also worthy of a cross-country flight.
The world-renowned wineries make the Finger Lakes an especially popular destination for romantic getaways and girls trips like bachelorette celebrations. However, if you plan to visit the Finger Lakes for its family-friendly offerings, such as The Strong National Museum of Play, you'll be happy to know many of the wineries are kid- and dog-friendly.
The best wine in the Finger Lakes
New York state is America's third-largest wine producer thanks to the quality vintages of the Finger Lakes, where ice age glaciers left an ideal terroir and microclimate for growing riesling and cool weather-tolerant grapes. Riesling is the signature wine of the Finger Lakes, closely followed by gewurztraminer. Many wineries also produce delicious chardonnay and pinot gris; you'll likely find ice wine, a sweet wine made from frozen grapes still on the vine. If you like red wine, try the varietals such as pinot noir and cabernet franc for which the region is also known.
The best Finger Lakes for wineries
Look for wineries on Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Considered the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, these lakes each have a designated wine trail – though new growth and wine tasting rooms are popping up elsewhere in the region too. Note that wineries pay to be members of their respective trail(s) and appear on public maps and guides; plenty of excellent wineries are not members of these official trails and shouldn't be overlooked.
The best Finger Lakes wineries
The best Finger Lakes wineries are located both on and off the official wine trails in Finger Lakes wine country.
- Boundary Breaks
- Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
- O-Neh-Da and Eagle Crest Vineyards
- Element Winery at F.L.X. Provisions
- Fox Run Vineyards
- Glenora Wine Cellars
- Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
- Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
- Heron Hill Tasting Room
- Keuka Springs Vineyards
- Miles Wine Cellars
- Pleasant Valley Wine Company
- Ravines Wine Cellars
- Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery
- Chateau LaFayette Reneau
- Sheldrake Point Winery
- Bully Hill Vineyards
- Heart & Hands Wine Company
Add these Finger Lakes wineries to your vacation itinerary for a chance to tour bucolic vineyards, meet local winemakers, and sip award-winning whites and reds while you take in the scenery.