FINGER LAKES WINERY TOURS
New York’s Finger Lakes region has the glacier-sculpted landscapes, ideal microclimates, and gifted winegrowers to produce fresh, vibrant, wines, including world-class Rieslings.
There are more wineries and you can imagine in the Finger Lakes. Many of these wineries are small family run operations. Some of them have been in the family for seven generations and some are within a decade old. The one thing that runs in common is their passion to put New York wines on the map.
Because of the vast array of wineries. We have created two very unique winery tours in the Finger Lakes. You can join us as we tour Seneca Lake or Keuka Lake. No matter what trip you join us for you will have a new found love for some amazing New York wine. And yes, you can join us on both.
There are more wineries and you can imagine in the Finger Lakes. Many of these wineries are small family run operations. Some of them have been in the family for seven generations and some are within a decade old. The one thing that runs in common is their passion to put New York wines on the map.
Because of the vast array of wineries. We have created two very unique winery tours in the Finger Lakes. You can join us as we tour Seneca Lake or Keuka Lake. No matter what trip you join us for you will have a new found love for some amazing New York wine. And yes, you can join us on both.
WHAT THE WEEKEND LOOKS LIKE
Friday to Sunday November 5 to 7
The Finger Lakes region now has well over 100 wineries. And TripAdvisor named the Finger Lakes the #1 wine Trail in America. And all of this is just three hours from the Hudson Valley.
As restaurant owners we have personal connections with the best wineries in this region. We are taking you to our friends' wineries.
The two lakes that we visit in depth are Kueka and Seneca. Both of these lakes host most of the wineries in this region. We have listed our favorite ones on both pages of this website.
Do you want to tour some of our favorite vineyards and hotspots throughout the Finger Lakes?
Then keep reading...
Friday
Our weekend starts in Watkins Glen at the Harbor View Hotel. The Harbor View is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in the area. The opening reception is in a hospitality suite from 6-9 pm with Hors d'oeuvres and plenty of wine and spirits. We have Finger Lakes Distilling making signature cocktails and tasting us on their full line of whiskeys and spirits. Since there are way too many wineries to visit we bring one of our favorite wineries to the hotel to taste award winning wine!
Saturday
Saturday morning we have an optional group hike into the local gorge. This area is known for all of their waterfalls and gorges that lead into the Finger Lakes. It's a short eight block walk from our hotel. Or you can sleep in and relax.
Breakfast is included on both days. Saturday morning you are free to eat in the restaurant.. Enjoy breakfast at your leisure. They will be expecting you. Just provide them with the voucher that we give you.
The limo bus arrives around 10:30 to usher us off to our first winery. Again, with well over 100 wineries we have picked the very best ones that we have known and trusted, some for over a decade.
Saturday is filled with iconic wineries of the Finger Lakes. The three wineries that we will be visiting this day were the ones that helped establish the Finger Lakes as a serious wine region.
Our first stop is on Kueka Lake to Hunt Country Vineyards. Art Hunt will show us around the winery for a tour and tasting. The Hunt family has been farming here in the Finger Lakes for seven generations. In 1850 they sent their first crop of grapes to NYC. They make a Vast array of wines. But what's really exciting is their current project of working with natural winemaking and some local grapes. It’s called their Uncharted Terrior series.
Then we head down the road to McGregor Vineyards. We will help them celebrate 50 years in the business. Without a doubt this vineyard has helped build the foundation for all the Finger Lake wineries. They are true pioneers. We will join them for a tour and tasting and lunch. This vineyard overlooks Keuka Lake among all of their vines. Bob and Marge Mcgregor along with other family members keep this winery producing amazing wines.
The third winery of the day is our finale to the day on the lake. We will continue to enjoy award winning wines of this region at Ravine Cellars, Ravine’s Is one of the most well-known wineries in the finger Lakes. They have a habit of getting onto Wine Spectator's Top 100 list of the best wines in the world. Here we will spend time with Lisa and Morty the owners as they show us this amazing operation. We will have a tour, tasting and dinner here in their barn style tasting room. Besides making Some of the best Rieslings they also shine on their Bordeaux style blend, Cab Franc, Chardonnay and their traditional method sparkling wineBlanc de Blanc.
After dinner we head back to the Harbour View Hotel. The only plan now is to enjoy more wine and sit out by the fire pit and enjoy more wine if you like.
Sunday
Sunday morning breakfast is in our hospitality suite with such classics as wild smoked salmon, H&H bagels, mimosas and even imported donuts from France.
At 10:30 we are back on the wine trail. The limo bus will usher us up the East side of the lake.
Our first stop in Silver Thread, the smallest winery that we will be visiting. This winery is nestled down a long driveway towards the lake. You would totally miss the driveway if you didn’t know it was there. Acclaimed winemaker Paul Brock and wine educator Shannon Brock took the helm of Silver Thread Vineyard in 2011. True to its founding principles, Silver Thread is an owner-operated, boutique winery known for sustainably-grown estate wines. The Brocks practice a holistic, regenerative style of farming called biointensive viticulture. The winery generates 100% of its energy needs from a 28kw solar array located on-site.
Our next stop is Standing Stone. Fred Merwarth & Oskar Bynke from Hermann J Wiemer recently acquired Standing Stone because of its very unique soil. Standing Stone Vineyards is integral to the heritage and future of the Finger Lakes region. Located on the Eastern slopes of Seneca Lake, the site is not only visually stunning but also ideal vineyard land. Factors such as proximity to the lake, slope, and soil type are vital components that contribute to moderating lake effects and ripening, and contribute to the distinct nature of our wines. Here we will have a tour, tasting and small bites.
We will then get back on the limo bus to return to Watkins Glen for the end of our amazing weekend.
This trip will sell out. If you are interested please inquire at (845) 647-3000.
Friday to Sunday November 5 to 7
The Finger Lakes region now has well over 100 wineries. And TripAdvisor named the Finger Lakes the #1 wine Trail in America. And all of this is just three hours from the Hudson Valley.
As restaurant owners we have personal connections with the best wineries in this region. We are taking you to our friends' wineries.
The two lakes that we visit in depth are Kueka and Seneca. Both of these lakes host most of the wineries in this region. We have listed our favorite ones on both pages of this website.
Do you want to tour some of our favorite vineyards and hotspots throughout the Finger Lakes?
Then keep reading...
Friday
Our weekend starts in Watkins Glen at the Harbor View Hotel. The Harbor View is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in the area. The opening reception is in a hospitality suite from 6-9 pm with Hors d'oeuvres and plenty of wine and spirits. We have Finger Lakes Distilling making signature cocktails and tasting us on their full line of whiskeys and spirits. Since there are way too many wineries to visit we bring one of our favorite wineries to the hotel to taste award winning wine!
Saturday
Saturday morning we have an optional group hike into the local gorge. This area is known for all of their waterfalls and gorges that lead into the Finger Lakes. It's a short eight block walk from our hotel. Or you can sleep in and relax.
Breakfast is included on both days. Saturday morning you are free to eat in the restaurant.. Enjoy breakfast at your leisure. They will be expecting you. Just provide them with the voucher that we give you.
The limo bus arrives around 10:30 to usher us off to our first winery. Again, with well over 100 wineries we have picked the very best ones that we have known and trusted, some for over a decade.
Saturday is filled with iconic wineries of the Finger Lakes. The three wineries that we will be visiting this day were the ones that helped establish the Finger Lakes as a serious wine region.
Our first stop is on Kueka Lake to Hunt Country Vineyards. Art Hunt will show us around the winery for a tour and tasting. The Hunt family has been farming here in the Finger Lakes for seven generations. In 1850 they sent their first crop of grapes to NYC. They make a Vast array of wines. But what's really exciting is their current project of working with natural winemaking and some local grapes. It’s called their Uncharted Terrior series.
Then we head down the road to McGregor Vineyards. We will help them celebrate 50 years in the business. Without a doubt this vineyard has helped build the foundation for all the Finger Lake wineries. They are true pioneers. We will join them for a tour and tasting and lunch. This vineyard overlooks Keuka Lake among all of their vines. Bob and Marge Mcgregor along with other family members keep this winery producing amazing wines.
The third winery of the day is our finale to the day on the lake. We will continue to enjoy award winning wines of this region at Ravine Cellars, Ravine’s Is one of the most well-known wineries in the finger Lakes. They have a habit of getting onto Wine Spectator's Top 100 list of the best wines in the world. Here we will spend time with Lisa and Morty the owners as they show us this amazing operation. We will have a tour, tasting and dinner here in their barn style tasting room. Besides making Some of the best Rieslings they also shine on their Bordeaux style blend, Cab Franc, Chardonnay and their traditional method sparkling wineBlanc de Blanc.
After dinner we head back to the Harbour View Hotel. The only plan now is to enjoy more wine and sit out by the fire pit and enjoy more wine if you like.
Sunday
Sunday morning breakfast is in our hospitality suite with such classics as wild smoked salmon, H&H bagels, mimosas and even imported donuts from France.
At 10:30 we are back on the wine trail. The limo bus will usher us up the East side of the lake.
Our first stop in Silver Thread, the smallest winery that we will be visiting. This winery is nestled down a long driveway towards the lake. You would totally miss the driveway if you didn’t know it was there. Acclaimed winemaker Paul Brock and wine educator Shannon Brock took the helm of Silver Thread Vineyard in 2011. True to its founding principles, Silver Thread is an owner-operated, boutique winery known for sustainably-grown estate wines. The Brocks practice a holistic, regenerative style of farming called biointensive viticulture. The winery generates 100% of its energy needs from a 28kw solar array located on-site.
Our next stop is Standing Stone. Fred Merwarth & Oskar Bynke from Hermann J Wiemer recently acquired Standing Stone because of its very unique soil. Standing Stone Vineyards is integral to the heritage and future of the Finger Lakes region. Located on the Eastern slopes of Seneca Lake, the site is not only visually stunning but also ideal vineyard land. Factors such as proximity to the lake, slope, and soil type are vital components that contribute to moderating lake effects and ripening, and contribute to the distinct nature of our wines. Here we will have a tour, tasting and small bites.
We will then get back on the limo bus to return to Watkins Glen for the end of our amazing weekend.
This trip will sell out. If you are interested please inquire at (845) 647-3000.
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Seneca lake
Seneca lake is the largest of the finger lakes. With an average depth of 450 feet it holds 80% of all the water in the finger lakes. Because of its depth it creates a very unique thermal climate that winemakers seek. There's an actual section of the lake that's referred to as the banana belt. With the depth being that deep the lake never freezes. And the warmth from the water will gently blanket the coast of the lake.
Seneca lake Wineries that we love
HERmann J WIemer
Standing stone Vineyards
FULKERSON winery
ATWATER
DAMIANI
SILVER THREAD
ZUGIBE
JR DILL
LAMOREAUX LANDING
ANTHONY ROAD
FOX RUN
Finger Lakes Distiling
Both weekends include Finger Lakes Distilling
Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, it's our favorite hotel!
Both Finger Lakes trips include this 4 Diamond Water front hotel! Named “Best Waterfront Hotel in the Nation” by USA Today, the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel sets the standard for luxury accommodations as the area's only AAA Four Diamond property. Nestled on the shores of Seneca Lake in the picturesque town of Watkins Glen and adjacent to Glen Harbor Marina, our hotel provides the perfect vantage point from which to explore the area.
KEUKA LAKE
Keuka Lake is the only Y shaped lake throughout the finger Lakes. It's just 20 minutes from Seneca Lake. This 20 minute drive will take you into a separate micro climate. This lake has higher elevation and creates different wine expressions. Some wineries have property on both lakes to balance out the qualities of each climate.
KEUKA LAKE WINERIES THAT WE LOVE
KEUKA SPRING
WEIS VINEYARDS
DR FRANK WINERY
HUNT COUNTRY
MCGREGOR
DOMAINE LERESURRE
RAVINES
What's the price for the weekend
The Finger Lakes is only about three and half hours north of us. It's easy for anyone to hop in a car, book a hotel, and hit the wineries. With over 170 wineries you will have no problem pulling in and tasting wine. That's the easy part.
And because of that, The Finger Lakes is booming. It's almost impossible to get a hotel room at a nice place. Sure rooms are out there, even where we stay but the price will reflect the scarcity. Our friend James who runs a wine tour business up there is literally overbooked every single weekend. He is out of vehicles and out of drivers well in advance. And out of the 170+ wineries, it's still very easy to find very bad wine. In fact, we have our steady 25 to 30 wineries that we totally trust. The last thing you want to do is get stuck in a line at a tasting room and drink terrible wine.
After all that is said and done, you will probably spend over a $1000 per person.
We've been planning this trip since March and have blocked out our rooms well before any price increases. So the hotel is kind of hoping that we will forfeit our last room or have somebody cancel. Because they would be happy to make more money selling the room themselves that weekend.
Also, something to consider on our trips is that we are personally with you the whole way. You are joining Jamie and Marcus for the weekend on a small group trip. This isn't a 50 person, 30 or 20 even person trip. This is basically 10 to 12 people plus us. We are with you the whole way.
We know all the winery owners personally and they always roll out the red carpet for us. And you can benefit directly from it.
But what would this trip really cost you for the weekend if you did it without us and our connections?
All of that easily adds up to $1300 a person.
But with us, it's only $865 a person. That's it.
And that might be the last time it will be that low. We already got quoted higher prices for the hotel rooms for a March trip. And higher prices to rent a van and driver. Honestly, the March trip could easily be closer to $1000 than $900. We hope that's not the case. That’s one way to keep the price down is to book 20 to 30 people to absorb costs. But then it's not a small low-key weekend with us anymore.
And because of that, The Finger Lakes is booming. It's almost impossible to get a hotel room at a nice place. Sure rooms are out there, even where we stay but the price will reflect the scarcity. Our friend James who runs a wine tour business up there is literally overbooked every single weekend. He is out of vehicles and out of drivers well in advance. And out of the 170+ wineries, it's still very easy to find very bad wine. In fact, we have our steady 25 to 30 wineries that we totally trust. The last thing you want to do is get stuck in a line at a tasting room and drink terrible wine.
After all that is said and done, you will probably spend over a $1000 per person.
We've been planning this trip since March and have blocked out our rooms well before any price increases. So the hotel is kind of hoping that we will forfeit our last room or have somebody cancel. Because they would be happy to make more money selling the room themselves that weekend.
Also, something to consider on our trips is that we are personally with you the whole way. You are joining Jamie and Marcus for the weekend on a small group trip. This isn't a 50 person, 30 or 20 even person trip. This is basically 10 to 12 people plus us. We are with you the whole way.
We know all the winery owners personally and they always roll out the red carpet for us. And you can benefit directly from it.
But what would this trip really cost you for the weekend if you did it without us and our connections?
- 2 nights at the Harbor View Hotel $700 (based on double occupancy)
- Friday's opening reception with food and all you can drink featuring a local winery and cocktails from Finger Lakes Distilling $79
- Breakfast Saturday and Sunday $60
- Driver for both days with van $600
- Saturday and Sunday Lunch $60
- Saturday dinner with wine $50
- Tastings at five wineries $125
- Gift basket from us with wine $30
All of that easily adds up to $1300 a person.
But with us, it's only $865 a person. That's it.
And that might be the last time it will be that low. We already got quoted higher prices for the hotel rooms for a March trip. And higher prices to rent a van and driver. Honestly, the March trip could easily be closer to $1000 than $900. We hope that's not the case. That’s one way to keep the price down is to book 20 to 30 people to absorb costs. But then it's not a small low-key weekend with us anymore.
