Winery Weekends It’s summer once more in wine country, and you’ll find no shortage of ways to experience the vineyards, including bike tours, jazz concerts, cooking classes, and luxury accommodations. Our writers give you a tasting of the sensory delights in store this season, and our handy calendar of events allows you to plan a weekend getaway of your own. Congenial wine-touring in the Finger Lakes By Elizabeth Licata Every armchair wine geek loves to scan reports of the big new vintage tastings and wine fairs regularly held in such traditional strongholds as Bordeaux and Burgundy. These are truly dream jobs. What must it be like to wander through all the major chateaux, freely quaffing such legendary wines as Lafitte Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Petrus, and Margaux? Then we read a first-hand account such as this: “The remarkable thing about the Medoc is how unremarkable it is. The land is strangely flat for prime winemaking territory, the surrounding towns somnambulant…The wines, being infants, were brutally tannic, and by the time we got to the last few, I had trouble moving my tongue, and it felt as if the roof of my mouth were cracking.”—Mike Steinberger, Slate, April 14, 2004 Or this, from Laurence Osborne’s book, The Accidental Connoisseur: “…it began to rain, and on the road to nearby Vertheuil, as I was careening smoothly in my rented car around the undulating vineyards of Lafitte, I nearly struck a tipsy field worker also careening around in a Renault 5. We got out and screamed insults at each other. It began to rain harder and harder, and the fields were now cloaked in drifting plumes of smoke reminiscent of an artillery barrage.” Doesn’t sound like too much fun. Anyway, unless, like wine critic Robert Parker, your palate is insured for one million dollars, it’s unlikely Chateau Petrus will be inviting you over for a tasting anytime soon. Who needs ’em. Not only is a great tasting experience less than three hours away, it’s a tasting experience complemented by some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere and a host of visitor-friendly communities bursting with festivals and special events designed to make your wine route odyssey as pleasant as humanly possible On a recent—and all too brief—trip to Seneca Lake, we gleaned just a taste (sorry) of what a full-fledged winery weekend in the Finger Lakes could be. After a quick zip along the New York State Thruway to Exit 42, we headed south along scenic Route 14. This is a very pretty drive. You’ll soon pass the town of Geneva, where there is a definite division between town (funky taverns, yard sales) and gown (fancy inns and college buildings in mansions along Geneva Lake). It will be hard to resist a stop here, but you may need to. Seneca Lake, with its forty-two wineries, thirty B&Bs, and countless inns, restaurants, and shops, is just around the bend. Our plan included a leisurely drive along the left side of the lake, tasting as we went, a moment to relax at the Inn at Glenora, and then a brief tour of the right side of the lake, getting in a few more tastings before dinner at the Red Newt Bistro. The first winery we came to was Fox Run, and it is superbly placed as an appropriate start to anyone’s tasting tour. This is a great place to have a light lunch and get some early shopping in. The boutique is filled with wine-related accoutrements and there are chairs and tables invitingly placed in front of the lush vineyards. On a May afternoon, we could smell the blossoming vines. Although we had no time for lunch, we relaxed on the terrace, sipping a 2001 Reserve Chardonnay and a 2002 Reserve Pinot Noir. Fox Run offers winery tours all day; they clearly have this vinotourism thing down to a science. At this point along Seneca, the wineries are coming fast and furious. We missed Anthony Road, but managed to slow down enough to pull in at Prejean, where we were greeted by the ever-gracious Elizabeth Prejean herself. Here, we were lucky enough to get a personalized wine tour by Prejean winemaker Jim Zimmer, who showed us the whole process from vineyard to bottle. Zimmer uses an interesting method to press grapes: a balloon slowly inflates inside the large press, gently pressing the grapes and releasing juice without mashing the seeds, which can add bitter flavors. Prejean has a great shop, featuring local specialty products, wine accessories, and, of course, wine, by the case or bottle. While we were there, we tasted their 2001 Dry Gewurtztraminer, a varietal they are known for, their 2001 Merlot, and their Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. By this time, we were wondering if we should occasionally spit out the wine after tasting, as the pros do, but somehow, we always forget this helpful precaution. Sadly, we had to skip most of the other vineyards on the way to Glenora, just managing to pull in at Herman Wiemer. The grounds are beautiful, with a large nineteenth century Italianate residence where Herman Weimer lives, two ponds, and, of course, lots of European vinifera vines. Wiemer is known, along with Dr. Konstantin Frank, as one of the great evangelists for European varietals like chardonnay, reisling, and pinot noir to be grown in the Finger Lakes. Accordingly, there is a dignified aura to the small tasting room, where we tasted the Dry Johannisberg Reisling and the Dry Rosé, which Spree wine critic Mark Criden mentions in his column this month. (Mark was unable to taste it, but we can report that it is enjoyable—bright and refreshing.) By this time, we had to check in at the Inn at Glenora. Can’t miss this complex: the winery is closest to the road, while the Inn is on the gently sloping hill below it, then vineyards, then Seneca Lake. Idyllic is the word. We were greeted at check-in with a glass of champagne. A bottle of Seyval Blanc was waiting in the fridge of our room, which also came with a Jacuzzi and a balcony overlooking the lake. No time to relax though—we were soon on our way to the Red Newt Bistro for an early dinner. Red Newt is a winery and restaurant on the right side of Seneca Lake, near the incredibly scenic Watkins Glen. Chef Debra Whiting takes great care to use as much local produce as possible in her creations: we had a superbly aged and cooked piece of bacon-wrapped tenderloin, and quail stuffed with dried cherries as our entrées. Attentive to Criden’s recommendations from last year, we chose the 2001 Red Newt Viridescens, made by Debra’s husband Jim. The Bistro also offers an excellent lineup of other Seneca Lake wines, from Wiemer, Prejean, Lakewood, and Fox Run, among others. By this time, we were almost taking the gorgeous view of Lake Seneca from the Red Newt terrace for granted. We couldn’t resist a stop in Watkins Glen, for more lake-gazing. From here, both sides are visible and a spectacular thunderstorm was underway. We had a final beer at Seneca Harbor Station, ideally situated at the foot of the fishing pier and were on our way back to Glenora. The Seyval Blanc would have to be saved for later. Reading over these notes on our Seneca tour, I see that, like all such accounts, it sounds like a lot of wine-drinking. It really isn’t: the tastes are small and the periods between tasting ample. I do recommend staying for two nights rather than one, however, to ensure a leisurely tasting experience and plenty of time to rest between indulgences. These are indulgences worth taking time over. The best way to plan a Seneca trip starts on the web: www.senecalakewine.com. Or call 877-536-2717. Or, for the big picture, check out www.nywine.com, the Uncork New York site. Elizabeth Licata is editor of Buffalo Spree. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top