October 14 – 19, 2023
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes region in upstate New York is a breathtaking area renowned for its natural beauty and vibrant communities. Named after the 11 long, narrow lakes that resemble the fingers of a hand, this region offers a plethora of recreational activities, picturesque landscapes, and world-class wineries. Visitors can indulge in various water sports such as boating, fishing, and swimming, thanks to the crystal-clear waters of the lakes. Hiking enthusiasts can explore numerous trails that wind through lush forests and lead to stunning waterfalls, including the famous Taughannock Falls and Watkins Glen State Park. Additionally, the Finger Lakes region has gained recognition as a premier wine destination, boasting over 100 wineries that produce exquisite wines, particularly Rieslings. Visitors can embark on wine tours, tastings, and even participate in grape harvesting during the autumn season, immersing themselves in the region’s rich viticulture traditions.
The largest of the Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake is the center of the region’s wine and tourism industry. Seneca Lake is surrounded by parks, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the lake from nearly every angle. The Geneva and Watkins Glen waterfronts draw visitors from all over with their breathtaking views and family-friendly atmosphere.
Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes RV Resort
For our stay in this region, we selected Finger Lakes RV Resort in Hector located along the southeast side of Seneca Lake.
This RV resort provides long, level gravel sites with picnic table and fire ring. The campground was mostly empty while we were there so we had plenty of space.
For dinner the first night we went to nearby Dano’s Heuriger On Seneca. This restaurant is modeled on an old-world Viennese Winery tradition utilizing the area’s award winning wines. We liked it so much we ate here twice. Of course there was a Sacher torte and some Apple Strudel involved as well as an excellent bottle of Hermann J. Wiener Bio Riesling which our server highly recommended. Sehr gut!!!
Wineries
Besides being a beautiful area, the Finger Lake region is renown for its wine – particularly Rieslings. The RV park was actually along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. In fact, two of the wineries were within walking distance of the campground – Hector Wine Company and Red Newt Cellars. We didn’t make it to Red Newt but we did stop in at Hector for a sample flight.
Hector Wine Company
In 2010, Hector Wine Company was founded by 7th generation viticulturist, Jason Hazlitt, and veteran Finger Lakes winemaker, Justin Boyette. The idea was to allow for a more stable and focused vision for Sawmill Creek Vineyards, Jason’s family vineyard and to make wines that were representative of the south east side of Seneca Lake. At Hector Wine Company, our portfolio emulates a deep commitment to making wines that reflect our centuries old farm, Sawmill Creek Vineyards. Because of this commitment, we handcraft each wine. This means that we handpick in the vineyard and employ a second hand sort at the winery every time. We allow for long fermentations, often spontaneous, and don’t rush the wines into bottle. Our small production wines are carefully curated to express balance and terroir.
Hector Wine Company
Following a couple of rainy days, we ventured out for some more wine tasting. Two award winning wineries on the east side of Seneca Lake that were recommended in Wine Spectator were Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars and Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery. We stopped first at Lamoreaux.
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars
For three generations, our family has been growing grapes on the fertile soils along the east side of Seneca Lake. Today we have over 119 acres of planted vineyards separated into more than 20 different vineyard blocks, planted predominantly on Honeoye Silt Loam and Lansing Gravely Loam soils. These holdings are managed using only sustainable winegrowing practices, to yield the finest lots of expressive and dynamic cool-climate varietals.
Our wines, including those in our sparkling program, are all produced and bottled in house using our estate-grown fruit, ensuring maximum control of grape quality and wine integrity. We take pride in every bottle of wine produced in our cellar and are proud, year after year, to share a bottle with fellow wine lovers.
The tasting here consisted of a welcoming pour of their Rose followed by our choice of 4 others which Bill and I shared.
Almost next door to Lamoreaux was Wagner Vineyards.
Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery
Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery is one of the oldest and most recognized wineries in the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York. Centrally located on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, Wagner Vineyards has been one of the region’s most popular wine tasting destinations since opening in 1979.
First time wine tasters to connoisseurs are sure to find just the right wine at Wagner Vineyards. We produce over 30 wines: reds, whites and blushes crafted from 20 grape varieties, all grown by Wagner Vineyards. We are especially recognized for our selection of Riesling wines – from fully dry to dessert sweet ice, Wagner Vineyards award-winning Finger Lakes Rieslings are versatile & food-friendly.
Wagner Vineyards
Although they offer some preselected wine flights we chose to share a taste of 4 other selections. We especially liked their “Meritage” a blend of their most exceptional (red) vintages.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Founded in 1979, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard is a pioneer of viticulture and winemaking in the Finger Lakes. The Wiemer estate spans 90-acres of prime vineyard sites on the western slopes of Seneca Lake and the wines are among the most acclaimed in the region. Estate fruit is hand-harvested and hand-sorted, and vineyard qualities are worked in small lots and then blended to create wines of balance and texture. Fermentations rely on indigenous yeasts to ensure each wine embodies the truest expression of site. Our commitment to place draws on the same forward-thinking techniques and respect for the past that has fueled our mission since Hermann’s first block of Riesling was planted over forty years ago.
Our namesake & founder, Hermann Wiemer, hails from one of the best Riesling producing areas of the world, Bernkastel, Germany. His mother’s family had been making wine in Germany’s Mosel Valley for more than 300 years and Hermann spent the summers of his youth learning to graft by hand. His father had been in charge of the Agricultural Experiment Station in Bernkastel and was responsible for restoring vines in the Mosel region after WWII. Hermann discovered that the cool climate and gravelly soils of the Finger Lakes were similar to his family’s vineyards in the Mosel Valley. At a time when very few thought it was possible to grow vinifera varietals on Seneca Lake, Hermann believed that the unique soil types and moderating weather effects of the Finger Lakes would make it possible to produce great wines here.
Wiemer Vineyard
This winery, located on the west side of Seneca Lake, was on my list of places to visit even before tasting their Reisling with dinner at Dano’s. We actually made a special trip to purchase a couple of bottles of their Reisling HJW Bio 2020.
Watkins Glen State Park
We didn’t spend our entire time here at wineries. On our one reasonably good weather day, we drove into Watkins Glen to meet friends from Traverse Bay RV Resort. Sheila, Jeff and their two friends were staying near Geneva at the north end of Seneca Lake. We met at Watkins Glen State Park and hiked the Gorge Trail.
We may have learned in school that water finds its own way and, over time, proves to be stronger than stone.
But it is still difficult to fathom how small streams can carve their way through rugged stony hillsides creating deep dramatic gorges. Yet scattered throughout the Finger Lakes region you’ll find an abundance of these steep-walled ravines with their stone cliffs and stunning waterfalls.
One of the most magnificent of all is found at Watkins Glen State Park where Glen Creek continues its gradual descent all these thousands of years after the last glaciers receded, still making its way to Seneca Lake.
The result is quite breathtaking and each year hundreds-of-thousands of visitors experience the sheer wonder of nature’s grandeur as they stroll along stone paths. Winding its way beside and, in some spots, under “the cascading spray” of 19 waterfalls of varying sizes, the gorge trail packs quite a visual feast within a 2-mile stretch. There are over 800 steps, making the trail a moderate challenge, albeit with plenty of places to stop, rest, and enjoy the views. With all those steps, however, the gorge trail is not wheelchair accessible and is open seasonally – usually from mid-May through the end of October.
Watkins Glen State Park
After the hike, we enjoyed a late lunch at Jerlando’s Ristorante and Pizza Company near the park. We had a great time but I think that all of us paid the price of those many, many steps over the next few days.
Time to move on
We really enjoyed our time here despite the cool weather and rainy, dreary days. There’s some much to do and see here that no doubt we will be back someday. For now, we’re off to Pennsylvania.
