Thinking About Drinking
If Seneca Lake was my Finger Lakes education and Cayuga Lake was my spa retreat, Keuka Lake was where everything clicked. This Y-shaped lake (the only one of the Finger Lakes with that distinctive shape) delivered stunning vineyard views, serious French…
After three intensive days on Seneca Lake hitting nine wineries, I rolled into Cayuga Lake with a completely different agenda. This wasn’t about maxing out my tasting flight count as much as slowing down, soaking in the beauty of the…
Just a few degrees might not sound like much, but in the grape-growing world, it's the difference between picking early with underripe fruit and hanging on until peak flavor and structure. That 2-4°F cushion from Seneca Lake? It can make or break a vintage.
I'm currently road-tripping through the Finger Lakes, and honestly? I can't believe it took me this long to make the drive from D.C. This cool-climate wine region—sitting at the same latitude as Oregon's Willamette Valley but with way more brutal winters—is quietly producing some of the most exciting wines in America. From world-class Rieslings that rival Germany's best to plot-twist Cab Francs that prove New York can do reds, the Finger Lakes is having its moment