Here in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY, our daily temperatures have been bouncing up and then down – just like an old rubber ball that has rolled down the cellar stairs. One day we experience spring time temperatures only to be disappointed by lower temperatures for the next several days. The final upward bounce of temperatures arrived on the weekend of April 15 – just in time for the arrival of our out-of-town guest from Pennsylvania. On that weekend, our temperatures rose into the low eighties with beautiful clear blue skies and gorgeous sun-sets in the evening.
We celebrated the summer-like temperatures with a drive around Seneca Lake beginning on route 14 at Geneva and heading south towards Watkins Glen. It’s been quite a while since Jeanette and I have done much wine tasting, and the changes which have occurred in the last 25 years when there were just few wineries compared to today’s seemingly endless number of new wineries, breweries, distilleries, and fruit wineries that have been added to The Seneca Lake Wine Trail. https://senecalakewine.com
Our first stop was at Fox Run Vineyards. http://foxrunvineyards.com Their business has grown so much over the last twenty-five years but the view from their deck and from the outside of the building towards Seneca Lake and their vineyards is nothing short of spectacular. There is something here to be enjoyed by all who stop by.
Our next stop was at the Anthony Road Wine Company. http://anthonyroadwine.com I can remember stopping here when the winery was located in a small shed on the north side of Anthony Road and they offered only two white wines for sale. We had such a memorable time there out on their back covered porch, sampling some delicious red and white wines as well as having our lunch consisting of some cheese and crackers. These folks are farmers as they grow their own grapes and work very hard at making your tasting experience relaxing and memorable. I relate very well to this kind of approach as I grew up on a farm out in Ohio. The work was never done but there was always time for visiting guests.
We drove south along route 14. We had intended on having lunch at Watkins Glenn, but our stomachs were not ready for lunch so we proceeded to the east side of Seneca Lake on route 414 towards Ovid. One of my first experiences of wine tasting was at Wagner Vineyards. http://wagnervineyards.com Bill Wagner started building this winery himself when he returned from serving in the military. His passion for working with his own hands, building a family-oriented business, and his vision of how the wine business would evolve on Seneca Lake has resulted in a huge operation which is enjoyed by many thousands of visitors who come here each year. We had out lunch at the Ginny Lee Café, owned by Bill’s grand-daughter. Always such a delight to have lunch here with the view of Seneca Lake.
This spring has been memorable for us. Take the time to enjoy.
James Bupp