This region of New York is already well known for it’s Finger Lakes but what if you visited the lakes with a little twist?

In this article, Solène will take you around Seneca lake, the deepest of the 11 finger lakes, and take you to some of the local vineyards that are worth seeing!

You can start the wine trail wherever you are around the lake but I would recommend you to go to Tabora for lunch!

Tabora winemaker shares with you his passion for the grapes and makes some magic with it ! You can have a wine tasting and discover more about their most famous wines in the winery. 

The atmosphere at Tabora is very relaxing! I would recommend that you eat at the deli, their quiche is to die for, it’s one of the only deli bakery of the wine trail! If you are not a fan of quiche, the cakes, salads and sandwiches are also very delicious. There is enough tasteful food for you and your friends to choose for!

Interview with Walter*, winemaker

Solène: What activities do you offer at Tabora?

Walter : We have several wine tastings, whether you want an intimate tasting with the one maker or a regular tasting with a party! We will also be launching tastings soon in the vineyard!

Solène: Why coming to this area?

Walter: It’s a beautiful place! It’s also the perfect mix of nature and city, it’s very diverse! The area is also well protected! Everyone can find something they like to do!

Solène: What is unique about the place?

Walter: All the grapes we use to make wine are estate grown and hand picked. We take special care of our grapevine. We are also the only deli bakery on the wine trail with homemade food that have a bit of South African influence 

Solène: How do you make the wine?

Walter: We first grow our grapes, the weather conditions in the area are especially good to make tasteful wine! We then harvest by hand for the best quality. Once we harvest the grapes we press them to make juice and that’s when our winemaker makes magic with yeast. When all that process is finished we let the wine grow older!

With it’s breathtaking view over Seneca lake and the outside bar Lakewood Vineyard is a must to visit on the wine trail! Not only is the winery gorgeous but they also have a selection of wines and wine jelly to not miss!

Family owned and family friendly, Lakewood has a wine hike on which you can discover more about the grapes and the process to make them! You can walk on your own or book a tour with a guide here. 

Interview with Teresa, area manager:

Solène : Why come to the area?

Teresa : The nature that surrounds us is just beautiful, the whole area is very friendly and has lots of things to offer to tourists.

Solène : What is unique about this place? 

Teresa : We have a wide variety of wines that are well made and a good bargain! It’s also a nice family experience thanks to the hike and the view we offer ! We are also dog friendly!

Solène : What activities do you offer at Lakewood?

Teresa : We have multiple activities such as wine tasting inside and outside with our bar that offers a view over the vineyard and the lake. We also offer visits of the winery and the hike with or without a guide ! Our shop is also a good attraction as we have a wide variety of products locally made.

Art lovers and wine drinkers this is the stop for you ! . Anthony Road has a gallery where they display the art of talentful local artists. You can also enjoy some great wines during some tasting and experience a walk in the gardens that were grown by the winery.

We picked 3 vineyards out of the 27 in order to be able to talk about them more intimately but all of the 27 wineries are a must to visit in the region!

I would recommend for you to book in advance different tours and tastings if you want to do something special or you can also just go around the lake and stop whenever you want as the wineries are all around the lake!

If you come around the region make sure to check the other points of interest and spend some time doing lake activities: paddle, kayak, cycling, hiking, etc.

Solène Durville.