An incredible night’s sleep in peace and quiet, and the sun as our alarm clock. We had a liesurely morning getting ready for the day, and headed out for breakfast. The Penn Yan Diner was a fabulous choice, and it has won Best Diner in Northern NY several times – they are going to be included in the Henry Ford Museum display on American Diners this fall. (Hmmm….roadtrip back to Dearborn to explore what we missed may be in order?!)
After breakfast we set off on a day of exploring all that the Finger Lakes have to offer – in terms of wine, anyway. The last time I was in this area I was very pregnant (8 months, or so) and was essentially the designated driver for the group of friends who made the annual trek with us. A lot has changed in the intervening years, but a lot has stayed the same.
Our first stop was Prejean Winery. Great wine, fabulous staff, and as good as I remember it being. A wonderful start to the day, and several additions to our respective wine collections loaded in the car.
From there we headed to one of the more well known wineries, a winery noted in the 1,000 Places to See Before you Die. A winery which I have very fond memories of, and whose wine I really enjoyed. We were escorted to a table in the tasting room and advised someone would be right with us. I am not going to go into details here, but suffice it to say I walked out of the second winery in my life without tasting a sip. I have left reviews on appropriate websites, and perhaps someday I will try again. It was a bit of a set back after Prejean, though.
We relied on GPS and my desire (need) for walks down memory lane for the remainder of the day. We headed west to Keuka Lake and MacGregor Vineyards and Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard. Both were fantastic, and the view from Dr. Frank’s is simply mezmerizing, especially on a fall day.
Our next stop was the east side of Seneca Lake to Hazlitt 1852 which hasn’t changed much in 25 years, and then on to Ventosa Vineyards. Ventosa first planted their vines in 1999, so it was new to both of us. If you like Italian/Tuscan style wines, this is a must. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The view provided a perfect spot to watch Hobart College sailing team practice. A perfect end to the day!
Dinner was at Red Dove in downtown Geneva. Very small, but worth the wait for a table if needed. (We just beat the crowd and got one of two window seats.) We opted to share three small plates, but the entire menu sounded phenomenal.
A quick drive from Geneva to the cabin, an incredible sunset along the way, and several hours on the back porch watching the lake and listening to nature. We realized a little too late in the day I had miscalculated our itinerary, and we could have spent another night in the Finger Lakes. Instead, we are headed west tomorrow to explore new areas and add to our adventures. (We’ve decided to leave the Finger Lake brewery and distillery tastings for another time!)
Posted by andreapw | Filed under Finger Lakes, Geneva, NY, Keuka Lake, New York, Seneca Lake, Uncategorized, wine, Wine Tasting