January 2004
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New York's Finger Lakes wine region,
a relatively unknown source of
interesting wines. If you've never
been to this part of New York state, it's
nothing like Manhattan or even
upstate New York. The countryside
features farms scattered over rolling
hills, lakes large and small and the
occasional small town. It feels more
like Wisconsin or Vermont than the
Big Apple.
wineries produce more than 60,000 tons of wine grapes annually. While few of the
wines are widely available outside of the Northeast, the wineries and the state wine
marketing groups are out to change that. In fact, New York state has the third largest
number of acres devoted to grape farming. Much of that production goes into juice,
but the state still produces 200 million bottles of wine per year.
New York wine advocates point out that New York is located at a similar latitude to
Bordeaux. Of course that doesn’t mean that New York wines are on par with the
great wines of Margaux or Pomerol, but there are some interesting wines to sample.
"Cool weather” grapes perform best in the Finger Lakes. This means Pinot Noir,
Chardonnay and Riesling are often the highest quality. These grapes will usually
ripen even if the season is not particularly warm. You also can find some decent
wines made from hybrid grapes such as Baco Noir.
Finger Lakes wine country is centered around four main lakes with Native American
names. Canandaigua (The Chosen Place) is the western-most lake and provided
the name for one of America’s largest wine conglomerates. Canandaigua Wine,
recently renamed Constellation Brands, is the corporate parent of low-end wines
including Paul Masson and Almaden as well as fine wines such as Franciscan,
Ravenswood and Nobilo. Keuka (Crooked) Lake is home to a dozen wineries
including Heron Hill, Hunt Country and Dr. Konstantin Frank.
Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake are each named for the native people that inhabited
their shores. These are the largest of the Finger Lakes and home to the most
wineries. Popular tourist destinations in the summer and fall, these wineries often
offer B&B or other accommodations and restaurants. Live entertainment and wine-
themed festivals are also common throughout the region during the high season.
As with most emerging regions, wine quality is extremely diverse. Some wines are
very enjoyable and others are downright nasty. Prices are relatively high even for
basic wines. I’ve yet to find a Finger Lakes wine that I just had to buy in quantity, but
there are several that would make a nice addition to a meal. And if you’re in the
region, visiting a few wineries and enjoying the beautiful lake scenery is a wonderful
day.
Back to Wine Regions.
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