Wining, Dining…and Wining

The morning sun warms the grapevines that flourish in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Courtesy of the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection

New York’s Finger Lakes region has been described by Wine Spectator as “the wine and culinary epicenter of New York.” On a recent visit there I discovered why as I explored its vineyards, history, culture, gardens, gorgeous lakes, charming accommodations, unique shops and great restaurants.

Armed with my wine trail map I followed country roads, meandering through enchanting hamlets, to several of the area’s premier vineyards. I started my visit in Canandaigua, where F. Oliver’s offers tastings of a different kind—olive oils and vinegars. The establishment is very chic with its highly polished floors and retro brick walls lined with tin spouted fusti. And their 18-year-old balsamic? Simply heavenly.

My first tasting was at Casa Larga, an award-winning vineyard that has been owned by the Colaruotolo family since 1976 and is famous for fiori ice wine. The Wilhelmus Estate Winery, on the other hand, is the place for vinifera and hybrid varieties. From there it was on to the pretty little town of Bristol and Heron Hill Winery for some Rieslings and chardonnays, and then to Arbor Hill, the only vineyard in the United States that produces traminette.
 

My last stop along the wine trail was the Finger Lakes Wine Center at Sonnenberg Gardens. Unlike the colorful, airy tasting rooms of the other wineries, Sonnenberg’s are Old World style with lots of dark woods and leather chairs. I recommend sinking into one with an icy cold 2009 eclipse white chardonnay from Heron Hill Winery. Sonnenberg’s nine gardens, fanned over 50 acres, are structured as rooms that lead up to an 1887 Queen Anne style mansion built for wealthy financier Frederick Ferris Thompson and his wife. Guided and self-guided tours of the mansion are available.

At the Historic Dryer House Emporium in Victor I relaxed over an elegant tea party luncheon of egg and olive finger sandwiches and an assortment of freshly brewed teas. The setting is in a stunning Italianate-Federal style home, built in 1838 for businessman William Dryer. Another must visit is the Brown Hound Bistro. In the tiny upstairs kitchen of a rustic 100-year-old house, chef/owner Trish Aser turns out delectable dishes such as scallops seasoned with Mandarin oranges and Thai chili sauce; almond crusted chicken with Arbor Hill Winery’s amaretto cream sherry, and pork chops stuffed with New York cheddar and apples.

I can’t wine and dine all day long (although there are days when I probably could) so I made detours to other unique finds, like Red Jacket Orchards, where I sampled some of their refreshing fruit juices. Everything is grown and bottled here on 650 acres of orchards producing 30 varieties of apples along with acres of strawberry patches, peach, cherry and apricot trees.

I also stumbled upon the Ganondagan State Historic Site, situated on a glacial drumlin and one of the oldest Native American villages in the United States. This Seneca town site dates to the 17th century and was the largest Seneca complex of its time; 4,500 people lived here, making it larger than Jamestown, Virginia. Opened to the public in 1984, the present day Seneca tribe is building a new art and education center that will have geo thermal heating and cooling, almost the same as what the first Seneca people used. Here I walked across peaceful trails dotted with interpretational signs, and visited a reconstructed bark longhouse that showed how extended Seneca families lived together under one roof. It was customary for the man to move into the woman’s family home when they married.

Be sure to explore the National Historic Landmark that is Rose Hill Mansion, where tours take you through the 20 rooms filled with Empire style furnishings and original paintings by Rembrandt Peale and Severin Roesen. Around the corner from Rose Hill is the Johnston House and Drain Tile Museum. This was the home of John Johnston, the father of the tile drainage farming system, which was utilized on the 300 acres at Rose Hill. The museum gives the history of tile drainage irrigation in the United States and contains drainage tiles dating from 500 B.C.

On my last night I pulled out my little black dress for dinner at Geneva on the Lake. This stunning 1914 Italianate villa sits on acres of rolling lawns and English style gardens overlooking Seneca Lake. Everything here was worth the splurge, from dining on the terrace with beautiful gardens and the lake as a backdrop, to the excellent wines accompanied by spectacular food. It was the perfect ending to my trip through this beautiful region.

For more information visit www.visitfingerlakes.com