For those of us who live in the eastern counties of the RC 45 region the recent development of a wine trail on Cayuga Lake’s eastern side has been a welcome addition to the Finger Lakes wine region. Although the heart of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, (America’s oldest wine trail) still lies on the western shores of Cayuga Lake, there are several wineries along the east side of the lake making the east side viable for wine touring.
Using the twists, turns and hills of NYS Rt. 90 as our guide, my wife Connie and I Head out from Homer, NY around 10:30 am for our first stop in King Ferry at the Treleaven Winery. A fantastic facility for live music, events, good food and of course, great wines! If you have not yet visited this spectacular wine campus it should be on your list of must see’s!
Just down Clearview road from the intersection of route 90 lies Bright Leaf Vineyard, an estate winery growing 14 acres of a variety of grapes. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the lake as you sip an award winning Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright Leaf also host many live music events throughout the year.
Heading north on Rt. 90 toward Aurora you’ll see a sign pointing you to Long Point State Park. Take that left on Lake road and you’ll encounter Long Point Winery on your left. Known for producing the finest dry red and white wines, Long Point Winery has collected numerous awards for wines such as, red Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dry Riesling.
Back on Rt. 90 North you will be treated to a drive through the village of Aurora, home to Wells College and the famous maker of tableware and home furnishings, MacKenzie-Childs. About 5 miles north of Aurora on the right you’ll encounter Heart & Hands Wine Company. Heart & Hands is unique in that they specialize in estate grown Riesling and Pinot Noir. From the barrels of these two varieties of grapes Heart & Hands “create harmonious blends, or small bottlings of single vineyard selections to highlight exceptional lots of wine.”
Although there are other choices for winery visits along the road, for Connie and I, visiting these four small, family owned wineries make for a good in a day in retirement and is about our limit. At this point in the day we usually continue north for an early dinner at one of the many great choices for dining Auburn, NY and then head back toward Homer along Skaneateles Lake on NYS Rt. 41A for more Finger Lakes views and who knows... if its early enough, maybe a stop at Anyela’s Vineyards on our way by!
~ Tom Gath