Founded in 1997 under the Peterson family, Goose Watch Winery is a Finger Lakes winery built around unusual grape varieties and a willingness to experiment. Its 120-acre Cayuga Lake property includes a restored century-old barn tasting room, while annual production has grown from 6,000 cases to more than 15,000. Goose Watch was also the first winery in the region to produce Lemberger, a distinction that helped define its uncommon approach.
Buttonwood Grove WinerySince David and Melissa Pittard purchased the property in 2014, Buttonwood Grove Winery has grown into a family-run Finger Lakes winery producing estate wines beside Cayuga Lake. Dave’s roots at the fourth-generation Beak & Skiff Apple Farm inform the Pittards’ blend of agriculture and winemaking, while the family’s expansion of the vineyards and new winemaking building carries the property into its next chapter. Its 2016 Riesling won the 2017 Governor’s Cup as New York State’s best wine, and the site now pairs tastings with lakeside music and cabins among the vines.ROMULUS, NY
Frontenac Point Vineyard & Estate WineryFounded by Jim and Carol Doolittle in 1978 on a former fruit-growing property overlooking Cayuga Lake, Frontenac Point Vineyard & Estate Winery grows its own grapes and makes small-batch Finger Lakes wines. The Doolittles handle the work from planting and hand-picking through winemaking, bottling, and presentation, with son Lawrence continuing the family business as its second generation. Licensed as New York’s farm winery No. 44 in 1982, Frontenac Point is especially distinctive for wines made entirely from grapes grown on its Cayuga Lake estate.TRUMANSBURG, NY
Wagner Vineyards Estate WineryFounded by Bill Wagner in 1979 as the first winery on Seneca Lake’s eastern shore, Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery makes 100% estate-grown Finger Lakes wines in Lodi, New York. Five generations of Wagner grape growers now tend 250 acres and produce about 50,000 cases annually, with the estate especially recognized for its Rieslings, from dry styles through ice wine. The family-owned winery also combines tastings and lake views with an on-site brewery and the Ginny Lee Cafe.LODI, NY
Lakewood VineyardsSince 1988, the Stamp family’s Lakewood Vineyards has been making Finger Lakes wines from its Seneca Lake vineyards near Watkins Glen. The family-owned winery now spans three generations and 100 acres, with certified sustainable vineyard practices and a tasting program that brings visitors into the vineyards and winemaking process. Lakewood is especially known for its award-winning Riesling and Lemberger, including honors from the Berlin International Wine Competition.WATKINS GLEN, NY