Rooted in a German winemaking family and shaped by years in Finger Lakes vineyards, Johannes Kemmeter makes wines from the couple’s hand-planted estate vineyard in Penn Yan. Kemmeter Wines began its first planting in 2014, and Johannes and Imelda now work side by side, with Johannes in the vineyard and cellar while Imelda brings her Cornell-trained grape and wine analysis background to the winery and kitchen. Their small, appointment-only tasting room pairs the wines with Imelda’s Sans Dumplings, reflecting the couple’s blend of Franconian and Indonesian food and wine traditions.
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
Ventosa VineyardsOpened in 2005 by Lenny and Meg Cecere, Ventosa Vineyards makes 100% estate-grown, produced, and bottled wines from its vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake. The Cecere family’s Italian winemaking roots reach back to Lenny’s grandfather, while the Geneva winery carries that heritage into older-vintage, dry, Old World-style reds and the uncommon New York planting of Tocai Friulano. Alongside its hand-painted Tuscan tasting room, Ventosa operates Café Toscana and a destination wedding venue on the estate.GENEVA, NY
Sawmill Creek EstateOn Seneca Lake’s east shore, Sawmill Creek Estate makes handcrafted Finger Lakes wines from a vineyard farmed by the Hazlitt family for seven generations. Founded in 2010 by seventh-generation grower Jason Hazlitt and veteran Finger Lakes winemaker Justin Boyette, the estate’s wines are shaped by the long history of Sawmill Creek Vineyards and Boyette’s low-intervention approach. Its Hector tasting room pairs those wines with a laid-back welcome and a marketplace featuring local food products.HECTOR, NY
Hermann J. Wiemer VineyardFounded in 1979 by German Riesling grower Hermann Wiemer, this Finger Lakes estate makes wines from 90 acres on the slopes of Seneca Lake, with Riesling at the heart of its identity. Wiemer farms its original HJW Vineyard biodynamically and makes its wines through hand-harvesting, indigenous-yeast fermentation, and a low-intervention cellar approach. Its long-running grapevine nursery, operating since 1974, extends that work by custom-grafting and supplying certified plant material to vineyards across the country.DUNDEE, NY