Drinks Atlas: Finger Lakes Wines

In a craggy corner of New York state, the Finger Lakes might not strike you as the ideal place to grow wine grapes. But this region produces some of America’s best bottles, says Erika Frey, a wine educator and co-founder of Saperica, a nonprofit organization that hosts an annual Finger Lakes wine fair, Saperavi Festival.

“People think, ‘How can there be a wine region here?’ ” she says, laughing, about the area’s unpredictable weather. “It’s because of those lakes. They moderate the climate enough to make this part of the world so great for winemaking.”

There are 11 Finger Lakes in central and western New York. But most of the Vitis vinifera, or European wine grapes, are grown around Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lakes. It’s a startlingly beautiful area, with rolling hills surrounded by dairy farms, state parks, and 11,000 acres of vineyards. While the region’s first wine grapes were planted along the southern coast of Keuka Lake in Hammondsport, New York, in 1829, many believe the modern winemaking industry took shape in the middle of the 20th century. In 1945, one of the country’s largest wine conglomerates, Constellation Brands (then Canandaigua Industries), opened near Canandaigua Lake and used New York state grapes to produce inexpensively made bulk wine.

That’s only one part of the Finger Lakes’ wine heritage, though. In the 1950s, and through today, small, independent, and family-run operations set up shop along the verdant banks of Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lakes. These wineries prioritize quality over quantity and cultivate the often lesser-heralded, dark-horse grapes suited to their cool climate and glacial soils. “People had a vision,” Frey says. “They said, ‘You know what? This can be a world-class wine region. We can make Riesling that can compete with Germany and Alsace.’”

Riesling isn’t the region’s only success story. There are excellent sparkling wines made from Champagne varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, German and Austrian grapes including Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch, plus ancient Georgian varieties Saperavi and Rkatsiteli. “The people who make wine here have to be creative, flexible problem solvers,” says Frey. “It’s not an easy place to make wine. I admire them so much.”

5 to Try

Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli

This 4,000-year-old Georgian grape (nicknamed “R.Kats” by Finger Lakes locals) thrives in the area’s cool climate, producing easy-drinking white wines with lively acidity and bright tropical-fruit aromas and flavors. “It’s very unique but very popular,” says Frey. “The Dr. Frank team told me that this is the number-one-selling wine in their tasting room.” $18.99, drfrankwines.com

Standing Stone “Teinturier” Brut Rosé

Georgia’s Saperavi grape gives this bone-dry, traditional-method sparkler its tart red-fruit flavors and rosy hue. “This wine just blew my mind the first time I tasted it. My friend and I immediately split a case to take home,” says Frey. $36, wiemer.com

McGregor Saperavi Reserve 2020

Rich with red plum, strawberry, and tobacco flavors, this is a dinner party–worthy dry red wine. It spends a year in oak barrels before bottling, giving it a textured palate with integrated tannins. Frey believes it demonstrates the aging potential of Finger Lakes Saperavi, too. She’s fond of the region’s “terrific” 2020 vintage, “especially for red wines.” $65, mcgregorwinery.com

Hermann J. Wiemer Bio Riesling

From the Finger Lakes’ first certified biodynamic vineyard comes this complex, layered white wine with petrol and citrus flavors plus a long, tart finish. It “really shows a true expression of what the Finger Lakes can achieve. And it proves that Finger Lakes wines can stand at the same level as the other top regions of the world,” Frey says. $45, wiemer.com

Red Tail Ridge Perpétuelle Change

“This wine says a lot about the Finger Lakes,” says Frey. Bright, bubbly, and made in the traditional method, it’s a nod to nonvintage Champagnes. “The ‘soler’ method being used here reflects the ever changing conditions of the Finger Lakes— weather, climate, grape varieties, personalities, etc.,” Frey says. $32.97, redtailridgewinery.com