Finger Lakes

[Catch 22]

I will be headed out to the Finger Lakes region next month. What are the "don't miss" wineries. I'm sure there are a few that stand out above the rest, so I'd like to make sure I visit them.Thanks in advance.

[Innkeeper]

If he doesn't answer your post, e-mail Foodie.

[Thomas]

Of course, the "best" is subjective, but here is my vote for all around great wines.

Keuka Lake: Vinifera Wine Cellars--Chateau Frank

Seneca Lake: Hermann Wiemer, Prejean, Fox Run and Glenora

Cayuga Lake: Treleaven

For Riesling: almost any winery will do, but do not miss Vinifera Wine Cellars (Keuka Lake); Hermann Wiemer, Prejean, Glenora, Fox Run and Lafayette Reneau (Seneca Lake); Treleaven, Knapp (Cayuga Lake).

For Chardonnay: Fox Run, Prejean, Lamaroux Landing (Seneca Lake); Treleaven (Cayuga Lake) I just tasted a Treleaven Late Harvest Chardonnay that knocks one's socks off.

Gewurztraminer: Prejean, Standing Stone (Seneca Lake); Vinifera Wine Cellars (Keuka Lake)

Sparkling wine: Glenora (Seneca Lake); Chateau Frank (Keuka Lake)

Cabernet Franc: Hazlitt, Fox Run, Anthony Road, Standing Stone (Seneca Lake); McGregor (Keuka Lake); Knapp, Hosmer (Cayuga Lake)

Merlot: Prejean, Fox Run, Shalestone (Seneca Lake)

And all those in-between that I missed....

[Catch 22]

Thanks, Foodie, I appreciate your list. It will be put to good use.

[Thomas]

I suppose you are not going to the FL Wine Festival at Watkins Glen, July 8-9. It will be crowded and I seem to remember you saying something earlier about not liking crowds; was that you?

Thought I was scheduled to cover the festival for a wine mag, but think that will not happen, and seeing that the event falls on my birthday, I am pleased; hate crowds too.

Perhaps we will run into each other on Keuka Lake, where I reside (I do not exactly live on the lake, although with all the rain we are having this spring my garden might as well have been planted to water lilies).

[Catch 22]

Yes, It was me with the aversion to crowds. Needless to say, I won't be there for the festival. I'm headed there just after that, during the week. Weekday visits are a great crowd-avoidance technique. I will be staying at Glenora near Seneca Lake, but I will be exploring Keuka Lake as well.

[Thomas]

You'll love Glenora's inn. Of course, the boss at Glenora thinks Seneca Lake area is far superior to Keuka Lake, but then he has a commercial reason to utter such nonsense; are you out there lurking Glenora? I challenge a dispute.

[glenora]

Foodie, Foodie, Foodie,

Why risk ruining your reputation of offering good sound advice by uttering such nonsense as proclaiming Keuka superior to Seneca--everyone knows that Keuka is the only "broken" Finger Lake--just look at a map!!

If you wish we could go into the viticultural aspects--but needless to say "if the lake is broken"

[Thomas]

Just like you winery presidents---something is crooked and you think it is broke. Haven't you learned anything from observing government? Crooked means operational, so the Crooked Lake performs beautifully to create a marvelous view from my deck.

Catch22 better hope that by July the rain stops or the lakes around here my be joined as one and all distinctions between them will drown away.

Gene, how's the vineyard doing? My garden has been slowly washed out and eaten by slugs the size of Bluff Point!

[Innkeeper]

You've got your garden planted already!

[Catch 22]

Rain is not a problem. If it keeps up, I'll just drive my boat to NY instead of my car.
It gets better gas mileage, too!

Innkeeper, when exactly do you plant up there? I realize that you are in Southern Maine, but I have relatives up North in Fort Kent, and summer there lasts about 4 days. I've already eaten the first batch of red-leaf lettuce we planted.

[This message has been edited by Catch 22 (edited 06-14-2000).]

[Innkeeper]

Usually what we plant is in by Memorial Day, but the heavy rains have held us up. We know, many of the rest of you need it. We normally put in a few tomatoes, some annual herbs and flowers, and replace perennial loses.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-14-2000).]

[Thomas]

We are off the subject (but still talking Finger Lakes).

Referring to what we have been getting as "heavy rain" is the understatement of the year. I have not seen rain as dense and relentless since I spent time in the Northwest.

Here at Keuka Lake, if we do not get plants growing by early June, we run the risk of losing growing days because either frost in September or just plain disappearing sun, shortening daylight and cool September nights slows ripening.

It is rare that I ever get to eat or process all the tomatoes from my vines, and I am always left with a mix of red and green sweet peppers the night before the first frost.

This year, the rain (and coolness) has prevented anything in the garden from getting started and it is already June 15.

Yesterday I bought pepper and basil plants at a nursery, to replace mine that have all rotted in our soaked cement-like clay earth. But I cannot plant them in the ground until it dries some, and it looks as though rain is coming again today.

Gardening 2000 appears a lost cause on Keuka Lake. I should have figured that out early on, after developing figs from my two small trees began to just fall off the trees in May--never happened before, and I suspect they had foreknowledge of the season to come.

[winoweenie]

We have about he same growing season. Ours normally starts about Sept. 15th and ends around July 15th. ( he he ). O.K. O.K.!!! Remember it`s a DRY heat. winoweenie

[glenora]

Foodie & all---

The vineyards are fine inspite of the rain (and there has been a lot of it)--we finished our planting for the season last Saturday morning. 30 acres -- Cabernet Franc, Chardonny, Riesling, GR-7, and a few replacements in the Cabernet block.

Perhaps if Catch 22 has time during his visit to the Finger Lakes we can show the vinyards as well as the wines.

We also were able to plant a 1/2 acre of sweet corn 1/4 for us and 1/4 for the critters; a few tomatoes plants and some pumpkins as well (future decorations for the Inn and winery).

[Thomas]

Winoweenie, the heat inside of an oven is also DRY but I wouldn't want to linger in there!

[Catch 22]

Glenora,

Sounds good to me! I'll be there July 11th and 12th, rain or shine!

[glenora]

I am looking forward to meeting you!! Maybe we can find Foodie as well.

[Thomas]

Just give me a call, or email, and I shall appear.