Visit CNY's wine country

THREE WINE TRAILS... LESS THAN 90 MINUTES AWAY FROM SYRACUSE

Jennifer Wing

There is so much to see and do in each of New York’s diverse wine regions and you can do it all your own way! Plan your next trip with these helpful resources from the state’s Wine Trail Network and I LOVE NY (New York Department of Economic Development.)

One way to see the diverse landscapes of New York State is by visiting its wineries. Some are nestled into sloping lakeshores while others are tucked into the woods, or part of a scenic rural vista. How to visit varies, too.

Depending on the experience, you may take a bus tour or limousine service or even a bicycle or boat. Or perhaps you’ll sip wine on a train, watching the countryside pass you by. Decide what you want your wine experience to look like and start planning now. With so many choices, it can be hard to decide where to go. Below are three options that are less than an hour and a half away.

Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

According to the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail brochure: “The CWT offers a variety that is unmatched in wine touring and tasting… Nowhere else will travelers experience such a multitude of premium wines, attractions, comfortable lodgings, fine restaurants, friendly people and splendid scenery.”

The first organized and longest-running wine trail in America was established in 1983 to promote wineries located within the Cayuga Lake American Viticultural Area (AVA) as a collective, according to cayugawinetrail.com.

“From the first sip to your last look at the lake, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail will impress and inspire you. We call it America’s First Wine Trail, but you truly choose your own path when you visit the wineries, soak in the scenery and make memorable moments with friends.

“Wining and dining are favorite pastimes, but there is so much more to explore along Cayuga Lake. From secluded waterfalls to lakefront restaurants, this quintessential Finger Lake sets the scene for unforgettable day trips and getaways.”

Wineries include:

Americana Vineyards – 4367 E. Covert Road, Interlaken; 888-600-8067, americanavineyards.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. Dog-friendly with amenities that include wine slushies, a taproom and restaurant. Buttonwood Grove Winery - 5986 State Route 89, Romulus; 607-869-9760, buttonwoodgrove.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Featuring a cidery and wine slushies, this winery also has accommodations available, with four cabins available from April through November. Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery – 6800 Route 89, Ovid; 800-598-9463, cayugaridgewinery.com. Open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Dog-friendly, featuring a gift shop and restaurant. Goose Watch Winery – 5480 State Route 89, Romulus; 315-549-2599, goosewatch.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Dog-friendly, has water access and a cidery. Hazlitt 1852 Wineries – 5712 Route 414, Hector; 607-546-9463, hazlitt1852.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Dog-friendly, features food and wine slushies. Hosmer Winery – 7020 State Route 89, Ovid; 888-467-9463, hosmerwinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Dog-friendly. Knapp Winery – 2770 Ernsberger Road, Romulus; 607-930-3495, knappwine.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Amenities include distilleries, wine slushies and a restaurant. Long Point Winery – 1485 Lake Road, Aurora; 315-364-6990, longpointwinery.com. Open noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. Featuring boat access and a winery.

Lucas Vineyards – 3862 County Road 150, Interlaken; 800-682-WINE, lucasvineyards.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Featuring wine slushies.

Montezuma Winery – 2981 US Route 20, Seneca Falls; 315-568-8190, montezumawinery.com. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday. Dog-friendly, with amenities including a meadery, distilleries and wine slushies.

Montezuma Winery Six Eighty Cellars – 3050 Swick Road, Ovid; 315-530-2663, sixtyeightcellars.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Dog-friendly, accommodations available.

Rasta Ranch Vineyards – 5882 Rt. 414, Hector; 607-546-2974, rastaranchvineyards.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through

Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. Featuring live music.

Six Mile Creek Vineyard – 1551 Slaterville Road, Ithaca; 607-272-9463, sixmilecreek.com. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Featuring distilleries as well.

Swedish Hill Winery – 4565 State Route 414, Romulus; 607-403-0029, swedishhill.com. Open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday.

Dog-friendly, featuring a cidery, distilleries and wine slushies.

Thirsty Owl Wine Company – 6861 State Route 89, Ovid; 866-869-5805, thirstyowl.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Dog-friendly, amenities include a boat access, cidery and restaurant.

Seneca Lake Wine Trail

According to senecalakewine.com, Seneca Lake Wine Trail wineries are dedicated to upholding high levels of cleanliness and best practices to help protect staff, the local communities and visitors. For more information call the Wine Trail Administrative Office at 877-536-2717.

The wine trail wineries include:

Anthony Road Wine Company – 1020 Anthony Road, Penn Yan; 315-536-2182, anthonyroadwine.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, last tasting at 4 p.m. Atwater Vineyards – 5055 NY 414, Burdett; 607-546-8463, atwatervineyards.com. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Other beverages available. Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vinyards – 9782 NY 414, Hector; 607-582-6421, bagleysprv.com. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last tasting at 4:30 p.m. Pet-friendly. Belhurst Estate Winery – 4069 West Lake Road, Geneva; 315-781-0201, ext. 8, belhurst.com. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; tastings end at 7:15 p.m. Featuring three hotels, two restaurants, winery and craft beer and a spa-salon. Boundary Breaks – 1568 Porter Covert Road, Lodi; 607-474-5030, boundarybreaks.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for outside tastings only. Pet-friendly. Castel Grisch Winery – 3380 County Road 28, Watkins Glen; 607-535-9614. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Pet-friendly. Caywood Vineyards – 9666 NY 414 Hector; 607-582-7230, caywoodvineyards.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pet-friendly. Chateau Lafayette Reneau – 5081 NY 414, Hector; 607-546-2062, clrwine.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pet-friendly, lodging on-site, other beverages available.

CK Torrey Ridge Winery & Meadery – 2770 NY 14, Penn Yan; 315-536-1210, ckcellars.com. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Pet-friendly. Fox Run Vineyards – 670 NY 14, Pen Yan; 315-536-4616, foxrunvineyards.com. Tasting room open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, last tasting is at 5:30 p.m. each day. Café is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Pet-friendly, dining on-site. Fruit Yard Winery – 5060 NY 14, Dundee; 607-243-8866, fruityardwinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, last tasting 4:30 p.m., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, last tasting 3:30 p.m. Fulkerson Winery – 5576 NY 14, Dundee; 607-243-7883, fulkersonwinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Featuring u-pick fruit and lodging on-site. Glenora Wine Cellars – 5435 New York 14, Dundee; 800-243-5513, glenora.com. Open 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. daily with a sunset service from 6-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (June 1-Sept. 30 hours.) Featuring dining, a picnic area and lodging. J.R. Dill Winery – 4922 New York 414, Burdett; 607-546-5757, jrdillwinery.com. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pet-friendly, with a picnic area. Lakewood Vineyards – 4024 NY 14, Watkins Glen; 607-535-9252, lakewoodvineyards.com. Open from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pet-friendly. Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars – 9224 NY 414, Lodi; 607-582-6011, lamoreauxwine.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pet-friendly. Leidenfrost Vineyards – 5677 NY 414, Hector; 607-546-2800, leidenfrostwine.com. Open 10 a.m to 5 p.m. daily, last tasting at 4:30 p.m. Pet-friendly. Miles Wine Cellars – 168 Randall Crossing Road, Himrod; 607-243-7742, mileswinecellars.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Pet-friendly, with lodging on-site. Penguin Bay Winery – 6075 NY 414, Hector; 607-546-5115, penguinbaywinery.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Pet-friendly. Prejean Winery – 2834 NY 14, Penn Yan; 315-536-7524, prejeanwinery. com. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Seneca Shore Wine Cellars – 929 Davy Road, Penn Yan; 315-536-0882, senecawine.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4:30 p.m. last seating and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, last seating 3:30 p.m. Tabora Farm and Winery – 4978 Lakemont-Himord Road, Dundee; 607-678-4343, taborafarmandwinery.com. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Food/dining available. Three Brothers Wineries and Estates – 623 Lerch Road, Geneva; 515-585-4432, 3brotherswinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Dining available on-site; other beverages available. Toast Winery – 4499 NY 14, Rock Stream; 607-535-4277, toastwineryflx.com. Open 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The newest winery on the trail. Ventosa Vineyards – 3440 NY 96A, Geneva; 315-719-0000, ventosavineyards.com. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Features dining on-site at Café Tosacana. Wagner Vineyards Estate Winery – 9322 St. Rt. 414 Winery, Lodi, NY 14860, 607-582-6450, wagnervineyards.com. Tours & tastings at a decades-old lakeside winery with a cafe & brewery specializing in craft beers. White Springs Farm Winery – 4200 NY 14, Geneva; 315-781-9463, whitespringswinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday last tasting at 4:30 p.m., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday last tasting at 3:30 p.m. Other beverages available.

Keuka Lake Wine Trail

On keukawinetrail.com: “The Finger Lakes of New York is the largest and most celebrated wine producing region in the Eastern United States. At its heart lies Keuka Lake, whose spectacular beauty and glacially- deposited soils inspired early grape cultivation and the birth of America’s wine industry in 1860. Our wineries craft some of the most beautifully balanced and vibrant wines, and we take equal pride in the warmth of our hospitality. Experience a truly memorable getaway. Visit us anytime – many wineries are open daily, year round – we hope to see you soon along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail.”

Wineries include:

Heron Hill Winery - 9301 County Road 76, Hammondsport; 800-441-4241, heronhillcom. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Hunt Country Vineyards - 4021 Italy Hill Road, Branchport, huntwines.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 1 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Keuka Spring Vineyards - 243 E. Lake Road, Penn Yan; 315-536-3147, keukaspringwinery.com. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Vineyard View Winery - 2971 Williams Hill Road, Keuka Park; 3 15-694-7262, vineyardviewwinery.com. Open noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday (June through August hours.) Weis Vineyards - 10014 Day Road, Hammondsport; 607-284-4011. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.