To Be Franc: Wining Down Seneca Lake (Part II)

Last year, on a warm day in June, My Driver and I set out to Cayuga Lake, to enjoy the tastes of Cayuga Lake wineries. We wound our way up and down the lake, and thought we had discovered one of the only truths of this world: if you go to wineries, there will be dogs. This year, I found myself walking out of my door once again on a hot summer day, with high, dark thunderheads that threatened rain, late to My Driver, but on time for the second leg of my never-ending wine tour: this time, on Seneca Lake. It was on this tour that I discovered that not all wineries have dogs. Some have donkeys. As we wound up back roads and smoked cigarettes, we talked of love and politics, war and light, but most of all, we talked of the unending beauty of the country that we live in. Upstate New York, with its diving vales and rising hills, is to me, one of the most beautiful places on earth. Plus, if the apocalypse is really on its way, what better place to live? From our first moment driving out of Binghamton, I was struck by the grace we are surrounded by. It’s this natural bounty that gives our region the ability to grow such delicious crops, and most importantly, such scrumptious grapes. Wine will lead us through the end times.

For those of you who don’t know, we live less than two hours away from three great Finger Lakes wine trails. The closest is Cayuga Lake Trail. The Trail has 16 wine tours, but to read more about that, read last year’s article. The Seneca Lake Trail is in the middle, and with 35 wineries, it is the largest. Keuka Lake is the smallest, with only 8 wineries, and the farthest away, but I’m sure when I taste their grapes they will be delicious and supple.

After about an hour and a half of traveling (with a short pitstop in Owego for lunch), we found ourselves in the beautiful countryside of Seneca Lake, heading towards Geneva. With no plan, and passing wineries left and right, we decided to make our first stop at Lakewood Winery.

Lakewood Winery sits at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. Its grounds are spacious, and as we drove in, we discovered that there was a music festival happening. It’s the randomness of the universe that I live for, and listening to beautiful music while trying my first set of wines was exactly what I needed.

(It’s here that I feel I need to make a slight disclaimer. I am by no means a sommelier, or even relatively close. I am just a person who happens to enjoy wine, and has drunk a fair share of good and bad wines in my life. In college, a double bottle of Yellowtail Cabernet Sauvignon meant a fancy drunk evening. I’ve refined my tastes since then, but still, my best advice is to go out and try these wines for yourself. Rent a bus, or have a friend be a Your Driver. The wines are certainly worth it, the views are incredible, and the conversation you’ll inevitably have will last a lifetime.)

The interior was a winery at its most classic, with wood-paneled floors and stone walls. I sauntered up to the tasting bar. Lakewood offers two different tasting flights of five wines - a dry tasting and sweet tasting. I like my wine like I like my summer nights: dry with a satisfying finish. The first wine in the tasting was chardonnay that hits the mouth with the smoothness of a fine butter. Three more white wines followed, including a prosecco that simmers as you sip like a perfectly ripened strawberry. As a matter of course, I learned that the best way to test a Finger Lakes winery’s mettle is to try their Riesling. Lakewood offers three, and I tried both of their dry Rieslings. In 2015 their dry won gold for the New York State Riesling of the year, and it is certainly worth it. I recommend also trying their 3Generations Riesling, as it was a stand out as well.

I finished my tasting at Lakewood, and it looked as though the clouds were clearing up. While I had been tasting, My Driver found a map of the wine trail, and as we hopped into the car, I was filled with whimsy. Wine will do that to you.

We traveled down the road, making our way towards Glenora Winery. I chose Glenora as our next destination because I’ve tried their wines before, but as we made our way down the road, we saw a sign for the Pompous Ass Winery, and yelling “That’s me!” I forced My Driver to stop and let me sample their wines.

The Pompous Ass Winery is a relative newcomer, and is not yet officially on the wine trail, but the signage, art, and name drew me in. Their selection is fairly small, but if you’re into sweet wines, it should definitely be a stop on your tour. Bob served me a full flight, but the stars were the Kiss My Ass White - made from a blend of Cayuga and Vidal grapes - and the Pretentious Port. Of the two, the Pretentious Port really hooked me. Unlike your average port, there’s not a huge smoky kick to it. It’s relatively well balanced, with a slightly sweet edge, and at 10%, it is certainly a dangerous wine. It’s like Welch’s grape juice, except drunker. Finishing my pour of the port, I was starting to feel a little more than whimsy, so I gathered my driver (who was enamored of the apparel - some classy ass shirts!) and we jumped back on the road to Glenora.

We arrived at Glenora in a just a few short minutes. The grounds are fabulous, with both a tasting room and a restaurant. As we walked in, I realized that an omnipresent feature from my last wine tasting was missing: namely, dogs. It was at Glenora, as well, that something more than magical happened. Each wine I tried was paired with a cheese.

I fucking love cheese.

There really should be cheese at every wine tasting. From sharp Vermont cheddars, to gouda and Havarti, the cheese really made an impression on me. So did the wines at Glenora - from a Riesling that was absolutely to die for, with subtle notes of grapefruit, to their Peach Passion, which was sensually sweet. Plus, the tasting bar overlooks Seneca Lake, so while you’re softly sipping wine from your sommelier, you can take in the superb scenery. The staff was friendly and entreating, and I ended up leaving having tasted an extra wine and bringing home a bottle of Riesling. After this, I wanted to make sure my next stop was just as delicious, so I asked my wine guide what other winery he would recommend. He suggested Ravines, and if we hurried, we would be able to make it before they closed. Out the door we scooted, and were soon rushing up the lake.

One thing we learned on the way to Ravines was that our GPS was wrong. In fact, when we turned down the road it suggested, there was a sign that said “LOOKING FOR RAVINES WINERY? YOUR GPS IS WRONG. PRIVATE DRIVE.” We quickly made an about-face, and after one more attempt at following the GPS (which continued to be wrong), we found Ravines inside a hollowed-out barn, just off the main drag.

Despite the confusion on the way, I was glad to arrive at Ravines. It had started to lightly rain, which was a blessing, as the humidity was increasing and my stomach was starting to feel a little queasy after so much wine in the heat. Inside, the barn was cool, and filled you with the feeling of warmth normally reserved for your grandmother’s couch. The sommelier suggested a few wines, but generally let me pick my own, which I appreciated.

The first wine I tried was their dry Riesling, and it was outstanding. The smooth, dry flavor of the grape followed by a floral aftertaste sent me straight into wine heaven. As I was talking about how much I loved the wine, I realized the woman next to me was doing a much better job. After a short discussion, I learned her name was Becca, and she, like me, was a Binghamton University alum. She was training to be a sommelier at Zugibe’s, a winery on the west side of Seneca Lake, and listening to her describe wine was like reading Frank O’Hara while walking through Manhattan. That is to say, her descriptions were poetic, subtle, nuanced, and right on the dime. She ‘recommended’ I try the brut in addition to the rest of my tasting (by recommended, I mean she bought and made me try it). I am always hesitant toward champagnes, as too much can make me quite sick, but the brut was delicately balanced, and not overly bubbly.

My favorite of the whole tour, however, was Ravines’ Cabernet Franc. The Finger Lakes are known for their climate, which as a whole is favorable to growing wine grapes, but white wines, like the Riesling or gewürztraminer, are more easily made. That’s why I always try a Riesling at every winery; if they can’t make a good Riesling, chances are they can’t make a good wine. The Ravines Riesling was superb, so I decided to dare to try their Cabernet Franc. I was so glad I did. The immediate flavor is bold with a hint of smoke, but as the wine mellows on the back of your tongue, it becomes almost (but not quite) sweet, with a slight hint of plum. I can’t recall if I said that or if Becca did, but I eschew towards the latter. It was also at this point that the wine tender pointed out that there were donkeys in the yard. Becca and I looked out the window, and there they were. The real pompous asses, if you catch my drift. The nice cashiers inside recommended we stop for a drink in Geneva, so off we went on a slight excursion.

If you travel the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, I suggest that you stop in Geneva. It almost had a ghost town quality to it, but not in a way that put me off (or maybe that was the wine speaking). Like Binghamton, there were vestiges of the factory town it once was, but the downtown was full of shops and stores. It also sits on the far north side of Seneca, and offers a view that is wholly indispensable. Unfortunately, the bar that had been recommended to me was closed, and our time was growing tight, so we jumped back in the car and on to our final destination: Fox Run Vineyards.

My Driver and I tend to traverse the left side of lakes, and Seneca was no different. We had passed Fox Run on our way, but since Ravines closed first, we had hurried on. Now we were harried to get back, and so with celerity we rushed to Fox Run, and arrived about 20 minutes before the winery closed. To be honest, there is not much I remember about the tasting at Fox Run. I was wine-soaked and giddy, and I fell in love with the taste tender at first sight. Her name was Sarah K., and we are getting married I think. Or maybe not. Nothing disappointed my taste buds, but one wine in particular (and perhaps particularly because of my intoxication) excited them: Fox Run’s Ruby Port. It’s delectable, and even at 12.5%, you cannot taste the burn of alcohol. It made me yearn for a soft bed and delicate hand to caress my back. Perhaps my driver noticed my level of drunken stupor, because he hastened me out and back to the car. It was six o’clock, and the wineries were closed. It was time to go home.

The hour-and-a-half journey home sobered me up, and as My Driver and I talked of the intricacies of trying to maintain a creative career in the evermore polished gleam of modernity, I realized we were driving through some light fog that had risen from the road. I mention this only because it once again brought back to mind the beauty of the land we live in. So get out this summer - leave your air conditioning, roll down your windows, wake up with a shot of gin, and visit somewhere else. Perhaps Seneca Lake, with the wineries and the beautiful Sarah K. Or maybe your mother. Wine reminds me of family gatherings, where bottle after bottle would be shared, just like the stories we told and the love we felt. Live your life to its ruby red fullest, and have a glass of wine with me.

Seneca Lake is located about an hour and a half northwest of Binghamton. More information about the Seneca Lake Wine Trail can be found at senecalakewine.com. Or you can ask me, but I still have a bottle of Cabernet Franc and won’t be leaving the house anytime soon.