Far left: The Vinifera Wine
Cellars run by Dr. Konstantin
Frank, with a view of the lake.
Below: Belhurst Winery in
Geneva, in 100-year-old
Belhurst Castle.
If you’ve never tried ice wine (or
if you’re a big fan), then Casa Larga
Vineyards in Fairport is the place to go,
both for its Fiori Delle Stelle Vidal—
named Best in Class Dessert Wine
at the 2008 New York Wine & Food
Classic—and its setting, a palatial Italianate estate that has become a favorite
place for weddings.
Keuka Lake:
Full-Bodied Reds,
Sensational Whites
The Keuka (pronounced K’ YU-kuh)
Lake Trail is probably the most scenic
of the trails. The roads are perched on
a ridge high above this Y-shaped lake,
offering great views as you explore the
nine member wineries.
McGregor Vineyards, on the tip
of the bluff on the lake’s east side, is
one of the few regional wineries producing full-bodied reds. John McGregor,
who also serves as president of the trail,
uses some obscure vinifera grapes from
colder climates, including the saperavi
and sereksiya charni—the first from the
former Soviet Republic of Georgia, the
The aboriginal Iroquois
believed that the great creator
so loved the area that he left
his handprint on the land.
