Notes from Finger Lakes wine country
Winery guides, weekend itineraries, and tasting tips for Seneca, Keuka, Cayuga, and Canandaigua lakes, written by the team behind the Finger Lakes Wine Map.
The Finger Lakes are New York's largest wine region: more than 90 wineries strung along the shores of Seneca, Keuka, Cayuga, and Canandaigua lakes, between small towns like Watkins Glen, Hammondsport, Geneva, Ithaca, and Naples. The lakes moderate the climate, which is why the region is best known for Riesling, along with Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, and traditional-method sparkling wine.
This journal is where we collect the local knowledge that does not fit on a map pin: which lake to start with, how to pace a tasting day, what to ask in the tasting room, where to stop for lunch, and how to bring the dog along. Every guide links back to the winery profiles in our complete winery directory and to the interactive map, so you can turn a good read into a route.
Featured guide / Start here
Get to know the wineries around Seneca, Keuka, Cayuga, and beyond. Our complete directory brings the region together, with winery profiles, hours, wine lists, and a map to help you find your way.
Explore the winery directory
A little inspiration for every kind of trip
A private cabin in the woods above Keuka Lake with a barrel sauna, two outdoor soaking tubs and a kitchen worth shopping for: the house, the spa, the food and wine around it, every season, and what to know before you book.
Read the article43 of the 91 wineries on the map welcome dogs. The tasting rooms with dog beds and treats, the patios where the food earns the drive, the gorge you can walk together and the one you cannot, where to sleep, and three dog days as trip links.
Read the articlePick the wineries and the map turns them into a day-by-day plan, with real drive times around the lakes, a printout for the dashboard, and one link that carries the whole weekend to everyone in the car. No account needed.
Read the articleDated harvest events still ahead this fall, from cellar classes and harvest dinners to the first 2026 Nouveau, plus how the picking decision shapes Riesling and Cabernet Franc, with growers in their own words.
Read the articleEach lake has its own pace, towns, and wine styles
The deepest and busiest of the lakes, with the largest concentration of wineries on both shores, Watkins Glen at the southern tip, and Geneva at the north. A good first lake if you want the most choice in one day.
The Y-shaped lake and the historic heart of the region, anchored by Hammondsport. Quieter roads, steep vineyard slopes, and some of the oldest Riesling and sparkling-wine houses in New York.
The longest lake, home to the state's first designated wine trail, with Ithaca and its gorges at the south end. Easy to combine with a waterfall hike or a farm-stand lunch.
The westernmost of the four, close to Rochester, with the village of Naples and its grape-pie tradition at the southern end. A relaxed choice for a shorter day or a weekend add-on.
The journal is written by the same small team that maintains the Finger Lakes Wine Map. We build every itinerary from the winery profiles in our directory, which are checked against each winery's own website for hours, tasting fees, reservations, and pet and family policies.
We are independent. Wineries do not pay to be featured, we do not accept sponsored posts. When a policy or season changes, we update the guide and the date at the top of the page rather than leaving old advice in place.
Put your inspiration on the map. Explore wineries, filter by wine type or pet-friendly patios, and save your favorites for the trip.
Finger Lakes