Finger Lakes winery guide

Weis Vineyards

Weis Vineyards is a boutique winery on the western slopes above Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes, founded by winemaker Hans Peter Weis and Ashlee Weis.

Weis Vineyards

About Weis Vineyards

Weis Vineyards is a boutique winery on the western slopes above Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes, founded by winemaker Hans Peter Weis and Ashlee Weis. Peter grew up in the vineyards and cellar of his family's winery in Zell an der Mosel, Germany, and came to the United States after completing a degree in winemaking, business and agriculture. After a vintage in Sonoma he found his way to the Finger Lakes, where the minerality of the soils around Keuka Lake and the cool continental climate reminded him of home. Ashlee is a Hammondsport native, and together the two built a winery that pairs Mosel winemaking tradition with Finger Lakes terroir.

The couple purchased the former Limeberry Winery in 2016 and released their first Weis Vineyards vintage in 2017, opening a tasting room in a restored one-room schoolhouse on the property. The winery has grown steadily since: a tasting room and barrel room addition opened in 2021, a further expansion opened in 2025, and the original schoolhouse was converted into a private group tasting space. In 2026 Weis acquired the former Caywood Vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake, now the Weis-Fournier Estate Vineyard — 182 acres with 141 planted, first established in the early 1970s under Charles Fournier and among the largest contiguous vinifera plantings on the East Coast. The Day Road estate vineyard, planted in 2020 minutes from the tasting room, grows Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Saperavi.

The tasting room is open daily and offers a guided five-wine Classic Tasting at bars overlooking Keuka Lake, plus casual seating in the indoor Lounge and Barrel Cellar and on an outdoor patio with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. An on-site kitchen serves shareables and sandwiches on weekends, and live music runs on the patio through the warm months. Weis is best known for its Rieslings across the dry-to-dessert spectrum, and has been named New York State's Winery of the Year four times — in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Plan your visit

Address
10014 Day Rd, Hammondsport, NY 14840
Phone
(607) 284-4011
Hours
Daily: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (last tastings begin by 4:45 PM) Friday & Saturday: Patio open until 6:00 PM for glasses and flights (last call 5:45 PM) Group Tastings (by appointment, May-October): Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 10:00, 11:15, 1:00, 2:15 and 3:30

Visitor amenities

  • Pet-friendly
  • On-site dining at Our Kitchen at Weis Vineyards

Wines to explore

  • Dry Riesling — Crisp grapefruit, lime zest
  • Semi Dry Riesling — Off-dry, bright stone fruit
  • Estate Riesling — Estate-grown dry Riesling
  • Winzer Select Riesling K — Reserve-tier expressive Riesling
  • Winzer Select Riesling S — Reserve-tier aged Riesling
  • Winzer Select Riesling A — Sweet reserve Riesling
  • Grüner Veltliner — White pepper, pear, honeydew
  • Gewürztraminer — Lychee, starfruit, gentle spice
  • Sauvignon Blanc — Bright, dry, aromatic white
  • Seyval Blanc — Light, crisp hybrid white
  • Unoaked Chardonnay — Clean, stainless-fermented white
  • Chardonnay — Barrel-aged, rounder white
  • Estate Chenin Blanc — Estate-grown aromatic white
  • Pinot Blanc — Soft, dry white
  • Heart of the Lake — Sweet white blend
  • Dry Rosé — Dry, pale Finger Lakes rosé
  • Zweigelt Dry Rosé — Dry rosé, Austrian grape
  • Cabernet Franc Dry Rosé — Dry rosé, red-berry lift
  • Perle — Semi-dry bubbly, passionfruit, honeysuckle
  • Perle Rosé — Semi-dry sparkling rosé
  • Cabernet Franc — Cranberry, bell pepper, cedar
  • Saperavi — Full-bodied, black cherry, cocoa
  • Blaufränkisch — Medium-bodied, peppery red
  • Pinot Noir — Light, red-fruited red
  • Cabernet Sauvignon — Structured, oak-aged red
  • Merlot — Soft, plummy red
  • Petite Sirah — Dark, dense red
  • Zweigelt & Petite Sirah — Blended, deeply colored red
  • Schulhaus Red — Approachable house red blend
  • Riesling Ice Wine — Concentrated, sweet, low alcohol
  • Winzer Select Riesling Edel Süss — Late-harvest sweet Riesling
  • Noble Select Riesling — Botrytis-influenced dessert Riesling
  • Ohne Dealcoholized Wine — Dealcoholized, award-winning white

More at this winery

Our Kitchen at Weis Vineyards (Casual German-inflected American / small plates)

A walk-up kitchen window at the winery serving shareables, salads and sandwiches to enjoy on the patio with a glass of wine. Guests order at the window and collect their food when it is ready. The menu rotates seasonally and leans German and local — house-made cheese straws, whipped feta with pita, warm German potato salad, charcuterie, a ham and brie focaccia, a smoked chicken croissant and local bratwurst with pickled onion and mustard.

The Patio

A casual outdoor seating area overlooking Keuka Lake with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs. No reservations — guests settle in and order wine by the glass, a customizable flight, or a bottle, with food available from the kitchen window. Group size limited to 18. A deck addition was added in 2026.

The Lounge and Barrel Cellar

An indoor seating area among the barrels for a glass, flight or bottle. No reservation needed; guests find a table and settle in. Group size limited to 12. No outside food or decorations.

The Historic Schoolhouse (Group Tastings)

The winery's original one-room schoolhouse tasting room, converted in 2025 into a private group tasting space. Guided 60-minute tastings for parties of 8 to 18, by appointment only, Fridays through Sundays May-October. Custom tasting lineups can be arranged with at least 48 hours' notice. A few steps lead to the entry; wheelchair access is available via the grass pathway.

Live Music on the Patio

Regular live music on the outdoor patio through the warm months — Live Music Fridays from 4:00 to 7:00 PM plus weekend afternoon sets, weather dependent. Schedule is posted on the winery's events page.

Weis-Fournier Estate Vineyard

Acquired in 2026, the former Caywood Vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake: 182 acres with 141 currently planted, first established in the early 1970s under Charles Fournier. It is among the largest contiguous vinifera plantings on the East Coast. Not a public visitor site — listed here as background on the estate fruit.

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