Over Labor Day weekend, my family and I visited the west side of Cayuga Lake for a wine and beer tasting. When I was planning the trip, I knew that I wanted to visit the award winning, popular and scenic Sheldrake Point Winery located directly on the shores of the lake. Knapp Winery is located 10 minutes north of Sheldrake and the restaurant on the estate was available for reservations. We decided to visit Knapp first for lunch and a wine tasting. At each winery, we felt welcomed by the outstanding staff and despite the challenges Covid-19 still poses in America, we felt safe. To end the day, we decided to visit the Ithaca Beer Co. Biergarten for a couple local brews. Yes, I know that it is not a winery, but local beer companies are starting to become prevalent in the Finger Lakes as well and Ithaca Beer Co. is a popular one on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake.

Similar to my planning for our trip to Seneca Lake, I made reservations in advance at both wineries we visited. I wanted to make sure that we would be accommodated at each location during the holiday weekend. I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – reservations are probably not needed, but I always make them so that the staff is prepared for our visit! As an engineer, I am all about efficiency and planning, so I tend to make reservations wherever I go if possible. Here is a copy of our itinerary for the day.

10:30 – 11:20 Tasting at Knapp Winery

11:30 – 12:30 Lunch at Knapp Winery

12:45 – 2:15 Tasting at Sheldrake Point Winery

3:00 – 4:00 Biergarten at Ithaca Beer Co.

Ithaca Beer Co. was not taking reservations for the Biergarten. They seat on a first come, first serve basis and have open seating in their backyard with a tent for ordering beer and food. We arrived around 3PM on a Sunday afternoon, so we did have to wait a few minutes to find seats, but were able to send a member of our group to the beer tent to order drinks in the meantime. They had a narrow selection of beer available, so our group ended up ordering a few pints of the Lakeside Lager. Since we are transitioning into Fall here in New York, some places are just starting to have a selection of Oktoberfest style beers. Unfortunately, when we visited Ithaca Beer Co. this selection was not available, but hopefully it will be soon. I am looking forward to trying their Country Pumpkin Ale!

Anyway, back to wine. Both of the wineries we visited offered a diverse selection of wine including dry, sweet and even some spirits! Of course, we brought a couple bottles home. Here are my top 3 wines of the day:

1. 2018 Dry Riesling from Sheldrake Point Winery
2. 2017 Unoaked Cabernet Franc from Knapp Winery
3. 2018 Beta Series Acid Head Riesling from Sheldrake Point Winery

During our next visit to the area, I would love to taste wines from Montezuma Winery, Thirsty Owl Wine Company, Hosmer Estate Winery and Buttonwood Grove Winery. There are a number of other wineries on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail that I would love to visit in the future as well!

Cayuga Lake is the longest Finger Lake at just under 40 miles and the second deepest to neighboring Seneca Lake. In addition to multiple gorges and waterfalls, Cayuga Lake is home to America’s first wine trail! Knapp Vineyards and 13 other wineries make up the current trial. Cayuga Lake is also a recognized American Viticultural Area and the majority of the wineries are located on the west side of the lake. The vines are planted on shale soils and are at the perfect angle to grow in the early morning sun. The shores that surround the lake have a greater slope than the other Finger Lakes which provide a unique microclimate in the autumn months. Cool air drains from the vineyards down to the surface of the lake where it warms up and then rises back into the vineyards. The cycle keeps the vineyards warmer for an extra 2-3 weeks, allowing for a longer growing season!

Located on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake is Cornell University, the creator of the Cayuga White grape variety. This is a cross between Schuyler and Seyval Blanc grapes, engineered to improve resistance to disease in cool climates. Cayuga White is said to be the most successful hybrid in the United States and is similar to Riesling, but can show some “foxy” (distinct musky or wild aroma often found in Concord grapes), labrusca flavors. These grapes are most commonly made into still wines but can also make a successful sparkling if grown in the right conditions. We were able to try a sparkling with Cayuga White at Knapp Winery and I will give you all the details about it in my next blog post. As well, I will also be talking about our excellent experience at Sheldrake Point in the future!

Sources:

http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-region/Cayuga-Lake.html

https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-92-cayuga

https://web.archive.org/web/20080706100608/http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/fls/OCRPDF/FLS22.PDF