Knapp Winery is one of many excellent stops on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. The vineyards, tasting room and restaurant on the estate are tucked behind a valley away from the shores of the lake. When we visited a couple weeks ago, this was our first stop and we were impressed with the entire experience. Our tasting guide provided insight and gave us an enjoyable tour of the wines Knapp has to offer. For the tasting, everyone in the group was asked to pick a pre-determined flight of 5 wines. The options were white, red, sweet or an estate overview which included a mix of the first three. To finish the tasting, we were all allowed to try one spirit from the selections that they make on site. Our reservation was for 10:30am, making for an interesting start to the day, to say the least!

I tasted the white wine selection which included a spectrum of dry to off dry options. Here are a couple brief notes about each one. Of course, we brought a few bottles home to enjoy in the future. They are marked with a star and will have an expanded, formal review after I open them!

2019 Pinot Gris *

On the nose, there were notes of green apple, yeast and pears. It was dry and had a very soft, light mouthfeel that leads to a long finish on the tongue.

2019 Finger Lakes Chardonnay

After smelling this Chardonnay, I knew that winemakers at Knapp did not age this vintage in oak. This wine was actually fermented in a concrete egg that was made in France! It smelled very green and had faint notes of minerals, unlike oaked Chardonnays which tend to have vanilla oak aromas. It was pleasant with a medium body and acid!

2019 Dry Rosé

This wine had a beautiful, light pink color from a short soak on the Pinot Noir grape skins and is one of the most popular wines sold by the vineyard. The medium (+) acid brought youthfulness and a bright dimension to the tongue. It smelled of earthy elements and had a medium finish.

2019 Dry Riesling *

Unlike many cool climate dry Rieslings, Knapp’s is very approachable, gentle and mellow. It was easily drinkable with aromas of green apple and lemon citrus blossoms on a high acid, light body.

2018 Riesling

This Riesling was heavier on the tongue than most Rieslings from the Finger Lakes. It was easy to drink, and the lemon citrus flavors lasted for a while on the palate. It was well made, but was not my favorite!

NV Brut

This sparkling is made with 30% Cayuga White and 70% Chardonnay grapes. When I tasted it, the bubbles exploded on my tongue like fireworks on the 4th of July. It was dry, crisp, refreshing and had some sweet aromas which might be from the Cayuga White grape!

The group also loved the Unoaked Cabernet Franc * and brought more than one bottle home. Knapp Winery was actually the first winery in the Finger Lakes to grow and produce wine with Cabernet Franc! My dad who is not an adventurous wine drinker, but will have the occasional glass of sweet red, ended up loving the sweet wine selection! He brought home the Loganberry, Tripleberry and Superstition (the label is perfect for Halloween!).

After our tasting we spent a few minutes at the gift shop picking out the wines we loved and then we walked next door to the restaurant for our lunch reservation. We ate on a vine covered patio overlooking the vineyards and it was gorgeous! The menu offered something for everyone in the group and even had a couple vegetarian options for me. Of course, the wine list included several of the wines we tasted earlier, but also had options from several vineyards in the area! I thought that was awesome and love to see wineries supporting each other. I decided to have the 2019 Dry Riesling from Knapp with my Roasted Beet & Chevre Flatbread.

I would recommend Knapp if you are planning a trip to the area and have a diverse group of wine lovers. They have something for everyone here and a solid selection of quality wines.