Aug. 31, 2020

Emma Egli

To end our day on Seneca Lake, we stopped at Standing Stone Vineyards. Before visiting, I had done little research on their history and was not familiar with their wines, but I am always willing to try something new! It is right down the road from Wagner Vineyards and Lamoreaux Landing, so I added it to the list. While being seated by our host, we were greeted by another beautiful view of Seneca Lake and endless vineyards. Due to Covid-19, all seating was outdoors on the patio or at picnic tables on the lawn. Thankfully, on the day we chose to visit, it was a sunny 75°F! We were escorted to the south side of the patio and had the entire side patio to ourselves for the late afternoon visit. The tasting room was modern and the wrap around patio was gorgeous.

The Estate Overview flight that my mom tasted! It included the Chardonnay, Teinturier Dry Rosé and Farm Red.

Views of the vineyards and Seneca Lake from the entrance to the tasting room.

In 2017, Standing Stone Vineyard was purchased by Hermann J. Weimer Vineyard, located on the west side of Seneca Lake. According to the New York Times, the Weimar Vineyards are one of the best Riesling producers in the United States. Hopefully, I can make a trip there soon!

Standing Stone offered a selection of Hermann J. Weimer wines, in addition to wines made from historical grapes on the property. The Chardonnay and Riesling vines date back to the 1970’s when they were planted by the original owners. Standing Stone also has the largest planting of the Saperavi grapes grown outside of their native region in the Republic of Georgia. I have never heard of this varietal before and am so glad that I was able to try it.

The White Wine flight includes the Field White, Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

The Field White

Here, we did not have a formal tasting with a guide, but instead ordered wine flights from the menu. I ordered the White Wine Flight and tasted a couple wines from the Red Wine Flight that my boyfriend, Kyle, ordered. My mom ordered the Estate Wine Flight that featured a white, a red and a rosé! Here are some brief notes about the wines. The names with a star (*) next to them are the ones that we brought home and will receive a full tasting review soon.

NV Field White

The NV Field White is a blend made primarily with Grüner Veltliner grapes. This grape is a star in Austria and is currently being grown experimentally in the Finger Lakes region! It is dry with high acid and notes of citrus. It is similar to a Riesling, but there are more minerality and spice characteristics in the flavor.

2018 Chardonnay

This wine is aged in oak barrels for a short amount of time and it can be tasted in the final product. There is a subtle creaminess combined with the fresh minerality of the Chardonnay grape.

2019 Riesling

This is a medium bodied, semi-dry Riesling with notes of honey and melon. It is vibrant with a touch of creaminess.

2019 Gewürztraminer *

The 2019 Gewürztraminer is a more complex wine with a bouquet of spice, florals and honeysuckle. It is semi-dry and well balanced!

Farm Red *

The majority of the grapes in this blend are the estate’s signature Saperavi. In the blend, there are also Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot grapes. I smelled cherry, green olives, hay and a lot of spices. It has high tannin and acid making this blend a unique one for the Finger Lakes! I bought a couple bottles to further evaluate.

The view from our spot on the patio.

Kyle ended up loving the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, so we brought a bottle of that home, as well! This was the perfect place to have a final tasting before heading home. Sitting on the deck in the mid-afternoon sunshine, watching the lake sparkle in the background, was so relaxing. I would highly recommend coming here for a wine flight or for a glass of wine with friends!