The Best Cayuga Lake Wineries to Visit

Have you visited the wineries on Cayuga Lake? Did you take ‘pot luck’ or ask for advice? When looking for the best Cayuga Lake wineries, it would serve you best to look for advice.

My family and I have spent 31 of a 35-year career in the upstate New York Finger Lakes Region, and despite growing up in the southeast; I can’t imagine a better place to live. So you can imagine we are quite familiar with this region and its wine country.

Last few years my career took me to short term assignments in California, Virginia, Florida, and Colorado, all places with some established wine industry that we visited on several occasions. At the conclusion of these assignments, it was time to retire … a good time to spend the summer getting reacquainted with the Cayuga Lake Region (to include it’s growing wine industry). As a result, we are writing several articles on our research and resulting travels.

If you are planning a getaway in the Finger Lakes, you may want to purchase:

Finger Lakes Getaway Guide

You can purchase it on Amazon here for $4.99

It has all the planning information you need.

Today we’ll discuss our favorite Cayuga Lake wineries and why we liked each. A note before we start … there are many good wineries on this wine trail. We have toured all of them (we live on this 35-mile lake), and our inputs are based on our selection criteria and our travels. We have ranked our selection from the top. There are none that we would tell to avoid. Let’s get started:

Thirsty Owl Wine Company

Good wine selection and quality, but we love two other elements of this winery … its Bistro (and particularly its chef) and its gorgeous patio overlooking the vineyard and Cayuga Lake.

It is the perfect setting for lunch from the Bistro. If you have a boat, you can tour this vineyard from the lake by tying up to their dock and giving them a call to pick you up for the drive up the hill (short golf cart drive, but too distant to walk).

Our favorite winery in all of the Finger Lakes.

Sheldrake Point Winery

Another of the 6 Cayuga Wineries accessible by boat, Sheldrake Point Winery is located a mere stone’s throw from its boat dock. This is a very nice property with great wine options and several nice patios and great garden and lake views. They were the New York State Winery of the year in both 2009 and 2010 … with a great staff not afraid of trying new ideas. Late in the year, they started offering wine boxes which included a bottle of wine with a selection of wine snacks for the patio.

Long Point Winery

Long Point Winery is located on the east side of Cayuga Lake on route 90 in scenic Aurora, New York. The winery sits on 72 acres overlooking the lake (too far for good views, however). This winery has great wines that are based on Finger Lakes and California grapes, not found anywhere else. One of the reasons my wife and I find the wines so good.

The owner’s dream of someday producing wines professionally was realized in January of 1999 when construction began for what would become Long Point Winery. Named after the section Cayuga Lake that it resides on, the winery today consists of eight acres of vineyard includes Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and some Pinot Grigio. The wine list includes sixteen different wines, and although they are known for their dry red and white wines, they pride themselves on having something for all tastes.

Goose Watch Winery

Goose Watch is a unique winery known for its setting as well as its wines. You can see the great view of the lake from the tasting room and beautiful setting. It is another of the six wineries that can be accessed by boat. You can admire one of the best views of the lake from their deck off their tasting room or their beautiful grounds.

Their wines are produced from classic European grape varieties, such as Pinot Grigio, Viognier, and Merlot and unique, less-known varieties such as Villard Blanc, Diamond, and Isabella.

Varick Winery and Vineyard

This winery with a little country store offers a warm and inviting atmosphere with a view of the vineyard, cherry orchard and Cayuga Lake. Easily assessable by boat from Cayuga Lake.A unique winery that provides matching chocolates with their tasting.

Sample wines and complimentary jellies, preserves, mustards, salsas, hot sauces, herb dips, fruit butter, dipping oils, salad dressings, and BBQ sauces, which are all available for tasting. Relax and stay a while at the farm; linger in our rocking chairs on the front porch with a glass of wine, or picnic on our grounds. In June and July, you may pick sweet and sour cherries from the orchard.

Escape to The Inn at Varick Winery to relax and rejuvenate in our 1833 historic cobblestone home adorned with the country and antique décor. They offer four beautifully appointed bedrooms with a king or queen-sized bed, private bath, air conditioning, wireless internet, and cable TV. Stay includes breakfast, afternoon tea, and cookies, evening cocktails with hor's d’ oeuvres, complimentary wine tastings, discounts at the winery and a gift basket of Varick Winery products.

Our takeaways

If you are planning a Cayuga Lake Getaway, selecting from the regions 20+ wineries and planning your trail stops ahead of time will ensure you get the best out of your tour. We have visited all of the lakes wineries and always try a repeat stop when we are in the neighborhood.

It is our opinion, however, that there are many reasons to notice the great wineries from the good to average wineries … and much has to do with things other than the wine. You won’t be disappointed by picking from this list of wineries. In the coming weeks, we will also cover some other awesome aspects and great activities for your Finger Lakes Getaways.