I was excited to visit Ravines Wine Cellars, one of my favorite regional wineries, during our weekend adventure travelling around Keuka Lake. Morten Hallgren, the winemaker, and his wife Lisa, a chef, have built a world class winery right here in the Finger Lakes region of New York that blends Old World traditions and New World innovations. This was not my first time here, but I was delighted to revisit the tasting room so I could share a bit of their story and the many wonderful wines that are available. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Winery
Hunt Country Vineyards, Branchport, NY
Keuka Lake is home to so many fine wineries and breweries that you couldn’t possibly visit them all comfortably in one, or even two days. Having been a few years since we headed down this way, it was high time that we stopped at some of our favorites for the blog. Our first stop of the trip was Hunt Country Vineyards. We arrived early enough on a hot summer day, and received a warm welcome to the tasting room by Ann Kelly. Continue reading
Bloomer Creek Vineyard, Hector, NY
When it comes to writing about the wineries around the Finger Lakes, it is always a tough decision as to where to go next. Over the years, a few stick out for me that always are worth returning to on a yearly basis. Bloomer Creek Vineyard, on the southeast side of Seneca Lake, is one of our favorites for the high caliber of wines that are being produced there. While camping nearby, this seemed like the perfect choice for the next Finger Lakes winery to explore for Liquid Alchemy. Continue reading
El Paso Winery, Ulster Park, NY
The Hudson Valley region of New York State is home to multiple breweries and wineries. While traveling in the area, we spotted El Paso Winery and were intrigued to see what they were creating. Located not too far from the Hudson River, El Paso made for an interesting and surprising visit. Continue reading
Casa Larga Vineyards & Winery, Fairport, NY
It should come as no surprise that there are many excellent wine producers in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The terroir is perfect for creating some beautiful wines. Travel a bit further north of the lakes to Fairport and you will discover Casa Larga, a winery and vineyard that has been producing its own unique wines since the 1970s. Continue reading
Arundel Cellars and Brewing Co., North East, PA
Driving back to the hotel for the evening, we saw signs for the newly opened Arundel Cellars and Brewing Company. Curious, we turned around and visited the winery which was still in its soft opening phase. Continue reading
Heritage Wine Cellars, North East, PA
While visiting different wineries, I have discovered that many tend to specialize in a particular style. Heritage Wine Cellars in North East, Pennsylvania caters toward the crafting of sweeter wines. During our visit we wanted to explore the full range of offerings, and were curious to try dry varietals that might be available to enjoy as well. Continue reading
Johnson Estate Winery, Westfield, NY
Just a hop and a skip across the road from Chautauqua Wine Cellars is Johnson Estate Winery. Johnson is New York’s oldest Estate winery and we thought it would be an interesting place to check out. With barely a chance to get the car warm, we pulled up to the winery. Continue reading
Mazza Chautauqua Cellars / Five & 20 Spirits, Westfield, NY
There is a small region around Lake Erie in western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio that contains thousands of acres of grapes. While many are used to produce grape juice, dozens of wineries are also creating wine from this fertile region. Tim and I had a chance to stop into Mazza Chautauqua Vineyards which recently moved to a new location to coincide with the introduction of Five & 20 Spirits. Continue reading
Beak & Skiff / 1911 Spirits, Lafayette, NY
Located about half an hour’s drive south of Syracuse, NY and situated near the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, is Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards. The orchards have been around since 1911 producing apples to sell at local markets,expanding into cider production and pick-your-own apples in the 1970s. In 2001 they expanded yet again to start producing hard ciders and wines. Let’s explore the various concoctions that Beak & Skiff, in conjunction with its distillery 1911 Spirits, is producing. Continue reading