Life in the Slow Lane (The Pearl): Finger Lakes Wineries (Part III)

"Don't postpone joy." ―Edie Windsor

I had this post ready before we headed home for hurricane duty...so I guess I might as well share it now. Our adventures on The Pearl are over for this year, but we'll be back to upstate New York next year to explore a little more. We'll be home in Texas for the fall and winter...new adventures await us there.

The Finger Lakes region of New York is gorgeous...no matter where we go, it's impossible to find a bad view. We're having fun visiting different wineries, having a glass of wine and soaking in the scenery. It's a great way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon, so here's the third installment of Finger Lake Wineries.

Silver Thread Vineyard was established in 1982 on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. It’s a boutique winery focused on sustainability and premium estate wines. The vineyard is 8 acres and only produces 3,000 cases per year and has an off-the-beaten-path location…making it one of our favorites. The winery is named for a local waterfall, Silver Thread Falls, known as one of the loveliest in the Finger Lakes. I think we’ll have to find this waterfall before we head home. (I did a little research...it's on private property, so unaccessible to the public)

This is their tasting room over looking the lake

We bought a bottle of Dry Riesling...we enjoyed a glass and took the rest home. The turtle image on their label is an earth symbol to the Iroquois people and reminds them to care for the land and water that give them the gift of wine.

Here is a list of wines they offer...they even do a wine and chocolate pairing. We had just eaten lunch so we past on this option, but it does look wonderful.

Chateau LaFayette Reneau has produced estate-grown vinifera wines for over 30 years. Their 110-acre estate provides optimal sun exposure and airflow for consistently aromatic white wines and rich, full-bodied red wines. The tasting room is situated in a fully restored, century old barn nestled on the southeast side of Seneca Lake.

I had the Dry Riesling - Ripe honeydew nose with mineral notes and a lingering citrus finish.

Stan had the Pinot Noir - Medium-bodied with a lively nose of cherry and oak

Kings Garden Vineyards is another boutique winery that produces 2500-3000 cases of wine a year. The vineyard is located in the Finger Lakes “banana belt” region, just a quarter mile from the eastern shore of Seneca Lake on 28-acre. They concentrate on making quality Cabernet Sauvignon and other dry reds, but they also produces semi-sweet and sweet wines to round out their selection.

The name “Kings Garden” comes from the annals of history - French and English colonists who settled in the area brought grapevines with them and christened the nutrient-rich land “Kings Garden.” They began making wine in 2005, went into full production in 2007, and opened a tasting room in 2008.

Shalestone Vineyards was started in 1995 and they’ve devoted themselves to producing only red wines. In a wine region mostly known for producing Rieslings and other white wine varietals this has set them about from the rest. They are the only vineyard in the Finger Lakes to solely produce red wines. Their tag line is “Red is all we do.”

The tasting room was modeled after the historic Queen's Castle of Fossenvue built in the 1800s. It is formed by the shape of the roof that slopes from the edges to a small peak in the center.