"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in
its net of wonder forever."—Jacques Cousteau

Finger Lakes Wineries & Breweries (Part IV)

“Have you considered that if you don't make waves, nobody including yourself will know that you are alive?" —Theodore Isaac Rubin 

When I started this post I thought we hadn't made it to many new wineries/breweries this season. As soon as I started looking through our photos I could see we had actually made it to quite a few. Maybe not as many as last summer, but still quite a few. We don't do tasting anymore, we enjoy buying a bottle of their driest white wine, relaxing on the winery's deck and enjoying their view with a picnic or small snack. I think the heat this summer slowed our visits down, but we still have a couple of weeks left to squeeze in a few more.

Lucas Vineyards is Cayuga Lake’s oldest winery, they have been selling wine since 1980 and it's still a family run business including three generations. The vineyard sits on the western side of Cayuga Lake near Interlaken and offers a wonderful view of the lake from their deck and garden.
Bully Hill Vineyards overlooks the beautiful Keuka Lake, on the property that Taylor Wine Company began over 100 years ago. They have a large selection of wines and their restaurant offer an innovative cuisine with a breathtaking view of the lake.
Myer Farm Distillers is one of our favorite New York distilleries. They use certified organic grain from their own farm to distill a range of spirits. Myer Farm Distillers plant the seed and produce the spirit.
Finger Lakes Cider House was something a little different from other places we'd visited. It was our first time to enjoy hard cider...definitely different than we expected and very good. 
Fox Run Vineyards is beautiful...from the moment you enter their awe-inspiring iron gate...the grounds and views impress you. They have a café on site that feature fresh ingredients from neighborhood farmers, New York State producers, and from their very own garden. We enjoyed an afternoon at the winery during their Garlic Festival. 
Tabora Farm & Winery is located on the west side of Seneca Lake and offers wonderful gourmet bake goods and deli selections as well as a nice selection of wines. They offer Riesling, Cayuga White, Niagara, Diamond, DeChaunac, Lèon Millot, Baco Noir and Marèchal Foch. They are located in a converted building built in the early 1900's. It’s distinctive Cape Dutch architecture reflects Tabora’s unique South African heritage. 
Bright Leaf Vineyard sits on the east shore of Cayuga Lake on land that was was previously a livestock farm. Their location on the lake provides both optimal sun exposure and strong prevailing breezes that encourage ventilation of the vines. The vineyard is divided by a quarry of Tully limestone, which runs north-south through the farm. They've planted their white varietals in the cooler uphill block and their red varietals closer to the lake on the heavier, richer clay soil. They planted their first vines in 2013 and opened their winery to the public this past June, selling varieties Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Lemberger. 
Fairport Brewing Company is located in Fariport, just blocks from the Erie Canal. They offer an artisan, hand-crafted approach to brewing the highest quality beer using only the best ingredients. They have six rotating varieties with names like Three Heads Giant Panda, Ellicottville Just Peachy and Three Heads Loopy.  
Bandwagon Farm Brewery was started by five friends in Ithaca that needed something to do when the restaurant they were working at closed. It's a small operation located just up the lake from our marina.
Sackets Harbor Brewing Co. has been in operation since 1995 and is one of New York’s oldest microbreweries featuring a working brewery & restaurant directly on Lake Ontario. 
Wood Boat Brewery is a microbrewery located in Clayton, NY along the St. Lawrence River. They are located a few blocks from the downtown business district and next to the Antique Boat Museum. They serve beers with names like Pardon Me Pale Ale, Channel Marker IPA and White Cap Milk Stout. 
You can read about other wineries we've visited in the Finger Lake area at the following links.

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