Tag Finger Lakes

Trip Around The Sun

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      I have just completed another trip around the Sun, so my wife and I decided to celebrate in our usual way by having dinner at an interesting new restaurant.  This year we decided on the Out Of The Fire Café in Donegal, Pennsylvania.  I will keep this review short and simple because we agreed that after dining there that it was the most exceptionally delicious meal from start to finish that we have ever eaten.  We are comparing our meal to meals we have had at restaurants that were owned by Mario Batalli, Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Emeril Lagasse and other celebrity chefs just to give you some point of reference on how good this meal was.  I won’t bore you with my perception of the evening I will report it just as the BBC reports the news with just the facts.  We began with the Seasonal Soup which was Crab Chowder that evening.  The entrées were as follows per their menu description.  My wife had Pan Seared Maine Monkfish with Carmelized Onions & Herb Polenta, Bristol Farms Cherry Tomatoes, Crooked Neck Summer Squash & Zucchini, Smoked Tomato Pesto and I had Orange & Fennel Crusted Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet Corn & Lump Crab Griddle Cakes, Grilled Scallions, Orange Section Salsa.  This is how I would describe our dessert ” Strawberry Marscapone Parfitt, Marscapone Cheese Layered in Balsamic Vinegar Infused Strawberries with a Topping of Crumpled Thin Oatmeal Wafer.  Out Of The Fire Café is a B.Y.O.B. establishment that has a $2 per person corkage fee.  I have always avoided B.Y.O.B. places and I must tell you I was wrong in doing so.  The atmosphere was festive and the bottle of Swedish Hill 2009 Reserve Chardonnay (Finger Lakes) we brought was excellent.  I would recommend making reservations any time you plan on going because they are always crowded.  Out Of The Fire Café 3784 State Rt 31 Donegal, Pa 15628.  724-593-4201   www.outofthefirecafe.com      

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Wagner Vineyards

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     We are back on the road again and on our way to Wagner Vineyards where they have a winery, brewery, restaurant and gift shop.  I would like to take this opportunity to advise you to be careful when tasting and driving and also ask you to be sure that you act in a responsible manner to ensure public safety because if you don’t the police around the Finger Lakes will.  Wagner is probably the most commercially developed winery around the lakes and should be on your must see list.  They produce an extensive variety of wines and if you are fortunate enough to have Bill serve you in the tasting room  you will get to experience every one that your heart desires.  I asked him for a good red for making Sangria and he suggested the Sunset Red then he gave me his favorite Sangria recipe.  I tasted all of their Chardonnay and chose the dry 2011 Barrel Fermented.  I didn’t taste at the brewery this trip but I remember that the last time I did their portions were the same as the wine room samples and let’s just say they were more than generous.  The Ginny Lee Cafe has a trendy menu and we have had lunch on the deck overlooking the vineyards on several occasions.  If you do decide to stop for lunch try one of their wraps, my favorite is the Tuscan.  Wagner Vineyards is located at 9322 State Route 414 Lodi, New York.  

Wagner Vineyards Photos

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Fermention Tanks

The Botting Room at Wagner Vineyards

Tanks at Wagner Vineyards

The Ginny Lee Cafe

Watkins Glen, New York

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English: The gorge at Watkins Glen State Park,...

English: The gorge at Watkins Glen State Park, New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We took a break from the Wine Trail by driving to the south end of Seneca Lake and visiting Watkins Glen.  Watkins Glen is an idyllic small town that is set in a beautiful location.  The town is well-known for its racetrack and the world-famous racers and their fans that flock to the area every year.  There is plenty to do in Watkins Glen and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to explore it.  Stop by the harbor and see the marina, then take a sightseeing cruise on the vintage 1934 Stroller IV to get a unique view of the lake.  Watkins Glen State Park offers the chance to hike to a waterfall and surprisingly there is an entrance in the middle of town.  Take a walk around the main business district and browse the eclectic shops that line the busy street.  Take a break from the wineries and support the other merchants that add their own unique vibe to the region.

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Lamoreaux Landing Winery

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Lamoreaux Landing

Lamoreaux Landing (Photo credit: mhaithaca)

     My next stop was the award-winning Lamoreaux Landing Winery in Lodi, New York.  The first thing that strikes you about this property is just how impressive the facilities are.  The grandeur of the main building hints of Roman and Greek inspired architecture.  The long stroll up the sidewalk to the main entrance was only a prelude to the truly magnificent view of the lake through the huge windows inside.  The view from the beautiful tasting room was one of the finest I have ever experienced in the Finger Lakes.  The wine of Lamoreaux Landing are well made and enjoyable.  I purchased their Estate Red Table Wine but passed on a very good Chardonnay that I really should have added to the growing collection in the trunk of my car.  After looking around the gift shop that is adjacent to the tasting room we left with my bottle of Estate Red and a promise to return soon.  Lamoreaux Landing Winery is located at 9224 Rte 414 Lodi, NY. 

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Lamoreaux Landing Winery Photos

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Lamoreaux Landing Tasting Room Building

Vineyards at Lamoreaux

Finger Lakes Distilling

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     Finger Lakes Distilling sits on a hillside along the eastern shore of Seneca Lake so naturally that if not for its sign marking the entrance road you could easily miss it.  After climbing the few steps that lead to the rear of the building you enter the tasting room with its view of the lake and the distillery’s impressive still.  At the bar you can taste any of their 16 types of spirits and liqueurs.  While perusing the tasting room and gift shop I noticed a friendly looking hound lying on the floor, as I approached him all he did was move his eyes to see who it was and then he went back to sleep.  I would suggest that you stop at Finger Lakes Distilling even if it is only to take a look around.  Finger Lakes Distilling is located at 4676 NYS Rte 414 Burdett, NY. 

Finger Lakes Distilling Photos

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     The still at the Finger Lakes Distilling distillery.

Finger Lakes Distilling Photos

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     Photos of Finger Lakes Distilling sign and barrels in distillery

Three Brothers Wineries and Estates

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     The Three Brothers Wineries and Estates are located at 623 Lerch Rd Geneva, NY.  It is just a short distance off of NY Rte 96A South at the north end of Seneca Lake.  This winery is a collection of three distinctly different wineries (Passion Feet, Stony Lonesome and Bagg Dare) and a brewery (War Horse).  We arrived at the property just a day after the conclusion of Winestock, a wine and music festival that had run through the weekend.  Three Brothers was the only winery that we visited twice and is a perfect example of the saying “What a difference a day makes”.  The first day we visited we were served in the tasting room of the Stony Lonesome Winery by a very well versed young man named Alex.  Alex poured our selections and recited the characteristics of each flawlessly and with a friendly ease.  That day we would purchase two Riesling:  Degree 1 Medium Dry 2010 and Degree 2 Medium Sweet 2010 along with a wine that I was unfamiliar with Estate  Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2011.  I could have easily have picked up their Barbera, the first to be produced in the Finger Lakes but the promise of the wines in my near future caused me to pass on it.  The next afternoon we decided to return to Three Brothers to pick up a bottle of their Pinot Noir and that Barbera that I had passed on the day before.  We entered the Stony Lonesome tasting room and stood around until we were finally approached by a small young woman.  We asked her several questions about their Pinot Noir and other red wines which she struggled to answer with her limited knowledge of the products.  Since the Pinot was to be a gift I asked if she could do me a favor and photo copy the wine list and its tasting notes.  She went into the other room only to return and say no and that it could be found on the website (I looked but couldn’t find it there).  I bought the 2009 Pinot Noir and forgot about the Barbera.

     The wines at Three Brothers Wineries and Estates were probably the best I tasted on this trip but the tasting room experience was surly the most sub-standard that I encountered.  The management of this business has to remember that making good wine is important but there is much more to a brand than just that.