The Wine Trails of the Finger Lakes 2013 Event Season Begins!

Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York is home to three wine trails; Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, Seneca Lake Wine Trail, and Keuka Lake Wine Trail. Each trail is a group of wineries that sit among vineyards on the sloping hills overlooking its respective lake. Each wine trail offers year-round unique food and wine pairing events, breathtaking scenery, and world-class wine.

Photo Credit:  Bonnie Gustin

Keuka Lake Wine Trail

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail may be small in numbers, but it offers a big, world-class experience. The seven member wineries surrounding the y-shaped lake are all award-winners with unique characteristics and personality. While in the tasting rooms, visitors will enjoy magnificent views paired with exquisite wines. Events such as Viva Italia! in April, Keuka in Bloom in May, and Harvest Celebration of Food and Wine in September, celebrate the beauty and bounty of Finger Lakes Wine Country. 

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail also celebrates the holiday season with Keuka Holidays in November. The Keuka Lakes Wine Trail Passport offers complimentary tastings and deals along the trail for just $12 plus tax. More information on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail events and touring can be found at www.keukawinetrail.com.

Cayuga Lake Wine Trail

The first organized and longest running wine trail in the United States, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail celebrates 30 years in 2013. The 16 members include award-winning wineries, in addition to a meadery, a cidery, and distilleries. Traveling the idyllic shores of Cayuga Lake offers visitors a diverse and delicious taste of Finger Lakes Wine Country.

Popular events include Mardi Gras Weekend and Wine & Herb Festival. Mardi Gras Weekend takes place in February and offers ticket holders an opportunity to escape the winter blues and indulge in delicious food and wine pairings while collecting colorful beads. Wine & Herb Festival in April is a unique event in which attendees receive herb plants to start their garden as they visit the wineries along picturesque Cayuga Lake. 

The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail also offers the Vino Visa Coupon Book for just $15 plus tax and includes complimentary tastings and discounts at the winery gift shops. To celebrate 30 successful years, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail will be offering a commemorative 30th anniversary glass with the purchase of a Vino Visa Coupon Book. In addition, on the 30th day of every month, the wineries along the trail will feature specials to celebrate their 30th year milestone. More information on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail including their events and their yearlong anniversary celebration can be found at www.CayugaWineTrail.com.

Seneca Lake Wine Trail

The Seneca Lake Wine Trail is the largest wine trail in the east with over 30 member wineries. This trail offers a wide range of winery experiences for everyone including weekends that celebrate pairing wine with different types of food like pasta, chocolate, and even grilled foods. New this year is the Preferred Pairing Event Series, a partnership with the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail. Events take place the last Saturday of January, February, and March in 2013. Event-goers will enjoy an intimate cheese and wine pairing experience while touring beautiful Seneca Lake.

In addition to special wine and food pairing events, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail offers two passport programs. The Polar Passportis $12 plus tax per person and is valid now through March 31, 2013 and the Riesling to Visit Passport is $18 plus tax per person and is valid April 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013. Each passport offers visitors complimentary tasting at all the participating wineries. More information on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail events and touring can be found at www.SenecaLakeWine.com.

Event tickets for each wine trail are available for purchase at your local Wegmans store in addition to the trail websites. For further information about visiting Finger Lakes Wine Country, visit www.FingerLakesWineCountry.com.