Growing up, did you realize how amazing some areas close to your hometown are? I know I didn’t, and this post will show just how much I lacked in knowledge of something amazing just 3 hours away, Seneca Lake, NY. Seneca Lake is located in Upstate New York and is one of the Finger Lakes. This post will look at some fun things to do around Seneca Lake and recent history that makes a weekend around Seneca Lake more interesting as you enjoy wine, cheese, and spirits.
So yes, I grew up less than 3 hours away from the southern tip of Seneca Lake. And, unfortunately, until just recently I have never been there. Plus, my discovery of how amazing the area is, was a pure accident. My wife and I traveled to Geneva to watch our daughter play hockey. It was a very spur-of-the-moment weekend trip. We were originally scheduled to fly to New England the week before, but bad weather canceled our plans. On a whim, we decided to drive to Upstate New York and meet the team there. And it was well worth it (not just watching hockey and hanging out with our daughter and other friends that met us there, but exploring the area around Seneca Lake.)
Since it was a spur-of-the-moment adventure, my typical ‘get ready for a trip’ prep didn’t happen. I only looked at how far away the rink was from the hotel, and at a few restaurants. I broke my own travel rule and just improvised on the fly. There is so much to do around Seneca Lake and this post will only scratch the top layer. But the trip produced enough excitement to drive a desire to go back and do more exploring.
Quick Seneca Lake History
Before we get to the Wine trails, Cheese tasting, and Spirits galore, we need to take a quick trip down history’s country road. Normally I would go through a more complete history, and the Seneca Lake area has a deep and long history, but I will not go too far back. I will skip the history surrounding the Cayuga and Seneca tribes of the Iroquois Nation and only go back to the late 19th century. The Upstate New York Native American history of the Iroquois Nation deserves a full exploration and this post will not prove worthy of its due.
The reason I chose the late 19th century is that it is relevant to wine (the biggest surprise I encountered on this trip.) Native grapes thrive in the Finger Lake region. The soil and weather are very conducive to their growth. Between 1860 and 1900, 50ish Finger Lakes’ wineries produced around 10 million gallons of wine. Why is that important? Well, according to The Wine Celler Insider the cost to ship a case of wine from California to the East coast in the late 1860s was $4.80 per case. That is just the shipping cost. I was only able to compute inflation costs from 1913, but $4.80 in 1913 (40 years after) is equivalent to $136.31 today. That’s a steep shipping cost.
Those 10 million gallons helped provide the East Coast of the United States with liquid courage. The Finger Lakes region is one of 5 major grape-growing areas in New York. That fact alone stunned me. I had no idea New York was that rich in grapes and wine production. The 5 regions are: Long Island; Hudson Valley; Finger Lakes; Niagara Escarpment; and Lake Erie. One of the unique aspects of the 5 regions…all have major bodies of water affecting the climate and growth. The late 19th century Finger Lake region wineries were known for their sweet wines, sherries, and sparkling wines.
Prohabition! (And how Finger Lake Wineries survived)
Then, after World War II, the wineries began planting French and other European grape varieties to create new wine flavors. Currently, there are around 40 different varieties of grapes produced in the Finger Lakes.
Seneca Lake Military Link
Speaking of World War II, I was equally stunned to find a 20th-century military history link to Seneca Lake. On the east side of Seneca Lake, there is a Military History Park, Sampson Memorial Museum. The region has links to both World War II and the Korean War, as well as NATO’s Defense of Western Europe.
The Navy trained over 400,000 sailors and waves in the region for World War II. That’s amazing! You wouldn’t think that an area hundreds of miles away from the ocean would be used for Navy Training, but the lake provided a venue and the military took advantage. The lake itself is about 30 miles long and, at 634 feet deep, it is the deepest lake east of the Mississippi River.
Then, from 1950 to 1956, the US Air Force provided Basic Training for over 300,000 Airmen in preparation for the Korean War and NATO’s Defense of Western Europe.
Back to the wine!
After the 1976 Farm and Wine Act of New York, the wineries could make and sell their wines directly to customers instead of relying on wholesalers. Currently, the region is abundant with award-winning Rieslings, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc wines.
Around Seneca Lake alone you can find around 50 wineries. Even though the Finger Lakes’ wineries produce award-winning wine, that doesn’t mean sales are abundant. The big-name California brand wines take up the preponderance of shelf space in stores. So local wineries rely on their tasting rooms and visitors for sales. If you are an avid wine drinker, you like wine trails and you don’t want to go to California, Upstate New York, and the Finger Lake Wineries are calling you home.
I myself am not a drinker. My job is to drive the drinkers around and let them taste. Since we were traveling for hockey and had a game one night in Geneva followed by a game the next afternoon in Elmira, we only stopped at a couple of places to get a feel for the area. The one winery we stopped at was chosen strictly for its name, Penguin Bay Winery, on the east side, and a member of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. (My wife liked the name, as it appeals to her love of animals and they donate some of their proceeds to help save penguins at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY.)
Seneca Lake Wine Trail
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail consists of about 29 select wineries dotted around the lake. The wineries are selected due to their commitment to producing superior quality wines. You can determine if it is a Seneca Lake Wine Trail Member by the sign above on the right. Some wineries even have areas for weddings/events and on-site lodging.
Penguin Bay Winery has won many awards, has wine tasting opportunities, and has a varied selection.
But I did not taste the wine so I cannot tell you how I liked it. In fact, if you remember at the beginning, I mentioned you should spend 3-4 days in the area, this is exactly why. With over 50 wineries around Seneca Lake, you will need to take your time to explore and taste. There are also many hotels and B&Bs in the area. We stayed in Geneva at the same hotel as our daughter’s team, but a friend stayed at a B&B in Geneva and loved it.
Cheese!
With wineries, you need cheese. And yes, Seneca Lake does have cheese! And cheese tasting. This is one that I did partake in and thoroughly enjoyed it.
We stopped at a farm called Muranda, on the east side of Seneca Lake. During the summer months they open up their large barn, and you taste cheese (they have some alcohol too) with the barn doors open and a view of the beautiful fields. Unfortunately, it was not summertime when we visited (which is true not only for the cheese tasting but the entire trip…we want to go back during the summer when the views are even more spectacular.)
I tried about 10 different cheeses and they were all spectacular and extremely delicious. Well, except for their blue cheese. I don’t like blue cheese at all. I tasted it and it was the best blue cheese I have ever tasted. But my palate prevents me from liking any blue cheese. That’s not a knock on Muranda’s blue cheese, just my personal preference. Don’t let me stop you from trying it. The nice lady behind the counter understood many people’s blue cheese concerns and explained how Muranda makes it different and why so many that don’t like normal blue cheese love theirs. I say give it a try. You might like it. My favorite was the Smoked Cheddar, but I also liked the Dilly Girl and Scallon and Onion Cheddar as a close second.
Spirits!
Another thing Seneca Lake has in abundance is breweries and distilleries. We stopped at one distillery and found it to be most enlightening. The Finger Lakes Distilling Co sits at the southeastern tip of Seneca Lake. With grand views of Seneca Lake and windows to their still, FLD is a fun stop. FLD also produces award-winning spirits.
I also learned some special restrictions on the distilleries in the region. First, they must make all their spirits on-site. That is why you will see their still. Second, they cannot sell anyone else’s alcohol. And third, all of their raw materials must be harvested from within a 50-mile radius of their site. So, this is a very local product and one they are very proud of.
Other points of interest
Now, wine, cheese, and spirits are not the only thing around Seneca Lake. You have Watkins Glen on the southern tip. Watkins Glen is home to an amazing race track, with multiple events each year. In Geneva, you have a history museum that is very informative (and the source of my wine history above).
On the northeastern tip, you will find the Rose Hill Mansion, a late 19th Century home where you can experience life of the 19th century. Also, the views of the lake are stunning.
On the northern tip is the Seneca Lake Welcome Center, which holds markets on weekends for you to get a taste of the surrounding area.
There are multiple parks, including Lodi State Park, Smith Memorial Park, Watkins Glen State Park, Sampson State Park, and Seneca Lake State Park. Add to that a number of RV/camping spots, waterfalls, wildlife areas, plenty of golf courses, and the Seneca Lake area is a perfect vacation spot for the whole family, not just wine aficionados (although they will enjoy the area a lot.)
The only sad part about the trip (besides leaving) was hockey. Our daughter’s team lost both games that weekend. But they played amazing and you can absolutely tell how much the team grew as a whole over the season. We are really proud of them! Go Grimms!!!
Seneca Lake was an awesome experience. If you have the time, spend a weekend at Seneca Lake exploring and enjoying. Make it a weekend to remember!
PS. If you saw my post about writer’s block I can say writing that helped me a lot. This post just flowed off the fingertips and was a lot of fun to write. As always, thank you for reading, stay safe and I wish you good luck traveling.
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