I need some help

finding the better Riesling wineries in the Finger Lakes. I'm not on holiday but can make time to travel alongside, one way only, either Lake Seneca or Lake Cayuga but not both.

edit: I remember, back in the late 70s/early 80s drinking a lot of really fine Riesling, purchased mostly at the now OOB Rex Wine and Spirits on Wisconsin Ave. just outside then D.C. line. Maximin Grunhaus Abtsburg Auslese for about $16/$17 if memory serves. Most of the really good Riesling that I prefer is now priced well out of my price range, the above mentioned Maximin Grunhaus Abtsburg Auslese now going for about $80 if it can be obtained at all.

I would like to give Finger Lakes Riesling a try and see if I can get some of that fine Riesling character at a more attractive price.

The obvious answer is the west side of Seneca Lake and stop at Herman Wiemer consistently the best in the area. Heron HIll is close by and use to be decent but its been many years since I have been to the FL. Hopefully Joe and Ed can fill in with more recent info.

I fully agree with Brian. IMHO the rieslings from Hermann Wiemer are tops for the FL region. They produce several riesling styles - dry, semi-dry, single-vineyards, and late harvest - all very good.

[David M. Bueker]

Wiemer!

Alan, let me know when you'll be in the area. I can maybe meet you there, if I can't persuade you to come up to my area and maybe visit Cave Spring.

Here is my take:

You will find some good rieslings on either side of Seneca. If you go up the east side, Atwater (nice '08s) , Bloomer Creek (a late harvest dry unfiltered bottling and an ambient yeast bottling were notable), and Lammoreax Landing (the '08 reserve was one of the best I've tasted recently) had the most interesting rieslings when I visited earlier this summer. Also decent were the rieslings at Red Newt, Damiani and Standing Stone. If you want value for money, the recent Standing Stone riesling can be found for about $10 a bottle!

On the west side, you will find Wiemer, who, as others have pointed out, is doing great work. They now have some pricey single vineyard releases that may not be worth the extra $$ over the regular bottlings, but you can make that decision at the tasting room. Otherwise, Anthony Road is making some fine riesling a few miles north of Wiemer. Also doing good work along that side are Lakewood, Billsboro and Red Tail Ridge. The latter is only just getting going, but they have made some serious investment, including a LEED certified winery and carefully laid out vineyards. Worth having a look and taste. While Heron Hill is over on Keuka, I think they operate a tasting room along the west side of Seneca - there Ingle Vineyard riesling is usually worth trying.

If you were to wind up going along the west side of Cayuga, try the rieslings at Thirsty Owl, Sheldrake Point and Hosmer - all solid producers for that grape.

Howie - Thanks for the invite, but I'm too short on time to do more than make what amounts to a flying pass.

Joe - Great info, thanks.

I echo the recommendations for Senaca west. I would stop at Glenora, Wiemer, Anthony Road, and Fox Run; as I have many times.

[James Roscoe]

Fox Run and Weimer were the two best on the day I went down the lake in June of 09.

Two more suggestions for quirky little places, one on each side of Seneca:

On the east side, I'd suggest a stop at Silver Thread. I've liked their Riesling in a number of vintages, and if winemaker Richard Figiel is there, he's an interesting guy to talk to. They only used to be open Friday-Sunday, though.

On the west side, Shaw winery is a few hundred yards north of Wiemer on the other side of Rt. 14. Steve Shaw is another interesting winemaker to talk with if he's there. They release their wines late; the current whites are from the 2006 vintage.

For Riesling I'd choose the west side, mainly because of Wiemer. Joe's suggestions are good, though I haven't been to Red Tail.

Two more suggestions for quirky little places, one on each side of Seneca:

On the east side, I'd suggest a stop at Silver Thread. I've liked their Riesling in a number of vintages, and if winemaker Richard Figiel is there, he's an interesting guy to talk to. They only used to be open Friday-Sunday, though.

On the west side, Shaw winery is a few hundred yards north of Wiemer on the other side of Rt. 14. Steve Shaw is another interesting winemaker to talk with if he's there. They release their wines late; the current whites are from the 2006 vintage.

For Riesling I'd choose the west side, mainly because of Wiemer. Joe's suggestions are good, though I haven't been to Red Tail.

I was debating if I should add Shaw and Silver Thread. I like what Richard is doing at Silver Thread, and he is certainly worth meeting, but because of the limited hours I left him out. Shaw: I'm not a fan of their rieslings (although I've only had a chance to taste the '05 and '06 due to the late release policy) - I find them cumbersome and somewhat tired tasting. I do like some of their other wines - on my last visit I came away with an '08 (IIRC) Gewurztraminer, and recall tasting nice Sauvignon Blanc and some decent Bordeaux varieties. Wanted to like the Pinot Noir, but it was wretched. While I appreciate the small, hands-on approach here, the wines are uneven.

Oh, and not related to Steve's post: Fox Run has been sort of disappointing lately. Wines seem commercial to me and the tasting room full of drunks discharged from limos. Try to avoid the weekends if you plan to stop here!

I'd agree that Shaw's wines are uneven, but I find it interesting that they are not run-of-the-mill, and my guess is that some of them will age well. When I tasted there recently I thought the 2006 Riesling had bright acidity (i.e., not tired), though I think his Rieslings won't be to everyone's taste. I thought his Bordeaux blend and varietals had very nice, characteristic noses, though they were quite tannic and need several years in bottle to my taste. There was a 2003 Pinot Noir that had been kept in barrel until this year; the nose was lovely, but it was still hard and tannic on the palate. I also tried a more recent Pinot Noir (didn't get the vintage) that had only recently been bottled, and that was showing signs of bottling shock. Judgment reserved on that one.

The experience there is very different from the experience at Fox Run, e.g., which is another aspect that appeals to me.