Cruv

New York wine region

Finger Lakes Wineries and Tasting Rooms

Cool-climate Riesling country with four lake wine trails: Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka and Canandaigua.

100+ places in Cruv · 100+ upcoming events

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Red barn on a hillside above vineyards in autumn color, looking out over Keuka Lake and the hills beyond.

At a glance

Places in Cruv
100+
Upcoming events
100+
Known for
  • Riesling
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Pinot Noir
Nearest city
Within about 2 hours of Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo

Areas in Finger Lakes

  • Seneca Lake

    Seneca Lake has its own AVA, established in 2003, spanning parts of four counties around the lake. It is the deepest of the Finger Lakes, with Watkins Glen at its southern tip.

    55+ places in Cruv

  • Keuka Lake

    Keuka Lake sits inside the larger Finger Lakes AVA rather than having its own. A full drive around the lake takes just over an hour, and trail wineries make vinifera, hybrid and native-grape wines.

    25+ places in Cruv

  • Cayuga Lake

    Cayuga Lake has its own AVA, established in 1988 inside the larger Finger Lakes AVA, in Seneca, Tompkins and Cayuga counties. Trail members also make cider, mead and spirits.

    20+ places in Cruv

  • Canandaigua Lake

    A trail of roughly 30 miles along the lake's west side, from Victor through Canandaigua to Naples. Wineries large and small share the route with shops and restaurants.

    7 places in Cruv

Know before you go

Reservations
Most tasting rooms ask for a reservation, though some wineries take walk-ins. Popular ones fill up on summer weekends and in fall harvest, and groups of six or more almost always need one.
Getting there
New York City is about 4 to 5 hours by car; Boston is about 6, with a Thruway exit near Syracuse or Rochester. Airports at Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca and Elmira Corning serve the region.
Best time to visit
Summer and fall are busiest, with harvest in September and October and foliage usually peaking in mid-October. May and June are quieter, with waterfalls at full flow; some wineries stay open year-round.
Getting around
On a weekend, stick to one lake instead of covering the whole region, and save maps offline, since lake valleys can have spotty cell service. Plan a designated driver, a rideshare or a tour.

Some lake wine trails host food-pairing event weekends all year, with themes like barbecue, cheese, chocolate, herbs, harvest and the holidays, and several run their own passport programs.

Finger Lakes on the map

Map of New York showing Finger Lakes southwest of Syracuse (New York wine regions)

Nearby wine regions

  • Lake Erie

    Concord grape country along about 50 miles of Lake Erie's south shore, with tasting rooms stretching from Pennsylvania into New York.

    20+ places in Cruv · 10+ upcoming events

  • Hudson Valley

    One of America's oldest wine regions, a cool-climate river valley of hybrid and European grapes, an hour or two north of New York City.

    25+ places in Cruv · 30+ upcoming events