David Falchek, Times Shamrock Writer
FINGER LAKES - Being alongside water calms the soul - and results in good wine grapes.
That combination endows the Finger Lakes region of New York with a magnetic pull on those who want to get away from it all and enjoy good wine. Here, wine quality has improved almost every year.
I lived in the Finger Lakes region for eight years, but it's great to go back as a tourist with a better appreciation of the Victorian architecture, rows of quietly ripening vines, and the sound of the waves on pebble beaches.
An Indian legend says the lakes were gouged by God's hand. But it was glaciers that dug the valleys and left the lakes behind. Those lakes retain the summer warmth into the fall and hold onto cold into the spring, moderating temperatures for sensitive grape vines. Few places along the lakes ever get below zero.
Perfect timing
Autumn is a beautiful time to visit. Grapes are being harvested and the leaves are changing colors. I used the village of Penn Yan at the north end of Keuka Lake as my base - a perfect spot from which to explore not only Keuka Lake, but the winery-rich west side of Seneca Lake.
Coming from the south, a convenient place to enter this region is through the village of Hammondsport, N.Y., a Currier & Ives print come to life with a bandstand on the town square and buildings dripping with verge board.
A quick lunch at Village Inn offered grilled pannis with fresh herbs. A lengthy list of local wines and a similarly impressive list of beers could have provided days of entertainment.
Up the hill on the west side of Keuka Lake is Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, founded by Ukranian immigrant Konstantin Frank. Against all odds, he successfully planted fine wine grapes in a region known for Concord and catawba. Dr. Frank is considered one of the most influential people in wine industry. Three generations later, the wines are better than ever, so I'm told by people who remember Frank's first attempts.
Fred Frank may come off as soft spoken, but he has all the passion of his fiery grandfather and his father.
Outstanding wine
Best known for slatey, minerally rieslings and the lesser-known rkatsiteli, Dr. Frank's doesn't make poor or mediocre wine. The wines are outstanding.
We went to Sarrasin's Restaurant in Penn Yan. Sarrassin's is one of seven restaurants on Keuka Lake with docks for boaters to drop by for dinner. We had dinner with Mike Linehan of the Yates County Chamber of Commerce, who talked about how the down economy has had an upside for the Finger Lakes region.
Mr. Linehan admits big-spending wine fans may be fewer, but the Finger Lakes have provided an inexpensive refuge for families who typically spend thousands on theme park vacations. Instead of doing Disney, they are renting cabins on the lake. They are fishing instead of riding roller coasters. Grilling instead of going to chain restaurants. Around the Finger Lakes, video game junkies are learning to make s'mores and skip stones.
After a restful night at Keuka Overlook bed and breakfast, and a filling breakfast, we were off to Windmill Farm & Craft Market, whose story is as impressive as its success. Twenty-five years ago, struggling farmers and businesses teamed up with the growing Amish community, displaced by high land prices in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. With nothing but a risky loan, their own money, and sweat capital, they built the Windmill, modeling it after the Green Dragon market in Ephrata.
Today the Windmill is more than 200 vendors strong, including crafts and merchandize of all sorts, a cornucopia of local produce, even a chapel, and two stages for live music. Where food is concerned, the longest lines seem to be at counters manned by Amish. I picked up salsa, apple butter and rhubarb/blueberry jam from Martin's. Each had fewer ingredients than I have fingers on one hand, and more flavor than anything from a store.
A call from friends in Hammondsport, Suzanne and Rodney, landed us on a boat in middle of Keuka with half a case of McGregor gerwurztraminer and Dr. Frank's riesling. We watched the sun go down and the moon come up, a spear of its light reflecting on the black water.
The visit to Pleasant Valley Wine Company would have been a better way to kick off the trip. The visitors center of this facility, founded in the 1860s has an impressive exhibit or artifacts from the days when the Finger Lakes was one of world's largest wine grape producers. A massive Tiffany glass ceiling commemorating Gold Seal's awards canopies a massive horseshoe bar.
Guided tours allow visitors to walk through stone rooms and under the cathedral ceilings through the region's pre- and post-Prohibition wine industry. Gargantuan halls of massive steel and redwood tanks show the scale of the industry of the past.
Only a fraction of this labyrinthine monument is used. Sadly, the private owner turns down requests to host receptions in the building. The mix of 19th century architecture and somewhat hokey 1960s-era finishes combined with a damp basement smell leaves one feeling that the place isn't ready for the world.
The wines sampled under that Tiffany ceiling certainly aren't historic.
Most of them are desert wines in port- and sherry-styles. I confess, we did leave with a bottle of vanilla sherry and the accompanying cookie recipe.