In August I visited the Finger Lakes region of New York. The 11 lakes, gouged out by glaciers years ago, are located in a triangle between Syracuse, Rochester and Elmira-Corning. The mountainous area is known for its beautiful scenery as well as museums, historic sites and over 100 wineries.
The Finger Lakes climate is perfect for producing Riesling grapes, used in dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. At the Hermann J. Wiemer vineyard, we had our own tasting session in the visitors’ center, where stainless steel vats were on display. The dry Riesling was crisp and fruity. The semi-sweet was sweeter, and the Late Harvest sweeter yet, with honey overtones. The Cuve̒e Brut was full of tongue-tickling bubbles. I purchased several bottles of my favorites.
The area has many hotels as well as bed-and-breakfasts. We stayed with a friend at Keuka Lake, also known as Crooked Lake. It was quiet and peaceful, with only a few tour boats, motor boats and kayaks plying the beautiful blue waters. Our dinners were outstanding, with my friend showing off her culinary skills on the grill, serving us yummy swordfish and salmon. The sunset was amazing, and afterwards we lit a campfire to make the classic treat, S’mores, which are graham crackers filled with melted marshmallows and chocolate.
Just in case we were tempted to extend our stay, my friend made it clear with a cleverly embroidered towel that our visit was just for the weekend.
She did, however, invite us back for next year.
What are some of your favorite travel spots? I look forward to hearing about them on Facebook.
Frances Aylor 