GETAWAY Seneca is for looking—not just tasting By Elizabeth Licata Lovely inns and B&Bs line the entire circumference of Lake Seneca, but many practical winery tourists would concede that it makes the most sense to use Watkins Glen as a home base for a weekend spent here. From Watkins Glen, you can take easy jaunts up the west or east sides of the lake—within two to three days, it’s possible to visit almost every winery along the lake, if that’s your goal. A patio view from the Glen Harbor Hotel. Photo courtesy of Hart Hotels. Not that it should be. There is plenty more to do here than taste wine. On a recent trip to the Finger Lakes, we hiked, shopped, and explored throughout the region, enjoying some great meals along the way. Our base was the new Glen Harbor Hotel, a Hart property that opened last July right on the harbor. An exterior of the hotel. Photo courtesy of Hart Hotels. On the way down, we stopped at two of the best wineries on the west side of the lake: Fox Run and Hermann Weimer. This is a drive that should be more leisurely, and had we time, we definitely would have walked around the village of Geneva, and stopped by at the Prejean, Anthony Road, Lakewood, or Glenora wineries. Lunch at Veraisons, Glenora’s restaurant, would be worth it for the terrace view alone. A spectacular gorge at Watkins Glen State Park. Photo by Elizabeth Licata. An exterior view of Lamoreaux Landing. Photo by Elizabeth Licata. Wine casks with vines for sale at Hermann Weimer. Photo by Elizabeth Licata. The dining room at the Glen Harbor Hotel. Photo courtesy of Hart Hotels. A personal immersible submarine at the harbor. Photo by Elizabeth Licata. But it was a rather chilly May weekend, so we were happy to make two indoor tasting room stops. Both Fox Run and Weimer have popular tasting rooms for good reason. Fox Run is the roomiest, with a courtyard and a café—you can really hang out here—while Weimer’s facilities are stately and imposing. Both wineries are known for their excellent Reislings and Gewurtzraminers, but we also enjoyed the dry rosés at Weimer and the Cab/Lemburger at Fox Run. After check-in at the Glen Harbor, we barely had time to walk around the property—where we saw a yellow submarine (a personal immersible) emerging from the lake—before it was time to drive up the east side for dinner at Suzanne’s. Restaurants throughout the Finger Lakes have caught the local food bug big-time; even though it was early in the season, we had local cheeses, asparagus, and ramps at the three restaurants we tried. Suzanne’s is notable not just for using local produce, but also for simple preparations. Their entrees allow you to get the intense, pure flavors of the ingredients. Potatoes are earthy, fruits are bright and tart, meat is tender and ever-so-slightly gamey. They also have an astute selection of French reds, as well as the local juice. And if you’re looking around for a salt shaker while dining here, then you may not appreciate what the chef is trying to achieve. On the following day, we explored wineries on the southeast side of the lake, which, as Spree wine critic Mark Criden affirms, is the “hot spot” of the region. Others call it the Banana Belt. Faithfully following the Criden playbook (I was able to call up his January/February ’09 Seneca review on my iPhone), we tasted at Atwater, Chateau Lafayette Reneau, Hazlitt, Red Newt, and Lamoreaux Landing. Unlike Criden, however, I’m not a wine critic, so I don’t need to swish my way through horizontal tastings of seven different red wines at 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Mainly tasting Reislings, Chardonnays, Vidals, and Gewurtztraminers, I found something to love at every winery we visited, but was most gratified by the unoaked or slightly oaked Chardonnays. For those who can’t bear even a sniff of the heavy-handed bottles produced by most of California, the Seneca wineries offer fabulous citrusy Chardonnay for drinking on its own or for casual patio dining. Lunch that day was at the Stone Cat Café, which pulls off a trifecta of gorgeous scenery, charming interior décor, and great food. It must be emphasized that wine-oriented writing about Lake Seneca leaves out the best part. Seneca is first and foremost a visual treat, from the spectacular Watkins Glen State Park to the forests surrounding the lake to the idiosyncratic architecture of the wineries—which even a teetotaler can enjoy. Lamoreaux Landing, for example, is nothing short of spectacular, inside and out. And if you do confine your visit to wineries, not bothering to take at least a partial hike through the park, where you’ll be walking behind a waterfall within five minutes of entry, then consider your trip a failure. In May, the park was full of wildflowers, with an amazing photo op around every corner. In July or August, it would surely be a welcome shady respite from the summer sun. There are plenty of other walks nearby. At the Glen Harbor Hotel, gorgeous scenery is available from every window and balcony—even from the Jacuzzi—and there is an expansive terrace where diners or drinkers can watch the harbor activity. The wine list has a large selection of Finger Lakes vintages, by the glass or bottle, and we enjoyed checking out the NASCAR types (there’s a big raceway here) in the bar both nights we were there. We tried the eggplant strata, seafood scampi, and sea bass during our one dinner there; all were excellent, but it was really the fact that we were sitting looking out the window at some of the most beautiful scenery in New York State—or maybe the U.S.—that made the meal unforgettable. We will surely be back. Before you go, visit fingerlakeswinecountry.com, senecalakewine.com, and watkinsglenharborhotel.com. Elizabeth Licata is editor of Buffalo Spree. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top