IFWTWA Media Trip

The Influence of European Winemakers on the Finger Lakes Wine FAM

Yates County, NY (Finger Lakes Countrysides) is located centrally in the Finger Lakes Region. Many visitors choose Yates County as their homebase because you can easily get to various towns, cities, and lakes. Yates County borders three different Finger lakes, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua. It’s an hour from Corning / Elmira area, an hour from Rochester, and less than 30 minutes from other popular towns such as Geneva, Watkins Glen, Hammondsport, and Canandaigua. Penn Yan is the main hub of the county, which is teeming with charm, history, outdoor recreation, food, craft beverage, and locally owned shops.

Steuben is the birthplace of Finger Lakes Wine. The first grapes in the region were planted in Hammondsport in 1829, the first bonded winery in the U.S. and first American winery to win awards in Europe for sparkling wine was founded there in 1860, and the Vinifera Revolution kicked off there nearly a century later. Did you know the same small town was also the Hotspot for early aviation experimentation and advancement in the U.S. and has been called the “cradle of aviation” thanks to the contributions of local aviator and tinkerer Glenn Curtiss. Keuka Lake, the only Finger Lakes not shaped like a finger, stands out for its stunning beauty as well as its role in the wine history of the region. Just down the road you’ll find “America’s Crystal City.” Known today for innovations in glass science and technology that have become an indelible part of everyday life (from Pyrex to fiber optics), the town of Corning and the glass company that bears add sparkle to the region with fun annual events and the world’s largest museum dedicated to glass.