After a hectic harvest and as the last of autumn's leaves fall along the shore of Cayuga, Keuka and Seneca Lakes, celebrate the holidays with award-winning wine and good friends with a trip to Upstate New York's Finger Lakes Wine Country. 'The halls are decked' at the 90-plus wineries throughout the region, inviting visitors to eat, drink, shop for gifts and be merry while joining in the area's holiday festivities. With harvest complete, winemakers offer guests a personal welcome at cellar-door tasting rooms.
Wine Trail Holiday Events
'Tis the season of giving and sharing, and that's exactly what visitors can expect on the region's three major wine trails. Visitors can savor the taste of the holidays sampling wines and
hearty winter foods, as well as receive gifts of souvenir wine glasses, ornaments, and grapevine wreaths by taking part in holiday event weekends.
- Keuka Lake Wine Trail: "Keuka Holiday" weekends (Nov.17 - 18, 2007)
- Cayuga Wine Trail: "Holiday Shopping Spree" (December 1 - 2, 2007).
New Polar Passport
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail also gives visitors even more reason to celebrate with the new Polar Passport. From December 3, 2007 - April 13, 2008, for $10, wine tasters get complimentary
regular wine tastings at each of the 24 participating wineries along the wine trail. Passports will be available for purchase starting December 3 at www.christmas-house.com. Ideal gifts can also be found at The Corning Museum of Glass' GlassMarket or at the many gift shops found at
wineries along the three trails featuring wine paraphernalia, local arts and crafts, gourmet items and of course wine.
Wagner Vineyards Riesling Ice Wine Named Among Top 10 from USA at Canberra International Riesling Challenge.
A 2006 Riesling Ice Wine from Wagner Vineyards, located along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, was recently voted one of the top 10 Riesling wines from the USA at the 8th Canberra
International Riesling Challenge in Canberra, Australia. The event featured 486 Riesling wines from six countries; Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa and United States.
The Challenge highlights the quality and diversity of Riesling wine styles and promotes them to the world.
New Exhibitions for Culture Cravers
The Corning Museum of Glass has its new Masters of Studio Glass: Joel Philip Myers and Steven I. Weinberg exhibition opening November 2, 2007 celebrating the diverse work of these
contemporary glass artists. Upcoming exhibits also include the only East Coast engagement of Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome opening February 15, 2008. For
summer 2008, the Museum anticipates the Glass of the Alchemists: Lead Crystal - Gold Ruby, 1650 - 1750 exhibit exploring Northern European glass of the Baroque period and examining the
technical advances in glassmaking made by alchemists during this period. www.rockwellmuseum.org
The mission of Finger Lakes Wine Country is to promote economic development in Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler and Yates Counties in the State of New York, and to improve the quality of life
in those counties, by supporting and improving the tourism industry.