The 5 Best Finger Lakes Wineries To Visit For An Indulgent New York Escape, According To Wine Enthusiasts

The Finger Lakes isn't just a picture-perfect region in the heart of New York, filled with charming towns and sweeping landscapes. It's also a surprising hub of activity for wineries and was recently named one of the top wine regions in the United States by Wine Enthusiast. Those in the know come to this area of upstate New York to cozy into a cabin and spend a weekend hopping between over 140 wineries spread across its more than 9,000 square miles.

With so many wineries to choose from, it can be a daunting task to narrow the selection down. We turned to those who know best, scouring the internet for firsthand accounts from sommeliers, wine enthusiasts, and journalists at publications like Wine Spectator to see which names rose to the top. From well-known names to hidden gems, the list includes wineries that are guaranteed to satisfy your tastes no matter your level of wine expertise.

So whether you want to stick to the Seneca Lake Wine Trail or spread your wines and move further afield, there is no shortage of enjoyment to be had. Located just a little over an hour from the upstate urban hubs of Rochester and Syracuse, both of which have their own international airport, it's quite easy to move from city to rolling countryside and start wine tasting.

No list of Finger Lakes wineries would be complete without the well-respected Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. Located in Hammondsport and overlooking Keuka Lake, this legendary winery is not to be missed when visiting the area. Called the "godfather of East Coast winemaking" by sommelier Michael Gargiulo, it's one of the most popular wineries in the area, and for good reason. Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery has deep roots in the area and is named for its founder, the Ukrainian viticulturist who introduced the European grapes that have made the Finger Lakes famous to the area. Today, it is still run by members of the Frank family.

Given the history, it's no surprise this is a top choice for wine enthusiasts coming to the region. In fact, USA Today named it the best winery tour in America in its 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, an honor it has held for four years in a row. Jeremy Jones, author of The Grape Pursuit, which chronicles his quest to taste every varietal in the world, praised the vineyards profressionalism and exceptional wines, particularly the gewurztraminer, which lived up to the hype behind the brand. 

Dr. Konstantin Frank is open seven days a week and all year long. Tasting options include 45-minute seated tastings for $18 per person (at the time of writing), where a thematic flight of wines will be explored under the guidance of the winery's educators. Those seeking an in-depth experience can partake in The 1886 Wine Experience, offered from May to October. The two-hour, $75 per person immersive visit explores the world of winemaking, followed by a guided tasting. The winery also has a seasonal garden area where anyone can sip a glass or open a bottle and enjoy the scenery.

Thanks to its abundance of wineries, Seneca Lake is a popular destination for wine tasting in the region. But there is one spot that rises above the rest, Hermann J. Wiemer. According to VinePair,  an online publication covering beverage culture, it's one of the area's best wineries. Named after the original owner, who emigrated from Germany and started a winery in the 1960s, it is seen as a trailblazer in Finger Lakes winemaking. The winery is located in Dundee, just 21 miles south of the artsy Finger Lakes locale of Geneva. The vineyard sprawls across 90 acres on the western slope of the lake. 

It not only had the honor of being named one of the top 100 wineries in the world for five of six years from 2018 to 2023 by Wine & Spirits Magazine, but the publication has also called its wines a "benchmark for the region." The winery is, of course, known for its rieslings, but also produces cabernet franc and sparkling wines. Interestingly, the winery doesn't use any pesticides and ages its wine naturally, making it an excellent choice for those who love biodynamic wines.

Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard's tasting room and retail shop are open seven days a week. The vineyard offers wine by the glass and self-guided flights for those who want a more casual experience. But for something more in-depth, the winery offers two different tasting experiences (reservations are recommended). The first is a seated tasting where a la carte wines are available under the guidance of Wiemer's knowledgeable staff. The second is an hour-long private tasting available for $95, where a wine educator will pull from the winery's vast library for a unique exploration of its offerings. 

Founded in 1977, Heron Hill is a classic choice for wine tasting in the Finger Lakes. Also located in Hammondsport, it's just a 5-minute drive from Dr. Konstantin Frank, making them easy to pair together. The star of the show here — aside from the wine, of course — is the winery's impressive tasting room, which was once named one of the most spectacular wine tasting rooms in the world by Travel + Leisure (via Finger Lakes Tourism). 

The winery's beautiful Greek Revival tasting room has a magnificent view of Keuka Lake and is an incredible setting to sample Heron Hill's award-winning wines. It's also an incredible environment to see sustainable winemaking in action, as Heron Hill is certified as part of the New York Sustainable Winegrowing program. As part of this, the winery lets its grasses and flowering plants grow naturally to eliminate the use of herbicides and insecticides, which allows guests to feel good about the wine they drink.

Heron Hill Winery is open from Thursday to Monday, offering tasting flights for $15 per person up until 30 minutes before closing. Parties of six or more must reserve in advance; smaller parties can walk in, though it's preferable to reserve. Heron Hill's guided tasting includes five wines and is set inside its magnificent tasting room. If your journey doesn't bring you close to Hammondsport, you can still enjoy Heron Hill's wines thanks to a second tasting room overlooking Canandaigua Lake. Located 32 miles north of the winery, it offers the same tasting experience.

Located near the western shore of Seneca Lake, the largest Finger Lake, and in the small hamlet of Rock Stream, Apollo's Praise has been steadily garnering recognition since it opened in 2023. Run by winemakers Kelby James Russell and Julia Rose Hoyle, the duo moved from the tasting rooms of other local wineries to full-on production that concluded with the purchase of the Lahoma Vineyard. Focused on producing the riesling that the area is known for, as well as cabernet franc, Apollo's Praise opens its doors to guests for appointment-based tastings of its award-winning wines.

While Apollo's Praise may be newer as a brand, the reputations of Russell and Hoyle run deep, and this is reflected in the high praise that the winery is receiving. One of their wines was given a gold medal at the 2025 Sommelier's Choice Awards, and VinePair named their 2024 The Knoll Dry Riesling one of the top white wines to buy in 2026. This recognition has led Apollo's Praise to be placed on the region's must-visit list for those in the know, whether it's a writer from Wine Enthusiast or the wine aficionados on the r/wine subreddit, where it's frequently suggested to those looking for quality wineries in the Finger Lakes.

Apollo's Praise offers regular tastings from Thursday to Saturday, with a limited number of appointments also available on Monday and Wednesday. Reservations are required, as the winery's intimate setting only allows for one to two groups at a time. As one Google reviewer noted, "It was a very intimate experience since Sarah could focus on us and provide detailed information about the various plots, varietals, and winemaking processes." A credit card is required to reserve, and the standard guided flight includes six wines — a wonderful way to experience exciting wines coming out of this relatively new entry into the Finger Lakes wine scene.

Just 20 minutes north of Apollo's Praise, our last winery is another gem on Seneca Lake. Red Tail Ridge Winery, located near the charming lake town of Penn Yan, is known for its sparkling wines and has 30 acres of vines in a picturesque setting overlooking the lake. Owned by husband and wife Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan, the winery is known for producing varietals not often found in the region, making it a fun destination to find something different for your palate.

Still not convinced? Wine Enthusiast recently nominated Red Tail Ridge as one of the best wineries in America in its 2025 Wine Star Awards, citing its ability to make high quality reisling, as well as sparkling wines and European varietals right in upstate New York. "Small but mighty," writes sommelier Michael Gargiulo. "Red Tail Ridge has some of the most interesting wines in the region, creative, sustainable, and seriously delicious."

Red Tail Ridge Winery is open seven days a week and offers several tasting options in its building overlooking Seneca Lake. Its bar tasting for $15 per person is a wonderful option for those with limited time. Offered both to walk-ins and those with reservations, the 20 to 30-minute tasting allows you to select five wines. Their classic seated tasting, available for up to six people for $25 per person, has an option of five wines from the vineyard's most recent releases, accompanied by a cheese board or a four-wine tasting with local bites that pair with the wines. There is even a dog-friendly tasting for $15 per person that includes dog beds, toys, and water, with the option to add on some treats for your pup.

With so many options in the Finger Lakes region, it's no easy task to narrow the list down to five wineries. In order to do so, we scoured the internet for expert opinions on the best options in the area. Well-respected industry publications, such as Wine Enthusiast, as well as blogs by sommeliers and wine enthusiasts, informed the selections. 

We also dipped into the r/wine on Reddit to see which names consistently appeared when asked to give recommendations for wineries to visit in the Finger Lakes. By cross-referencing the information, we were able to curate a list that represents both the history of winemaking in the area, as well as some exciting new entries on the scene.