Breweries

A few blogs ago I posted about wineries in the Finger Lakes region, but not everyone loves wine and many people are more likely to drink beer rather than wine. Good news for them, not only are there an abundance of wineries in the area, there are also many breweries in the area. There are even beer trails (much like the well-known wine trails) that are popping up in the area. So while the wives are out having their girls day on the wine trail, the husbands can take their buddies to a brewery (or a bunch of breweries) for the day.

If you visit this website you can find out much more information about the beer trail, including all of the different breweries and options for stops on the Finger Lakes beer trail. You can also view the map here.

There are over 100 stops on the list, but I do not recommend trying to hit all of the breweries in one day. (Hopefully you already knew that wasn’t a good idea to try) Breweries are very popular in the Finger Lakes region and continue to pop up all over. If you don’t get to all the ones you wanted on this trip, it is likely that they will still be here for your next visit. Plus that’s another excuse to come back!

The brewery that I am most familiar with is Naked Dove Brewing Company located on State Route 5 and 20 just outside the City of Canandaigua. Naked Dove took over a stand alone auto parts store that went out of business. They transformed the building into a brewery, and although it doesn’t have what I would consider a brewery look on the outside, they have a neat tasting room and EVERY time I drive by there are cars there. Many times there are actually cars that end up parking on the grass. When it first came to town many people were skeptical, but it has turned out to be a very successful and popular business. Their beer can also be found at many local bars.  

Other very popular breweries in the area are Climbing Bines located on Seneca Lake and Twisted Rail located both on Canandaigua Lake and in Macedon.

Many people enjoy picking up a growler from a local brewery to share with family and friends while enjoying a day on the lake. It also makes a great host or hostess gift when arriving to a party. If you are someone that is into collecting growlers from different breweries that you have been to there are some very cool ones that can be found in the Finger Lakes. Kegs can also be purchased at many of the breweries and are popular for weddings and other parties. It gives guests a taste of the area, and supports local business and promotes a good time all at the same time. Wegmans also carries many of the different local brews if you aren’t looking to go to the actual brewery itself. Many of the breweries have live music and various events and festivals throughout the summer. If you are in the Finger Lakes and looking to enjoy some craft beer, you will not have to look far to find it.

Enjoy FLX Living…and drinking!

 

Wine About It

When most people think of good US wine, they think of any wine that comes from Napa Valley, California. But many people do not know that the next best place for wine in the United States is the Finger Lakes Region. To be honest, I lived thinking that the Finger Lakes Wine was the best wine in the country, and it wasn’t until I got to college that I learned that Napa Valley was the more prestigious of the wine growing country. Napa Valley is definitely the more well-known of the two, but I definitely think that Finger Lakes wine can compete with wine from California. This website agrees with me and even ranks the Finger Lakes as the number one region for wine in the US.  

Many of the hills surrounding the lakes are filled with beautiful vineyards with miles and miles of vines and numerous types of grapes. In fact, there are over 100 wineries in the area. Some have been making wine for years and years and have multiple tasting rooms and distributors, while others are very small and can only be purchased from their site. There is something offered for every palette.

Many of the wineries are located around the bigger, deeper lakes. This is because the deep lakes are able to create a microclimate that is great for growing grapes. With this being said, there are wineries scattered throughout the rest of the Finger Lakes as well. The major lakes for wineries are Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga as they are very suitable for growing grapes. There is a website that discusses Finger Lakes Wine Country as a whole, and then each of the lakes has their own wine trail that can be found in brochures or on each of their websites as well.  

On each of their websites you can learn more about the wineries along the trail, their history, and their offerings. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is the oldest wine trail in the United States. The Keuka Lake Wine Trail offers some spectacular views and is home to Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars, founded by Dr. Frank himself who proved that classic European variety wines could in fact be produced in the Finger Lakes. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail offers the largest number of wineries with over 30 on the trail. The Canandaigua Lake Wine Trail is slowly up and coming.

 Wineries are popular year round but are especially popular in the fall as visitors to the region enjoy leaf peeping while wine touring. Wine touring is a popular activity in the Finger Lakes whether it be for a bachelorette party, birthday party, girls weekend, date night, or just a fun time with friends or family. There are also many events that are put on related to wine and the wineries and each of their websites can inform you of some of those

So, if you are a sommelier (or a wanna be sommelier) the Finger Lakes region is a great place for you to check out.

I hope there is a bottle of Finger Lakes wine somewhere nearby for you to open after reading this post!

Cheers!

Image retrieved from Finger Lakes Wine Country’s Website

 

Seneca Lake

As I may or may not have said before, from where I live it takes me about the same amount of time to get to Seneca Lake as it does to Canandaigua Lake. But for some reason I have spent a lot more time around Canandaigua Lake than Seneca Lake. Maybe it is because it is closer to the high school I went to, maybe it is because it is on the way to Rochester and the rest of my family’s houses, maybe it is because we tend to spent a lot more time shopping in the Canandaigua area, or maybe it is a combination of all of these.

Seneca Lake is known as the Lake Trout Capital of the World. Every year, there is a Lake Trout Derby held where fishers try to see who can reel in the biggest trout. It is surprising how big some of them are. The lake is 38 miles long, and at its deepest point is 618 feet deep, making it the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes.

 At its northern tip lies the city of Geneva. Geneva is home to Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Old Victorian homes on route 14A are a sight to see before entering downtown Geneva. Some are home to college students and others are homes for year round residents. Downtown Geneva is home to many cute storefronts and many delicious locally owned restaurants. My favorite is Eddie O’Brien’s Bar and Grille.

At the south end of the lake lies Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen is home to Watkins Glen State Park. I highly recommend hiking the glen, (be prepared to get a lot of steps in and maybe get a little wet) and if you enjoy camping, the park also has a great campground. There are beautiful waterfalls and it is an amazing example of the power of water over thousands of years. Racecar fans may be familiar with Watkins Glen as it is the home of Watkins Glen International Raceway. One of my favorite things about Watkins Glen is that they have a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream store.

The lake itself is home to two other state parks that have swimming areas: Sampson State Park, and Seneca Lake State Park.

Seneca Lake also draws many visitors to its wineries. There are many to choose from, but all have great wine options.

Many beautiful bed and breakfasts line the lakeshore. Geneva on the Lake and Belhurst Castle are popular destinations. My senior ball in high school was held at Belhurst Castle and it was beautiful.

Being that Seneca Lake is so big, I am sure I missed a few things, but don’t worry, I will cover them in a later blog post I am sure.

Enjoy FLX Living!