Uncorking Finger Lakes Wine Country

The Finger Lakes area is New York’s largest wine producing region. The deep lakes and their sloping hillsides create an ideal microclimate for grape growing. More than 100 wineries and vineyards are centered around Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, Keuka, Conesus, and Hemlock Lakes. The main grape varieties are: Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc.

Sniffing Around

I wanted to circumnavigate Seneca Lake “just to see what we could see.” Amy wanted to hit the wineries … hard (I would too if I were only navigating and not driving). We accomplished both on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, the largest and most active of the Finger Lakes wine trails with a community of over 35 wineries, 2 breweries, and 1 distillery.

What We Did

Starting at Watkins Glen, we headed up Seneca Lake on Route 14 North. This road hugs the west shore of the lake and offers incredible views. These pics are nice, but don’t come close to capturing the real-life vistas.

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First stop – Lakeside Honey, an unattended roadside honey stand. Jars were hand painted and payment was made on the honor system.

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At the northern tip of Seneca Lake, we hopped out at Geneva, a quaint town that is home to Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Ok, ok. Cutting to the chase, we visited two wineries and a microbrewery coming down the east shore … all of which were pet friendly! The first winery was Stony Lonesome (tag line: For those who appreciate the finer things in life) where we sampled traditional whites and reds.

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The second winery was Rogue’s Hollow (tag line: For those who would rather spend their time in a dive bar). We tasted – and I kid you not – Stoned and Lonesome, Well Hung, and 69 Ways to Have Fun.

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We topped off our tanks at the War Horse Brewing Company, which crafts a Riesling Ale and a real, honest to dog Iron Fireman Root Beer.

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By the way … you can see from the photos that Ty and Buster did their best impression of leashed, well-behaved dogs. Even we were impressed.

I had a snoot-full ...

Here is a listing of other pet friendly wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail so you can bring Bowser … Cheers!

If you would like to find a pet friendly winery near you, check out our Travel Search at GoPetFriendly.com (click on Activities).

Tagged as: Finger Lakes, Lakeside Honey, pet friendly wineries, Rogue's Hollow Winery, Seneca Lake Wine Trail, Stony Lonsome Winery, War Horse Brewing Company