Guided Naturally Awesome Wine Tour

Guided Naturally Awesome Wine Tour

A tour designed for our guests who are curious about trending low-intervention winemaking practices in the Finger Lakes. Experience three cutting-edge producers making innovative wines that are creating a buzz throughout the region and beyond.  You will walk away with a heightened understanding and appreciation for these naturally awesome varietals and styles.

You will start at Six Eighty Cellars for a vineyard hike and picnic. Learn from their host and your personal Sommelier about the earthenware vessels they use in their winemaking process. You’ll explore sustainable vineyards, hear how the geography of the land and lake affect those vineyards, and the impact  seasonal variation has on the wines. Enjoy a tasting and picnic lunch in the vines (weather permitting) or on their deck overlooking the lake and vineyards.

Next,  you will go to Usonia Wine for a special tasting with one of the owners. There will be a wine paired with a local treat as well to showcase the food-friendly natural of these delicious wines. One of the newer and more innovative wineries in the area, nothing’s off the table here at Usonia.  They make minimal intervention wines from classic European grapes and new American varietals. They work with fruit from both their own vineyard on Cayuga Lake and from likeminded growers around the reigion with the goal of making vibrant and honest wines true to the place they come from.

Our last stop of the day will be at Osmote Wine on Seneca Lake. The site is 950’ above sea level with a slope running down west towards the lake with stunning views. Enjoy your tasting with owner Ben Ricardi as he shares with you his  commitment is to regenerative viticulture –  a holistic vineyard management program focused on soil building that favors diversity and sustainability with a minimum of inputs.  The results are delicious wines that also benefit the local ecosystem.

A tour designed for our guests interested in sustainable wine growing, new wine styles based on old winemaking techniques and exploring new flavors in wines designed for freshness, drinkability, and food pairing.   With your personal sommelier for the day, you can expect to come home with a new perspective on winemaking and a lot of excellent wines.