Experience! WEST SENECA Lake Wine Tour with Lunch

Fine Wines of Southwest Seneca Itinerary and Options

This tour is available in three different options:

Shared Tour: Small, guided experience for up to 6 guests (2-3 different households) with knowledgeable wine professional tour guide. This is the enhanced shared group experience for which we are known, now in an extra small format.

Traditional Private Tour: The high-quality experience you have come to expect in an E!FLX tour, now available as a private experience for 2-6 people. Comes with $20 of “Bottle Bucks” per person, that serves as cash towards wine purchases at all stops.

Premium Private Tour Upgrade: All the enhanced features of our traditional private tour (including “Bottle Bucks”) with upgraded premium tastings at each winery. Tastings will feature limited library and reserve wines not typically offered to the public. You can upgrade your Traditional Private Tour to a Premium Private Tour for an additional $50 per person.

Want to get even more out of your private tour? Premium Private Tours offer the option to have a certified sommelier serve as your tour guide for the ultimate experience!

Itinerary:

Our first stop is Villa Bellangelo. Your visit starts with some bubbly as you head down to the wine cellar to learn about sparkling winemaking, and then whip up your own tank-blended cuvee in your glass! Then head to a private room for your tasting of selected reserve wines, innovative wines from their Bench Series, and a finale of their award-winning late harvest wine paired with a locally-made treat!

Next is lunch ― get ready to see wieners and burgers in a new light. The FLX Wienery is the special eatery project of couple Christopher Bates and Isabel Bogadtke. Christopher is a Master Sommelier and Isabel was awarded Best Service in the World by Mobil Travel Guide. Today, their collaborative energies go into creating wienery and burger “art,” bringing together flavors and textures from locally-sourced ingredients. From their house-made sausages and freshly-ground burgers to their hand-cut fries and chips, sink your teeth into treats from what has been called “arguably the best hot dog stand in the world.” Lunch is paired with selected craft beers from around the globe. To view a sample of the menu, click on the following link: FLX Wienery Example Lunch Menu.

After lunch, we head to Barnstormer Winery, a newer winery in Southwest Seneca that has already made its mark on the region with its small production, high-quality wines. Enjoy a private tasting in the 170-year-old restored barn, featuring refreshing sparkling and white wines, highly crafted reds, and an experiential local cheese pairing.

Our final stop of the day is Lakewood Vineyards, 2017 NYS Winery of the Year, where the Stamp family has been growing grapes and making wine on their land since 1951. When you arrive, one of the family members leads a vineyard and winery tour, followed by a private tasting of a carefully-selected broad variety of their award-winning wines. The tasting culminates with a sampling of their ruby port paired with locally-made handcrafted chocolate.

Departure Locations

The following locations are available for pick up and drop off on our Shared Tours:

• La Tourelle Hotel & Spa, 1150 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850
• Hotel Ithaca, 222 S. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY 14850
• Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, 16 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891

On private tours, we provide custom pick-up and drop-off at your preferred location (additional fees may apply).

Guest Minimum and Maximum on Shared Tours

All Shared Tours require a minimum of 4 total guests in order to run the tour at the listed price. These tours will typically consist of 2-3 separate parties joining together in a shared experience, offering exceptional value for couples and small groups.

In the event that the 4 guest minimum is not met, we will contact you one week prior to the scheduled date where you will be offered the following options depending on the number of guests currently booked:

• Switch to our Experience! Ithaca Wines and Waterfalls Tour, which is a shorter, more compact tour specifically designed for 3 guests at no additional charge. Please note, all three guests booked must agree to this switch to confirm.
• Switch to the Traditional Private Tour when there are only two guests who want to experience at the most personalized level.
• Reschedule the tour for a future date at no penalty
• Cancel the reservation and receive a full refund

Important Information

• Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or special considerations, and we will do our best to accommodate.
• All guests are required to verify they have read and understood our COVID-19 Health and Safety Policies and Procedures, sign an Assumption of Risk waiver and pass a Health and Safety Screening to ensure the safety to all on board.
• For more information about our Health and Safety Agreement and Screening, please CLICK HERE