Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tasting rooms too, eager to try the cool-
climate whites this area specializes in, as
well as some hardy reds such as Cabernet
Franc.
Lake Seneca is ringed with 40 such win-
eries, taking advantage of the water´s cool-
ing effects in summer and warming effect in
winter. An enjoyable wine trail around the
lake is marked with grape-adorned signs
indicating possible spots to stop off and
taste. One of the most famous wineries is
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, a name
referring to a now-defunct steamboat pier
on the eastern lakeshore. In a region where
every third town seems to have a classical
name, it's not surprising that the building
has tall, Greek-style architecture on its hill-
side setting. A sloped footpath leads you to
an imposing entrance of square pillars
topped by a monumental rectangular cor-
nice. Inside, it has one of the most attrac-
tive tasting rooms on the East Coast. Tall
windows light up a magnificent room of
wood-paneled walls and a polished counter
bar; needless to say it has stunning views of
the lake and the clear blue skies. This is a
serious operation making excellent wines.
The Finger Lakes region has been mak-
ing wine since the mid-1800s, but the
industry was practically wiped out by Pro-
hibition. It only began to recover in 1976,
when a law was passed allowing grape
producers to make and sell their own
wine; Lamoreaux is one of the pioneers
that introduced fine European grapes to
the region. After visiting templelike Lamor-
eaux, visit some of its neighbors as well,
small farmer operations that depend on
cellar door sales—where you can depend
on a friendly welcome.
Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars,
9224 State Rte. 414, Lodi (
&
607/582-
6011;
www.lamoreauxwine.com).
(
Syracuse Hancock Airport (69 miles/
111km).
L
$$
The Fox & the Grapes Bed &
Breakfast,
9496 State Rte. 414 (
&
607/
582-7528;
www.thefoxandthegrapes.
com). $$
Wine Country Cabins Bed and
Breakfast,
8744 Lower Lake Spur (
&
607/
582-7025;
www.winecountrycabins.com).
East Coast U.S.
307
Linden Vineyard
Getting Vertical in Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
You don't have to be standing up to do a
vertical wine tasting. You can be sitting
down, lying down, or on your side while
trying the same wine from different vin-
tages. Vertical tastings are the way to go in
the atmospheric cellar of Linden Vineyard
in Virginia. Candles dot the aromatic room,
illuminating a tidy space stacked with oak
barrels. A plank sitting across two barrels
serves as your tasting table. A pourer
guides you through different vintages; you
can compare, for example, a 1999 Caber-
net Sauvignon with a 2005. The difference
is startling, and you begin to understand
why wine lovers put so much stock in aging
wine. You may also get to try a sweet wine
paired with a delicious ball of Gorgonzola
cheese, while the guide talks you through
the three different vineyards that supply
this winery, set in the bucolic hills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains.
Virginia is very much a new wine region,
and Linden Vineyard is a pioneer. Set up
by winemaker Jim Law in 1987 on a rustic
piece of land known as hardscrabble, Lin-
den is easily the best winery in the area.
