T
he waiter comes out uneasily,
holding no menus or wine,
like a messenger on a mission.
“Yes sir, we do have Chianti,”
whispers Craig, a waiter at
Stonecat Café, an acclaimed organic
regional restaurant nested in Hector,
New York on Seneca Lake of the
Finger Lakes. “We just don’t put it
on the menu, since we like to feature
our local wines.”
Stonecat Café has a good reason to
focus on homegrown wines. They are
located directly on the Seneca Lake
Wine Trail, which holds 32 wineries
close to the east and west sides of
the deepest of the Finger Lakes.
Unlike many other wine trails, the
Seneca Lake Wine Trail, whose
winemaking history dates back to
1866, sees itself as a community
The Stonecat Cafe of Seneca Lake
brings together the fine wines of the
region
of winemakers who come together
at local eateries, such as the
Stonecat Café, to bring the austere
beauty of Seneca Lake to the glass.
Each vineyard boasts its own
personality, clientele, flavors and
ideas to the lake’s edge, making for
a unique tourist destination that
features events throughout the year.
However, I didn’t think I was coming
to Seneca Lake for the wine.
Following a recommendation from
a friend, we ended up staying at
Seneca Secrets, a community of
rustic cabins located on the east
side of the lake. After our road trip
to the town of Burdett where the
cabins are located, it quickly became
obvious that the Seneca Lake Wine
Trail had a steady grasp on the area.
It also holds other attractions, such
Wagner Vineyards is one of the more
expansive wineries with a full tour of
its operations as well as an on-site
brewery.
However, 32 wineries hold an
impossible amount of tastings, even
for the most ambitious of travelers.
As a result, I took to the trail to
get the best recommendations of
wineries, asking local restaurant
owners for their take on which
wineries were the must-see.
Although their answers were varied,
they created a roadmap for me on my
46
journey north on the Seneca Lake
Wine Trail.
Wagner Vineyards is a necessary stop
for wine tourists, due to its sheer
size at 250 acres and magnitude of
vineyard attractions. Since it also
houses a brewery, we were eager to
stop there to sample some homemade
beers as well. Also, unlike some
nearby smaller wineries, Wagner
offers a tour of its wine cellars and
winemaking process. For $4, I took
PHOTOGRAPHY JENNA INTERSIMONE
as the Windmill Farm & Craft Market
and Watkins Glen State Park.