Top Things to do in Finger Lakes Wine Country
Top Hotels in Finger Lakes Wine Country
- 1. Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel
- 2. The Statler Hotel at Cornell University
- 3. La Tourelle Hotel, Bistro, Spa
- 4. Hilton Garden Inn Corning Downtown
- 5. Best Western Plus The Hammondsport Hotel
- 6. Hilton Garden Inn Ithaca
- 7. Keuka Lakeside Inn
- 8. Hampton Inn Penn Yan
- 9. Best Western Plus Vineyard Inn & Suites
- 10. Hampton Inn Ithaca
Countries
The 10 Best Free Things to do in Finger Lakes Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Discover the best top things to do in Finger Lakes Wine Country, United States including Finger Lakes Wine Country, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, Reisinger's Apple Country, Skaneateles Lake, Cayuga Lake, Anthony Road Wine Company, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, Cornell University, Cornell Botanic Gardens, Gaffer District.
Restaurants in Finger Lakes Wine Country
1. Finger Lakes Wine Country
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 532 reviews
Reviewed By missys1960 - Norfolk, United States
Saturday was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the Finger Lakes ???? ☀️ and a Seneca Lake Wine Tour with American Limousine Company driver JP was the event of the day. H*A*P*P*Y B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y to me! Wineries visited: Wagner Vineyards, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Leidenfrost Vineyards, Chateau LaFayette Reneau Note to self: Come back with more time & friends!
2. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 325 reviews
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Estate grown wines are established from traditions of excellence and have a nationwide reputation for creating exceptionally lush, crisp and well-balanced wines.
Reviewed By Docsherri - Buffalo, United States
Of all the wineries we visited in 2 days of tastings around Seneca Lake, the best rieslings we had we here at Herman J Wiemer. We tasted all of the rieslings offered on their tasting menu and each one was excellent! If you have an opportunity to meet Oscar, the owner, he is such a lovely person to chat with! The rest of the staff we interacted with were also kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. Do not miss this winery!!
3. Reisinger's Apple Country
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By brianatherton143 - Kittanning, United States
This place was a little out of the way, but very nice. Smelled great inside. Had some homemade apple cider doughnuts and apple cider. Bought a peck of apples too. Apple cider was very tasty.
4. Skaneateles Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 554 reviews
This clean, serene lake is the easternmost of New York's Finger Lakes.
Reviewed By Besos43
We rented a house from Vrbo and were very happy with our experience. They had a dock and deck area for sitting and enjoying the beautiful lake. The water was very clear and clean. I was surprised that the temperature of water seemed warm for early July. We swam every day. Since travels were during Covid we did curbside takeout and were happy with food and service from Gilda's, Doug's Fish Fry, and The elephant and Dove.
5. Cayuga Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 384 reviews
One of the largest of New York's Finger Lakes, this area is used for swimming, boating, fishing and other outdoor recreational activities.
Reviewed By L8945JQdavidd - Philadelphia, United States
Spend an afternoon at Sheldrake and Luca Vineyards on lake Cayuga. Beautiful drive and beautiful scenery
6. Anthony Road Wine Company
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 131 reviews
Anthony Road Wine Company is dedicated to producing wines that reflect the soils and climate of the Finger Lakes Region in New York. Our varietals are made from grapes that are grown in vineyards that are owned or managed by the Martini Family. We invite you to come and spend time with us at our table. Our tastings are seated and by appointment in a relaxed atmosphere. we offer 6 wine tasting Flight Options to chose from. Each flight offers something a little different. Don't want to do a tasting... then please enjoy a glass or bottle of wine with family and friends on our patio and grounds outside while you take in the spectacular views of Seneca Lake. Outside space is first come first serve. We also have a garden featuring vegetables, flowers, herbs and grapes that we welcome visitors to walk through. We hope to see you soon.
Reviewed By S4991QIalank
Great winery! Wine was presented very well and the wines were amazing. Didn't feel rushed and our flight attendant was very knowledgeable. Beautiful views and there is outdoor seating after your wine tasting where you can enjoy a glass of wine and look at the views (which were amazing). They also had a food truck that was serving macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches.
7. Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 672 reviews
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is one of the most prestigious and beloved wineries in the Finger Lakes. The winery's founder, Dr. Konstantin Frank introduced vinifera (classic European grape varieties) to the Eastern United States which ignited a winemaking renaissance in the region. Without the contributions of Dr. Frank, the Finger Lakes wine region would not be where it is today. The winery was established in 1962 and is now in its fourth generation of Frank family ownership. The winery's tasting room overlooks beautiful Keuka Lake and some of the oldest vinifera vineyards in America.
Reviewed By ekwestrein - Troy, United States
Summary: Best wines, breathtaking view, and the best history of any winery we visited. Can’t miss this one if you are taking a tour of this area! Wine: Absolutely fantastic wines! A bunch of cool varietals you don’t usually see from this area, plus some amazing blends (but with so many different kinds of fruit to work with, there’s really no surprise there!). Sweet, dry, whites, reds, roses, sparkling, and everything in between; really something for everyone. Ambiance/View: BEAUTIFUL lake views and a very nice tasting room. We were lucky that there weren’t many people visiting when we went, but it seemed like it’d have enough room to still get good service if it got busy. Another really nice thing about this place is that we were greeted by Steven as soon as we walked up! It was so nice to have someone to get direction from right off the bat. Plus he was so nice and welcoming! A definite plus. Education: The tasting room staff (our bartender Vinnie, and the other bartender Paul) were very friendly and knowledgeable about the wines and the history of the vineyards - and what a history it is! It was so cool to learn about Dr. Frank and his contributions; plus we heard his name pop up so many more times from other wineries in the area recognizing his contributions. We didn’t do a tour, but next time we come back, we will definitely try to get in on the tours - they seemed amazing and included food for the price.
8. Cornell University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 712 reviews
Reviewed By wanderlucky7
Visited and toured because my daughter is starting graduate school in the fall. What a spectacular campus!!! If you are driving through and want to see beautiful buildings, pretty views this is the place. Wow, make sure you see the Arts Quad!
9. Cornell Botanic Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 350 reviews
Cornell Botanic Gardens inspires people - through the cultivation of 150 acres of specialty gardens, conservation of plants and 3400 acres of natural areas, and the education of lifelong learners - to understand, appreciate, and nurture plants and the cultures they sustain. The botanic gardens are located at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and are open year-round, dawn to dusk, free of charge. The Nevin Welcome Center and Gift Shop is open Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu, and Sun 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Fri - Sat 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Reviewed By jinxminx888 - Takoma Park, United States
This is one of the reasons it's worth spending a day on the Cornell campus. There's no conservatory associated with the gardens, but there is one on campus in the agriculture program. The gardens are beautiful. We didn't go to the arboretum or the wildflower garden. Usually I would be all over a wildflower garden but this is basically a forested spring one, and we were there in August. Also, we looked at all the steps down, and thought about all the steps back up - we'd already done some hiking in the area and we weren't feeling it. If it was spring I probably would have gone for it. The lilies were a standout - they had a lot of really tall ones that smelled amazing. The gardens outside the visitor center are pretty compact and then you can strike out on the trails through the arboretum and wildflower garden. There are a lot of stairs, it didn't seem very wheelchair accessible. There are little nooks with benches, shade and sun. There was also a new sculpture by UK blacksmith artist Jenny Pickford in steel and glass which was pretty special. It had just been installed a month or two before so I felt pretty lucky about that. The gift shop was nice - a little pricey but we bought some good gifts there. Honestly I wish we had more time and better hiking legs.
10. Gaffer District
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 263 reviews
Reviewed By emilyopple2 - Lancaster, United States
The Gaffer District is such a wonderful part of Corning, NY! Every restaurant/cafe has incredible food and the shops are great too. I love being able to enjoy locally owned places while on vacation and you certainly get that here. Plus - parking is FREE! Where else do you see that in a downtown? Do not miss walking around this awesome downtown.
