New York's Finger Lakes AVA

Twin Cities Wine Education presents a new class on a region you need to know.

The Finger Lakes AVA of New York State

Yes, New York makes serious wine. 

And no, we’re not talking about something sweet poured at a roadside gift shop.

The Finger Lakes have become one of the most fascinating wine regions in America, producing razor-sharp Riesling, elegant Cabernet Franc, surprisingly serious sparkling wine, aromatic whites, and a growing number of bottles that can absolutely hang with cool-climate wines from Europe. The secret starts with the landscape: enormous glaciers carved out these deep, narrow lakes, leaving behind a complicated mix of shale, gravel, clay, limestone, and dramatic slopes. Those lakes then act like giant temperature regulators, helping vineyards survive winters that would otherwise make grape growing seem like a terrible life choice.

In this class, we’ll dig into the history, geography, and geology of the Finger Lakes and connect all of it directly to what ends up in your glass. We’ll talk about the pioneers who changed the region forever, including Dr. Konstantin Frank, who helped prove that European grape varieties could actually thrive in upstate New York. We’ll explore the differences between Seneca, Keuka, and Cayuga Lakes, look at the grapes that perform best, and meet some of the producers who have pushed the region from “interesting local wine” into genuine international respectability.

And yes, there will be Riesling. But this is not going to be six slightly different glasses of sweet white wine while we nod thoughtfully about peaches. We’ll taste across a range of styles and grapes, from bone-dry and electric to richer and more aromatic, and we’ll take a serious look at Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, sparkling wine, and the other varieties helping define the region’s future.

If your mental image of New York wine is still stuck somewhere around Concord grapes and souvenir shops, this class may require a full reboot. Come taste one of America’s most distinctive wine regions and find out why glaciers, deep lakes, cold winters, steep slopes, and a bunch of stubborn winemakers turned the Finger Lakes into a place serious wine drinkers should absolutely know.

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Do you have a Twin Cities Wine Education Gift Card?
Email Jason Kallsen at jason@twincitieswine.com with details (which event you wish to attend and your gift card number), and we'll set up a custom code for you. OR, feel free to buy tickets and contact Jason for reimbursement. Either works great.

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