Finding the best wineries on Seneca Lake can be a little overwhelming as this wine lover’s paradise has such an abundance of world-class options.
To make your life easier, we’ve selected the best Seneca Lake wineries to visit on your next holiday to this beautiful region.
These wineries offer a range of delicious wines to sample, combined with great facilities and stunning views of the lake.
What Wine Is Seneca Lake Best Known For?
This deep glacial lake creates the perfect microclimate for growing European and French hybrid grapes, as well as a range of native American varieties.
The most well renowned white wine variety is dry Riesling but you can also find excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Gruner Veltliner.
Seneca Lake also produces a number of sort after red wine varieties such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
How Many Wineries Are There On Seneca Lake?
Since the 1970s there has been a huge growth in the number of wineries surrounding Seneca Lake. There are currently more than 50 different wineries situated around the lake.
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail is a collaboration of 35 of these wineries that offer wine tasting and food pairing.
Best Wineries On Seneca Lake To Visit
Belhurst Castle And Winery
Opening hours:
Daily: 10 AM – 8 PM
This stunning resort is the ultimate winery to visit on Lake Seneca. Located in an impressive 140-year-old stone castle and surrounded by enormous trees this winery boasts an impressive array of features.
These include:
Three hotels with a range of accommodation from modern suites to historic castle rooms and private cottages.
- A luxurious fine dining restaurant.
- A family-friendly pub-style tavern.
- Spa and Salon facilities.
- A Ballroom for weddings.
Aside from the beautifully ornate buildings and first-class amenities, their award-winning wines make Belhurst one of the best wineries on Seneca Lake. There is a huge variety of wine to taste with a choice of white, red, blush, rose and sparkling wine available.
Visitors can also enjoy a cheese and wine flight that features five estate wines paired with cheese. If you fancy drinking something other than wine there is also a range of craft beers and ciders available for tasting.
Chateau Lafayette Reneau
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Opening hours:
January-April: Wednesday – Sunday, 11 AM – 4 PM. Monday – Tuesday, closed
May-December: Sunday – Thursday, 11 AM – 4 PM. Friday & Saturday, 11 AM – 5 PM
As one of the oldest wineries on Lake Seneca, this estate’s tasting room is a beautifully restored barn that has wonderful views across the lake. With several outdoor decks, there is ample space to enjoy their range of wines.
They offer picnics in their vineyards with comfortable chairs and cushions to relax on and soak up the scenery. Included in the picnic is a basket of tapas-style food and a bottle of their Pinot Noir Rose.
There is also a guesthouse that features panoramic views across the lake with full amenities and several jacuzzis. The perfect place to enjoy the sunset and a glass of wine with your family and friends.
Fox Run Vineyards
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Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunday: 11AM – 6PM
This family-run vineyard has an indoor tasting area with a large patio to enjoy the wonderful views across the lake. They offer a guided walking tour of the vineyards and winemaking facility which includes a food pairing with seven different wines.
With a strong focus on their environmental impact, this winery has made a considerable effort to be sustainable and only uses biodegradable pesticides in their vineyards. This puts Fox Run at the forefront of the growing wine industry trend towards sustainable wine.
They have also revived the tradition of burning the canes pruned from the vine. Each year you can join them in this celebration of the new vintage with an evening of bonfires and live music.
For wine tasting, they offer a choice between sweet, dry, red or Riesling and each one features a flight of five wines to sample. There is also a great cafe to enjoy a meal of locally sourced ingredients
Lakewood Vineyards
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Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: 12 PM – 5 PM
With three generations of the Stamp family working together it is easy to understand why this Seneca Lake winery won the Wine Family of the Year Award some years ago.
With a spacious indoor tasting room and large covered patio, there is plenty of room to enjoy the splendid views of the lake and surrounding hills. There are also several picnic tables outside to catch some sun as you sample one of their 14 varieties of wine.
Lakewood offers two flights of wine to taste with a choice between dry and semi-sweet, or semi-sweet and sweet red and white wines. Their oak-aged Chardonnay has won numerous gold awards, as has their Riesling and Cabernet Franc.
On the weekends you can go on a guided tour of the wine-making facilities that includes a personally selected flight of wines to suit your palate.
Three Brothers Wineries and Estates
Opening hours:
Daily: 10 AM – 6 PM
With three wineries and a craft brewery located on this estate, you can easily spend a full day enjoying the large range of wine, beer, hard ciders and craft sodas available at Three Brothers.
There are several tasting rooms to explore the different beverages they produce and a great cafe where you can enjoy a meal while you appraise their wine. Three Brothers are renowned for their award-winning Bourbon aged Barbera as well as their semi-sweet Chambourcin.
With plenty of options for indoor and outdoor seating, you can enjoy the great views of the lake or relax at one of their trendy bars. For overnight options there is a privately situated cottage available that has a fantastic sunset view over the lake.
Glenora Wine Cellars
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Opening hours:
Daily: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunset Service: 6PM – 7PM
As the oldest winery on Seneca Lake, this resort is highly regarded and definitely worth a visit. Since 1977 they have been producing an assortment of excellent wines including sparkling wines, dessert wines and innovative blends.
They offer a six wine flight for tasting with a choice between dry and semi-dry or sweet and semi-sweet. The beautiful tasting room has plenty of seating and great views over the lake.
For an unusual and delicious pairing, you can try their chocolate and wine experience that features five different chocolate truffles paired with their estate wines. On Sundays, they have a range of sparkling wine or mimosa flights to taste.
Glenora also has a large restaurant with ample indoor seating and a spacious terrace which was recently named as one of America’s Best Winery Restaurants. They serve locally sourced and sustainable cuisine and have a range of vegan and gluten-free options.
For accommodation, you can choose between their elegant Inn, where every room has a private balcony and views across the vineyards to the lake, or their cosy Vineyard Cottage.
Plan Your Visit To The Best Seneca Lake Wineries
With so many well-acclaimed wineries surrounding this beautiful lake you certainly are spoiled for choice when deciding which one to visit.
Each one of the wineries featured here has a wonderful atmosphere with scenic views, great tasting areas and a profusion of flavourful wines to try.
Why not visit them all?