New York | Finger Lakes | Keuka Lake Wine Trail

Location

Address: 10014 Day Rd Hammondsport NY 14840

Phone: (607) 284-4011

Website: www.weisvineyards.com

Email: info@weisvineyards.com

State: New York Wineries

Wine Region: Finger Lakes Wineries

American Viticultural Area: Finger Lakes AVA

Wine Trail: Keuka Lake Wine Trail

About Weis Vineyards

If you are a regular around the Finger Lakes wine region, the term “Zum Wohl” will be familiar to you. The German words for “Cheers” can be found all around the tasting room of Weis Vineyards, which was awarded the 2022 “Winery of the Year” award in the New York Wine Classic, only five years after they first opened their doors in 2017. This winery has been growing rapidly in terms of the size of their wine tasting spaces and their reputation as one of the best Finger Lakes wineries.

Weis Vineyards, Keuka Lake Wine Trail, Finger Lake Winery

German winemaker Peter Weis is another European who has found a home in the Finger Lakes. Growing up in a winemaking family with six generations of experience from Mosel, Germany, Peter learned the traditional style of the Mosel region. After receiving his degree in winemaking, business, and agriculture, he came to the United States in 2005 and took a job at Schug Carneros Estate Winery in Sonoma, California, working with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He was planning to go to Australia next when, in 2006, he decided to visit a friend working at Dr. Konstantin Frank’s winery on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes. During his visit, Dr. Konstantin Frank’s winery offered him a position as one of their winemakers and vineyard managers, where he was responsible for German and white varieties and vineyard management.

Peter found that the minerality of the Finger Lakes soil around Keuka Lake and the climate were similar to those of Mosel, Germany, making it an excellent place to craft cool-climate German-style wines like Riesling and Gewürztraminer. In 2017, Peter decided to venture out on his own and purchased the property that was once home to Lime Berry Winery, and thus Weis Vineyards was born. Starting out in the old Schoolhouse building as the tasting room, they continued to expand by restoring the old barn next door and adding a more modern barrel and tasting room. Weis Vineyards also added a large outdoor seating area overlooking Keuka Lake, which is a popular hangout on nice days.

Peter Weis and his wife Ashlee, a native of Hammondsport, NY, work with 22 grape growers throughout the Finger Lakes to source the majority of their grapes. In 2020, Weis Vineyards planted their first estate vineyard, Day Road Estate Vineyard on Keuka Lake. This vineyard site is just minutes from the winery and was planted in the Spring of 2020 with Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Saperavi.

When visiting Weis Vineyards, reservations for tastings are neither required nor accepted. All tastings and outdoor seating are first come, first served. You can choose from three different areas to taste or enjoy a glass of wine:

The Schoolhouse: This quaint building, originally built in the late 1800s, was their first tasting room from 2017. This specialty tasting space is open during the main season on weekends.

The Barn: Located in a restored barn next to the Schoolhouse, this rustic and charming space is a customer favorite and one of the most popular places for tastings.
The Tables: The outdoor tasting area is casual and lively on nice days. Spend the day relaxing with a glass of wine and enjoying one of the most beautiful views of Keuka Lake.

Wine to Try: Grüner Veltliner or the One Eighty Three Port style dessert wine

Grapes and Wine Styles:

White Wines: Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner
Red Wines: Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch (Lemburger), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Melot
Hybrid Wines: Zweigelt, Chancellor, Diamond, Aravelle
Other Styles: Rosé, Sparkling, Dessert