Finger Lakes Blog

'Tis Giftgiving Season and there’s no better time to shop small and locally. This Updated Shop Small Holiday Gift Guide highlights some of Finger Lakes Wine Country's best local businesses and boutiques. We also thought outside the box and included gift certificates, community memberships, and places to consider gifting donations to.

Looking for gifts for the Travel Lover on your holiday shopping list? How about some Romantic Gift suggestions? Not only are we telling you what to gift the

Keuka Lake Wine Trail

Penn Yan is located on the north end of the east branch of Y-shaped Keuka Lake, one of the premier locations for exploring the region's best wine along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. The family-owned member wineries of the Keuka Lake Wine Trail are dedicated to producing wines of the highest quality and making your visit to our area truly enjoyable and memorable. Before visiting the wineries, call ahead when traveling with larger groups, and though many of the wineries are

Mark Twain Country

One of the most famous figures in American literature, Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, spent his summers in Elmira for more than 20 years. Learn more when you visit the Mark Twain Study and Exhibit on the beautiful campus of Elmira College. Twain spent his summers in Elmira and where he penned some of his most famous pieces of literature in the octagonal study, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the

The beautiful town of Owego features great independently and locally owned shops, restaurants, and cafés, as well as some of the best antique shops and impressive bookstores in the region. It is surrounded by stately Victorian homes and 19th-century architecture. Curiosity seekers can’t miss the Early Owego Antique Center or Bostwick Antique Mall & Auctions for great treasure finds. Grab a sandwich or soup at The Owego Kitchen, or satisfy your sweet tooth at Owego Donut and Beer. Grab a drink

Autumn is undoubtedly one of the most exciting seasons in Wine Country. For our farmers and winemakers, it is the moment when harvest reveals what delicious treats we can expect to see and taste in a year or two to come. Our roadside stands are often filled with sweet grapes, corn, and other fresh produce, ready to take home and serve at your table. And, though the air may be chillier, the scene starts bursting with colors, welcoming leaf-peepers and photographers who have long recognized our

There is no shortage of scenic views in Finger Lakes Wine Country and the best way to cover the most ground and enjoy many of our sweeping and stunning landscapes is by enjoying any of these 5 scenic drives through the region.

These scenic drives will take you past some of our region’s charming towns, antique shops, museums, our lakes, wine trails, breweries, cideries, distilleries and more.

Along the way pay attention to farm stops in the countryside, many of which offer U-Pick experiences,

Corning Museum of Glass

We’ve created guides for almost every type of traveler; Ice Cream Lover’s, Glampers, Cheese Enthusiasts, The Sober Curious, and now, the Art Lovers Guide. Finger Lakes Wine Country offers plenty of opportunities to captivate your creativity at art museums, and galleries. In classes and workshops and at art festivals and events. Often you’ll find local art displayed at wineries and breweries. Many local shops and small businesses feature locally-crafted items in their

Finding the freshest produce of the season, handicrafts, baked goods, local ingredients and pantry items like meats, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, and seasonings is easy to do in Finger Lakes Wine Country.

Our region boasts some of the best farmland in the state and with that comes food and handicraft products that are direct from the farmer or artisan to the customer, who can easily access these goods at our various farm stores and stands.

When planning a trip to our region, don’t miss out on

From grape growing to production, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail is one of the largest cohesive wine trails in North America. When you visit the 25-member wineries you are guaranteed to be tasting and purchasing wine made from grapes grown in the favorable conditions surrounding Seneca Lake.

Seneca Lake is not only the largest of the glacially-formed Finger Lakes but is also the deepest lake within New York State. At 630 feet in depth, the sapphire waters of Seneca Lake make up 50% of the water in

While there is nothing more refreshing than a glass of rosé on a warm day, if you’re anything like us, you love rosé wine no matter the season! Ready to take your rosé game to the next level? We've got your back!

Combine some of our favorite Finger Lakes Wine Country rosés from wineries in our region with some of the best spirits from our region’s distillers in these simply delicious FLX Rosé cocktail recipes to try at home.

Strawberry Rosé Refresher

• 1.5 oz. of Four Fights Distilling