Penn Yan does not try to impress you, and that is precisely what makes it impressive. This small village sits at the north fork of Keuka Lake, serving as the Yates County seat and the functional hub for the surrounding agricultural community. The name itself tells a story — a combination of Pennsylvania and Yankee, reflecting the two groups of settlers who founded the town. It is a place where history is not curated for tourists; it is just part of the landscape.
The most famous landmark in Penn Yan might be the most unexpected: Birkett Mills, the worlds largest producer of buckwheat products. The mill has been operating since the 1700s, and buckwheat pancakes are something of a local religion here. The Penn Yan Diner, a classic small-town institution, has been voted among the best diners in upstate New York, and it earns the reputation with honest cooking and a counter where regulars and visitors sit side by side. The Yates County seat also means a handsome courthouse and a downtown that has the solid, unpretentious feel of a working community.
Where Penn Yan shines for visitors is its position as the gateway to the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. The wineries around Keuka Lake tend to be smaller and more personal than the larger operations on Seneca Lake — the kind of places where the person pouring your wine might be the person who made it. The vineyards climb the steep hillsides above the lake, producing excellent Rieslings and other cool-climate varietals. The lake itself, with its distinctive Y shape, is one of the most beautiful in the region and far less crowded than the bigger lakes.
Penn Yan connects to the broader Finger Lakes as the region in miniature — agriculture, winemaking, lake life, and small-town community, all without the tourist infrastructure that can sometimes dilute the experience elsewhere. From here you can drive south along either branch of Keuka Lake to Hammondsport, head east to Seneca Lake, or simply settle in and enjoy a town that has not changed its essential character to accommodate visitors. It remains itself, and that is more than enough.