The Lake Where It Started

Every bottle of Finger Lakes Riesling, Cabernet Franc, or Pinot Noir traces its lineage to Keuka Lake. In the early 1960s, Dr. Konstantin Frank — a Ukrainian-born viticulturist who had grown grapes in Soviet Georgia — persuaded Charles Fournier of Gold Seal Vineyards in Hammondsport that European vinifera varieties could survive the Finger Lakes winters. The prevailing wisdom said otherwise: the cold would kill the vines, the growing season was too short, the risk was too great. Frank ignored the consensus and planted Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, and a Georgian variety called Rkatsiteli on the steep hillside above the lake’s west branch. The vines survived. The wines were good. The Finger Lakes wine industry, as it exists today, followed from that bet.

Sixty years later, the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery still operates on that original hillside, and the Keuka Lake wine trail includes about a dozen wineries spread along the lake’s distinctive Y-shaped shoreline. The trail is smaller than Seneca (which has 30-plus members), less trafficked than Cayuga, and different in character from both. Where Seneca draws the volume and Cayuga draws the Ithaca day-trippers, Keuka draws people who came specifically for the wine — and who tend to know what they are looking for.

The Y-Shaped Lake

Keuka Lake is the only Finger Lake with a branched shape. The two arms of the Y split at Bluff Point, a peninsula that extends 4 miles into the lake and separates the west branch (running southwest to Hammondsport) from the east branch (running southeast to Penn Yan). The lake is 19.6 miles long, 186 feet at its deepest, and significantly narrower than Seneca or Cayuga. The steep hillsides that rise directly from the waterline create a micro-climate effect: the lake moderates winter temperatures along the slopes, reducing frost risk for the vineyards planted above it. The same geography produces the dramatic vistas that make tasting rooms on Keuka’s hillsides — Heron Hill, Dr. Frank, Bully Hill — some of the most scenic in the region.

The town of Hammondsport sits at the southern tip of the west branch. Population: about 700. The village square, Champlin Beach on the lakeshore, and a handful of restaurants and shops make it the natural base for a Keuka Lake wine day. Penn Yan (population 5,100) anchors the east branch at the northern end and offers more lodging and dining options.

The Wineries: West Branch

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

The historical anchor of the Finger Lakes wine industry. The winery operates on the same hillside where Dr. Frank planted his original vinifera vines in the 1960s, and the family — now in its fourth generation — continues to produce wines that rank among the region’s finest. The dry Riesling is the flagship, consistently appearing on national critics’ lists of top American white wines. The Rkatsiteli, a white grape from the Republic of Georgia, is a variety you will not find at any other winery in the Finger Lakes — aromatic, textured, and unlike anything else on the trail. The reserve wines, including the Eugenia Riesling (named for Dr. Frank’s wife), represent the top tier of what the Finger Lakes can produce.

Tastings start at $15 for the standard flight. The tasting room is well-organized, the staff is trained to explain each wine with precision, and the hilltop setting above Keuka Lake gives the visit a sense of occasion. On a clear day, the view extends north along the west branch. Open year-round, daily. Located on Middle Road (Route 76), about 5 minutes north of Hammondsport.

Heron Hill Winery

Heron Hill occupies a timber-framed tasting room built into the hillside above the west branch, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the lake. The view from the deck — Keuka Lake stretching north with vine rows descending the slope below — is among the best in the Finger Lakes. The wines are well-made across a range of styles: dry and semi-dry Riesling, Pinot Noir, Blaufrankisch, and several blends. The Eclipse series represents the top wines; the Classic series offers accessible entry points at lower prices. Tasting fees run $10 to $15. Dogs are welcome on the deck — a policy that contributes to the relaxed atmosphere. Open daily in season, reduced hours in winter. Located on Route 76, about 8 miles north of Hammondsport.

Bully Hill Vineyards

Bully Hill is the eccentric of the Keuka Lake wine trail. Founded by Walter S. Taylor, a member of the Taylor Wine Company family who was famously sued by Coca-Cola (which had bought the Taylor brand) for using his own name on wine labels, Bully Hill built its identity on defiance and humor. The tasting room is adorned with Taylor’s original artwork — goats feature prominently — and the wines lean toward the accessible and fun rather than the austere. Goat White, a semi-sweet blend, is the best-selling wine and a crowd-pleaser that does not pretend to be anything other than what it is. Love My Goat Red follows the same philosophy. The winery also produces credible dry wines, but the personality of the place is in its lighter, sweeter offerings.

Bully Hill has a restaurant on-site with a deck overlooking the lake, a gift shop filled with goat-themed merchandise, and a small museum of Walter Taylor’s art and wine industry memorabilia. Tasting fee: $8 to $12. The atmosphere is social and unpretentious — families, couples, and groups all mix comfortably. Located on Greyton H. Taylor Memorial Drive, about 6 miles north of Hammondsport.

The Wineries: East Branch and Beyond

McGregor Vineyard

McGregor operates on the east side of the lake’s eastern branch and has built a reputation on distinctive red wines — unusual for a region dominated by whites. Black Russian Red, a proprietary blend based on the Saperavi grape (another Georgian variety, like Frank’s Rkatsiteli), is the signature wine: deep-colored, tannic, and unlike anything else produced in the Finger Lakes. McGregor also makes a strong Gewurztraminer and solid dry Riesling. The tasting room is modest — this is a family farm, not a corporate facility — and the staff is knowledgeable and unhurried. Tasting fee: $8 to $12. On Stever Hill Road, about 10 miles from Hammondsport via Route 54A and local roads.

Ravines Wine Cellars (Keuka Lake Location)

Ravines operates two tasting rooms — one on Seneca Lake near Geneva and the original winery on Keuka Lake. The Keuka Lake facility, on Hammondsport-Branchport Road, is the production site and offers a more intimate tasting experience than the higher-traffic Seneca location. Co-founded by Morten Hallgren, who trained in Provence, Ravines applies a European philosophy to Finger Lakes fruit: minimal intervention, site-driven winemaking, and a focus on expressing the terroir rather than the winemaker’s hand. The dry Riesling and Cabernet Franc are the standouts — precise, restrained, and among the most critically acclaimed wines in the eastern United States. Tasting fee: $15. Open daily in season; check hours for winter visits.

Keuka Spring Vineyards

A family-run winery on the east shore of the east branch, Keuka Spring makes a range of wines from dry Riesling through Cabernet Franc to dessert wines, with a consistency that has won steady recognition at state and regional competitions. The tasting room is small and personal — you are likely to be served by a member of the Wiltberger family, who have run the operation since 1985. The Vignoles (a semi-sweet white) and the dry Riesling are reliable recommendations. Tasting fee: $8 to $10. On Route 54, about 5 miles north of Hammondsport on the eastern shore.

Hunt Country Vineyards

Hunt Country, on the west side of the east branch in Branchport, has been farming the same land since 1820 and growing grapes since 1973. The winery is known for its ice wine — produced from grapes left on the vine into December or January and harvested when frozen, concentrating the sugar and acidity. Hunt Country’s Vidal Blanc ice wine is one of the most accessible and consistently available ice wines in the Finger Lakes, typically priced at $25 to $35 for a 375ml bottle. The winery also produces a full range of table wines and operates a farm market with local products. Tasting fee: $8 to $10. For more on ice wine, our ice wine guide covers producers, pricing, and where to find it.

What Makes Keuka Different from Seneca

Visitors who have tasted on Seneca Lake’s 30-plus-winery trail notice the differences immediately on Keuka. The scale is smaller — a dozen wineries rather than three dozen — which means less driving between stops and fewer choices to agonize over. The crowds are lighter. On a Saturday afternoon in August when Seneca Lake’s tasting rooms have 20-minute waits at the bar, Keuka’s rooms are relaxed and conversational. The staff has more time. The pours are sometimes more generous.

The wine character differs too. Keuka Lake’s smaller thermal mass and steeper slopes produce grapes with a different profile than Seneca’s deeper, wider basin. The Rieslings from Dr. Frank and Ravines (Keuka production) tend toward a more mineral, structured style than many Seneca Rieslings. The old-vine character at properties like Dr. Frank — vines planted in the 1960s and 1970s — adds a depth and complexity that younger vineyards on Seneca have not yet developed. Whether you prefer Keuka’s style over Seneca’s is a matter of taste, but the distinction is real and worth experiencing side by side.

For a direct comparison of the two lakes, our Keuka Lake vs. Seneca Lake guide breaks down the differences in wine, scenery, and logistics.

Planning Your Route

The West Branch Loop (Half Day)

Start in Hammondsport. Drive north on Route 76 along the west branch.

• 10:00 a.m. — Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery (45 minutes to an hour)
• 11:15 a.m. — Heron Hill Winery (30 to 45 minutes)
• 12:15 p.m. — Bully Hill Vineyards (30 to 45 minutes, lunch at the on-site restaurant)
• 2:00 p.m. — Drive back to Hammondsport. Walk the village square, swim at Champlin Beach.

Total drive time: about 30 minutes round trip. Three wineries plus lunch in four hours.

The Full Lake Day

Combine the west branch morning (Dr. Frank, Heron Hill) with an east branch afternoon (McGregor, Keuka Spring, or Hunt Country). The drive from Hammondsport around the southern tip and up the east branch to McGregor is about 25 minutes. A full-lake day covering four to five wineries with lunch takes 6 to 7 hours — a full but rewarding day.

Tasting Fees and Logistics

Tasting fees on the Keuka Lake trail range from $8 to $15, slightly lower on average than Seneca Lake. Most wineries waive the fee with a bottle purchase. Hours are generally 10 or 11 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. daily from May through October, with reduced winter hours. Designated driver logistics are the same as on any wine trail — plan ahead. The Hammondsport-to-Penn Yan loop is about 40 miles total, with the wineries distributed along the route rather than clustered in one section.

For the complete Keuka Lake overview — swimming, boating, and shoreline access beyond the wine — see our Keuka Lake guide. For the region’s broader wine story, our guide to Finger Lakes Riesling covers the grape that Keuka Lake helped prove could thrive here.