Wager's Cider Mill on East Main Street in Penn Yan is a family-run operation that locals have been visiting for generations, and the FLX Finest awards — Gold for Best Apple Orchard in 2024, Silver in 2025 — confirm that the tradition is holding strong. The orchard grows a range of apple varieties, but the real draw is the freshly pressed cider, produced on site using methods that have not changed much over the decades. During fall season, the cider mill becomes a pilgrimage site for Keuka Lake visitors and Penn Yan residents alike, with the press running and the apple scent filling the property.

The u-pick experience here is classic Finger Lakes autumn: rows of trees against rolling hills, kids running between the aisles, families filling bags with varieties they cannot find at the supermarket. The farm store stocks the cider alongside apple butter, pies, donuts, and other seasonal products that make Wager's a one-stop fall outing rather than just an orchard visit. Penn Yan's position at the eastern tip of Keuka Lake makes Wager's a natural pairing with a day on the Keuka wine trail — pick apples in the morning, taste wine in the afternoon. The Gold-to-Silver trajectory across 2024-2025 reflects a competitive orchard category, not any decline in quality; Wager's remains one of the essential fall destinations in the region.