Old Friends Reunite on a Custom Keuka Lake Beverage Tour

Jim and Lynne were in Rochester visiting long-time friends and former neighbors Steve and Nancy, and they wanted to go on a wine tour around Keuka Lake. They asked RocTours to design an itinerary that would include a brewery or two, since Steve isn’t much of a wine drinker! We picked them up at their home in Henrietta and headed down to the “Crooked Lake”. There are so many wineries, breweries, and cideries to choose from, but we only had one day…so the group selected one or two they’d already visited and enjoyed, and some additional places they’d never tried before. Our first stop was Hunt Country Vineyards, with its beautiful terrace and sweeping views over the rolling hills and fields. From there we moved on to Point of the Bluff winery, where the group relaxed on the porch above the lake, reminiscing about “old times”. By then the beer drinkers were ready for a change, so we drove south above the lake to Hammondsport, learning many tidbits of history along the way. There we visited the Brewery of Broken Dreams, housed in a 120+ year old building and pouring 12 different draft beers. Just down the road is Pleasant Valley Wine Company, the oldest winery in the Finger Lakes and the first Bonded Winery in the United States. Our guests enjoyed sipping wine as they wandered through the small but interesting museum in the Visitor Center. Around the corner, before heading north, is the Finger Lakes Brewing Company. The shaded deck surrounded by hop vines was the perfect place to sample beers on a hot day! The other folks in the brewery were so friendly, Jim didn’t want to leave! But the wine-drinkers prevailed and we travelled north, taking in the spectacular views of Keuka Lake, to Weis Vineyards, a boutique winery producing German-style wines and serving them in a renovated barn overlooking the lake. This venue seems to be one of the more popular (and consequently a bit more crowded) on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail! By now our guests were ready to head back home, via historic Penn Yann village. Back safe and sound at their own front door, Steve, Nancy, Jim, and Lynne declared they’d had a most enjoyable day – particularly as we did the driving!