Keuka Lake Wine and Beer Tours
Keuka Lake is a great destination for wine and beer tours! It’s where the Finger Lakes wine industry began and today it’s host to more than 20 wineries, eight craft breweries, and four small-batch distilleries. At the south end of the lake lies Hammondsport, named “The Coolest Small Town in America” in 2012. At the top is historic Penn Yan, recognized by “The 100 Best Small Towns In America” as an outstanding community. The lake’s “y” shape and steep slopes provide breathtaking views and ideal grape growing conditions. Your driver is happy to pull over so you can get that great photo or buy something from a roadside stand! A Keuka Lake wine and beer tour is a unique experience!
Tasting fees are not included, so you have complete flexibility: a flight, a glass, or sharing. We provide door-to-door pickup and drop-off, and yours will be the only party in the vehicle. Bring your own lunch and snacks, stop at a local deli, or order a bite while you’re sampling your beverages. We’ll let you know which venues offer food and which allow picnics.
Looking for something a little different? There are three distilleries around the lake, as well as a cidery with 8 different ciders on tap.
If you have certain places you’d like to stop, just let us know and we’ll tailor your experience to fit! Not all venues are open every day, but no matter where we go, our Keuka Lake wine and beer tours are always fun! Book your tour today!
KEUKA LAKE WINE TOURS
If you can’t choose from among the many wineries on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, here are a few we recommend. If you have favorites, or want to try some others, we can tailor your itinerary.
Hunt Country – The Hunt family has been growing and breeding grapes commercially on Keuka Lakes since 1850. Their wines have been served at the United Nations, ordered by the White House, and featured in Food & Wine Magazine.
Point of the Bluff – Offering a full range of wines, from old-world style varietals to modern, sustainable canned sippers.
Dr. Konstantin Frank – In 1958 Dr. Frank planted the first vinifera vines changed the course of winemaking in the Finger Lakes. They have been producing highly acclaimed sparkling wines, crisp and aromatic white wines, and rich red wines for over 60 years.
Pleasant Valley Wine Company – The oldest winery in the Finger Lakes region and one of the most renowned producers of prestigious and sought-after champagnes in America. Their Visitor Center has a comprehensive wine museum depicting how wine was made through the 1800s to present day.
Domaine LeSeurre – “The Finger Lakes winery with a French accent”. Sample their white, red, rosé, and sparkling Champagne-style wines on the terrace overlooking beautiful Keuka Lake
Keuka Spring –Established in 1981, the estate vineyard includes Vignoles, Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Lemberger, and Cabernet Franc vines. Their 2021 Blaufränkisch was awarded Best Red Wine in New York State at the 2023 NY Wine Classic!
KEUKA LAKE BEER TOURS
Is beer more your thing? There are great breweries around the lake, including:
Abandon Brewing Co. – Abandon focuses on creating a wide range of beer styles that showcase New York State’s agriculture. Nearly all the ingredients they use are grown within fifty miles of the brewery.
Brewery of Broken Dreams – Learn the story behind the name! Sample ales brewed with virtually all New York-grown ingredients, in an historic building at the foot of Keuka Lake.
Finger Lakes Beer Co. – A 2022 FLX Finest Brewery winner! Finger Lakes offers a wide selection of beers brewed on site as well as local wines and hard ciders.
Laurentide Beer Co. – Laurentide brews all their beers are brewed on site in a 200 year old Carriage House. Local wines and spirits are also available.
Steuben Brewing – the “Brew with a View”, Steuben offers lagers, ales, and pilsners, not to mention beautiful vistas over Keuka Lake
LyonSmith Brewing – This family-run brewery focuses on the beer styles of the United Kingdom: England, N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
KEUKA LAKE COMBINATION WINE AND BEER TOURS
Do you have beer drinkers and wine drinkers in your group? Make it a “combo” tour and we’ll stop at some of each! Most venues also offer a selection of local ciders and non-alcoholic beverages for folks just along for the fun, and everyone will enjoy the scenery and history! Our Keuka Lake wine and beer tours are designed for fun and flexibility!
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DepartureYour home or accommodation
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Departure Time10:00 AM
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Return TimeApproximately 6:00 PM
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Dress CodeCasual
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IncludedKeuka Lake Wine and Beer ToursPersonal Guide
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Not IncludedDoor-to-door servicePrivate TransportationLunchTastingsEntry Fees
Claire Nicosia
Writing this review SO late but I had to make sure to put in a good word! If you are looking to book a wine tour around Keuka lake, this one is a no-brainer. Affordable compared to the other options, customizable, and Carol was a wonderful guide. She was flexible to go wherever we wanted and generously let us run a bit over our allotted time. 🙂 Thank you!
cmcnelly2058
Thank you, Claire! I’m pleased you enjoyed your tour. I enjoyed driving you all!
Lynsey Patterson
We were a group of 3 friends and had a great day out at Keuka Lake transported by Carol on a glorious sunny day in June.
Before our tour, Carol has sent us a detailed itinerary of suggested wineries to visit based on our requests.
We were staying in Rochester and Carol picked us up and dropped us back at our accommodation. The car was comfortable and spacious for the day. The places we visited were great and really suited what we wanted to do, which was a mix of tasting and just having a glass of wine in the sunshine (personal favorites were Hunt County, Living Roots and Domaine LeSeurre). We also stopped at a Cidery to finish up which was a nice bit of variety.
Overall a great day out.
cmcnelly2058
It was fun hosting you for the Keuka Lake tour! I’m glad you got to taste & experience our lovely part of the world. Thank you for your review!
Taylor Hela
We loved the Keuka Lake Brewery tour! Carol was a great guide, very knowledgeable about the areas history and even stopped for a picture at a scenic lookout. Our favorite stops were Kueka and Abandon Brewing. Highly recommend the tour and hope to do another one when we are back in the area!
cmcnelly2058
Thank you, Taylor! I had fun too, showing you around one of our beautiful Finger Lakes and introducing you to our great wines and beers!
Barbara Beyer
We loved our private tasting tour around Keuka Lake with Carol! Carol was a great communicator from the start and planned a variety of stops for us since our group of four sisters has a palette that appreciates wine, beer and spirits (but usually not all on the same day 🙂 Carol knows and loves the Finger Lakes area and it showed. Carol taught us interesting things and gave us peace of mind with the door-to-door service. She arranged stops at superb venues while also avoiding the most crowded places where the busses go, so we got stellar service and even met some of the proprietors. We enjoyed an amazing day together sipping, talking, laughing and enjoying the gorgeous scenery of this part of the Finger Lakes. High marks to Carol and RocTours! We recommend this tour to all and would even do it again ourselves since there are enough establishments to make repeated tours around Keuka unique. Thanks again Carol!
Carol - Owner/Operator
I’m so happy you had such a great time! I love it when my guests enjoy our beautiful part of Upstate NY as much as I do! You were all great fun and I hope to see you again.
Barbara Beyer
Totally enjoyed every aspect of our tour with Carol during our Sisters Weekend! Carol was a great communicator from the start and made us feel right at home once we were on the road as we toured Keuka Lake’s wineries, breweries and distilleries. She knew we had varied tastes, so she planned stops that were a nice mix of tasting experiences. She knows the Finger Lakes region well and it showed. She taught us interesting things about the area and avoided the establishments that would be more crowded with busses, which we appreciated. We met the proprietors at some of our stops, got great service without any waits and made it to all of the stops we had planned, with time for scenic lake-view photos too. It was great to have this private tour with a pleasant and capable driver. The door-to-door service gave us peace of mind. High marks for Carol and RocTours for this awesome Keuka Lake adventure! Our Sister Squad of four would recommend it to anyone and we’d even re-do it ourselves since there are so many other venues, that next time would be a totally different adventure! Thank you again, Carol!
Jeannette Aikens
What a great day we had with Carol McNelly!
She is personable , friendly, and has a good sense of humor.
Carol transported us in her luxury vehicle in comfort and safety for several hours on a crisp fall day. She stopped at strategic places along the way, so that we could take photos . Carol also shared interesting relevant facts about the Finger-lakes area. We enjoyed stopping at several wineries along Keuka Lake, and Carol ensured a safe comfortable trip. I would highly recommend RocTours.