The second stop on our Keuka Wine Trail Passport was Keuka Springs Vineyards. There was a huge wine barrel at the entrance to set the stage for this winery. Driving up to the winery was quit impressive.
The entrance is lined with a pergola which gives a slight Tuscany feel to this winery. The large wine barrels outside under the shelter part of the building were quite interesting too. Can’t say we have seen that before on our Passport. When inside the door you see all their awards displayed on their wine bottles – another great first impression. Keuka Springs is winner of both the Governor’s Cup and the Best White Wine in America. After tasting their whites you can see why. Here are the wines we tasted.
WHITES (I tried)
- Seyval Chardonnay 2013 – Wine was dry but crisp and really smooth. A really nice Chardonnay that isn’t oaked.
- Crooked Lake White – This was one of my favorites. It is a semi-dry blend of Vignoles and Vidal Blanc. It is best served chilled to bring out all the flavor and crispness. I think it would make a great table wine or a wine you could take to a party that would satisfy everyone. We left with a few of these. :0)
- Humphreys Riesling 2013 –A dry Riesling with mineral notes and a nice flavor.
- Riesling 2013 – I hesitated slightly with this one as it was listed at 1.4% RS so I automatically thought it would be on the sweeter side for a Riesling. Bruce, our tasting guide, assured me it would surprise me with more fruit forward. So I agreed and tried it. Wowee I was pleasantly surprised and this would probably be one of my favorite Rieslings I have tried to this day. Even though the RS is 1.4% the fruit really takes center stage. Yep, brought one of these home too.
- Gewurztraminer 2013 – Now I am a Gewurtz girl. I fell in love with this wine at Casa Larga where I was first introduced to it. Keuka Springs Gewurtz was on the drier side at .75% RS. This wine also has a definite spice to it. It would pair well with spicy foods like tacos and enchiladas.
- Pre-Emption Gewurztraminer 2013 – I preferred the Gewurztraminer 2013 to this. The Pre-Emption was nice but on the sweeter side.
REDS (from Chips notes)
- Lemberger 2013 – This wine is made with an Austrian vinifera grape grown in the Finger Lakes. Has a light oaked taste. Chip thought was just OK to him. He wanted more full-bodied.
- Epic Reserve 2013 – Full-bodied and fruity tasting. This wine is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Merlot 2013 –A dry and smooth red with a slightly flatter taste than Epic Reserve 2013.
- Miller’s Cove Red 2013 –A very full-bodied wine, dry and deep in color red. This was his favorite.
- Crooked Lake Red – This red wine was the only one they offered that was not oaked “tasting”. Since I am not a oak lover I did find this wine really nice and didn’t really pick up on an oak taste. We finally found a red we can both share. The RS is 1.5% but it did not come across as sweet as you taste more of the fruit. This would pair well with spaghetti or pizza. Needless to say we left with a few of these too.
So over all we really enjoyed our experience at Keuka Springs. They have some really nice wines and I can see why their whites won Best White Wine in America. Everyone working there was so nice and full of wine knowledge. This wine tasting seemed more like an experience not just a tasting. We will definitely visit again.
