Why Honeymoon in the Finger Lakes
This is a wine honeymoon without pretense. Tastings are casual, often run by the winemaker's family. Prices are lower than in better-known American wine regions. You can spend a day hopping between tasting rooms on the slopes above Seneca or Keuka Lake and rarely feel rushed.
The scenery adds variety. Watkins Glen State Park and Robert H. Treman State Park have gorges where trails cross stone bridges past waterfall after waterfall. Taughannock Falls near Ithaca drops 215 feet, taller than Niagara's plunge.
For a couple with different tastes, this works well. One partner can book a winery tour while the other kayaks, cycles or visits the glass museum in Corning. You also get real towns with good restaurants rather than a single resort strip.
When to Go
June through October is the main season. July and August bring warm days for swimming and boating, with the wineries in full swing. September and October are harvest time, with grape stomps, fall color on the hills and cool, clear days. Weekends in early October are busy.
May is pleasant but cool. The gorge trail at Watkins Glen usually opens in mid-May once the ice and rockfall danger pass. It typically closes again in early November.
Winter is cold, gray and snowy. Many wineries stay open with shorter hours and there is something cozy about tasting by a fire with the lake frozen at the edges. Still, gorge trails close and much of the region slows down from December to April.
Where to Stay
Geneva, at the north end of Seneca Lake, is a convenient base with a lakefront and a growing food scene. Geneva on the Lake is a grand villa-style hotel in an Italian Renaissance design with formal gardens on the water, a long-standing favorite for couples.
On the east shore of Cayuga Lake, the Inns of Aurora operate several restored historic houses in the tiny village of Aurora, with lake views and a spa. Skaneateles, at the eastern edge of the region, is a polished small town with inns and lakeside dining.
Along Seneca and Keuka lakes, many couples rent a lakeside cottage or book a bed and breakfast among the vineyards. Expect roughly $200 to $450 a night for good inns and bed and breakfasts in summer, with top hotels higher on peak fall weekends.
Romantic Things to Do
The Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen State Park winds about a mile and a half through a narrow canyon, passing 19 waterfalls, under and behind some of them. Go early in the morning before tour groups arrive.
Spend a day on the Seneca Lake wine trail, which has dozens of wineries along both shores. Book a tasting at a well-known riesling producer such as Hermann J. Wiemer, then add smaller family wineries. On Keuka Lake, Dr. Konstantin Frank is one of the region's pioneering wineries.
Take a sunset cruise on Canandaigua, Seneca or Skaneateles lakes. Visit Taughannock Falls and Ithaca's gorges, then browse the Ithaca Farmers Market by the water on a weekend. The Corning Museum of Glass lets you try glassmaking yourselves, a fun change of pace.
Getting There and Around
Greater Rochester International (ROC) and Syracuse Hancock International (SYR) are the main airports, each about an hour from Seneca Lake. Both have nonstops from major hubs such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Charlotte. Ithaca Tompkins (ITH) and Elmira Corning (ELM) are smaller and convenient for the southern lakes.
By car, the region is roughly five hours from New York City and about two and a half hours from Buffalo or Niagara Falls if you want to combine the two.
You will need a car. The lakes are long and wineries are spread across many miles of country roads. For tasting days, book a wine tour with a driver or use a local car service. Drinking and driving on these winding roads is a real risk. Police patrol them.
Food and Drink
Wine is the obvious focus. Seneca Lake has the largest concentration of wineries, while Keuka and Cayuga lakes have strong, smaller clusters. Dry and semi-dry riesling are the signatures. Ice wine and sparkling wines are worth seeking out too.
The region has a rich farm culture. Look for local cheeses, maple syrup and fresh produce at roadside stands. Rochester is known for the garbage plate, a heap of hot dogs or burgers over macaroni salad and home fries, best enjoyed late and without shame.
Geneva, Ithaca and Skaneateles have the most varied dining, with farm-driven restaurants and lakeside patios. Breweries, cideries and distilleries add plenty of choice for anyone who would rather skip another tasting flight.
Honeymoon Tips
Limit yourselves to three or four wineries a day. Tasting pours add up quickly. A slower pace lets you enjoy each stop.
Book tastings ahead on fall weekends. Many popular wineries now take reservations, especially for groups and at harvest time.
The gorge trails are wet, with slippery stone steps. Wear shoes with grip for both of you and expect spray near the falls. The Watkins Glen Gorge Trail is closed in winter, so plan for the rim trails or other parks then.
Lake water stays cold until July. Swim at designated beaches, such as at state parks, rather than off random docks. Ticks are active in grassy areas in summer and fall. Dress is casual, even at the nicer restaurants.
