Planning your visit
Planning a Group Weekend in the Finger Lakes
We host groups most weekends through the season, and the ones that go well have all done the same three things beforehand. The ones that struggle have usually done none of them and arrived at half past three on a Saturday in October.
Do you need to book ahead for a group?
Yes, always, and further ahead than you would expect. A tasting room can absorb two extra people without notice; ten is a different matter, particularly at a weekend in high season. Call rather than assume.
We can seat groups with notice. Without it, on a busy Saturday, we may not be able to, and neither will anyone else on the lake. That single call is the difference between the weekend working and not.
How should a group get around?
With a driver who is not part of the party. Several local operators run vehicles for exactly this, and the arithmetic is simple: the roads are narrow and unlit, the pours accumulate, and nobody wants to be the one keeping count.
Splitting a group across two cars with two designated drivers works too, and it is cheaper. What does not work is deciding at lunchtime.
The three things to do first
- Call every stop and give them your numbers and your timing.
- Arrange transport before the first pour, not during it.
- Book lodging early. Large properties around a small lake go months ahead.
- Pick one arm of the lake. Moving a group across the region eats the day.
How many stops in a day?
Three, and fewer if the group is large. Every stop with ten people takes longer than the same stop with two: arriving, seating, ordering, paying. Four stops on paper becomes two stops and a lot of standing about in a car park.
Our first-timer's guide to the Keuka Lake wineries sets out how the lake is arranged and what a sensible route looks like.
When is best for a group?
Late spring or midweek in September. Autumn weekends are the busiest stretch of the year here, which is precisely when a group is hardest to accommodate. A Thursday in September will feel like the lake has been reserved for you.
Lodging for a large party is also the thing that books out first. Our guide to staying around Keuka covers the options.
Groups welcome with notice, on the terrace above the west shore. Call ahead and we will set the table.
Can you accommodate large groups?
With notice, yes. Without notice on a busy weekend, often not. Call before you drive out.
How many wineries can a group do in a day?
Three is realistic. Each stop takes considerably longer with ten people than with two.
Is there transport for groups?
Local operators run vehicles for wine tours around the lakes. Booking one is worth it for any group that intends to taste.
Written by
The Domaine LeSeurre Team
Céline & Sébastien LeSeurre and the team at Domaine LeSeurre — a family winery on Keuka Lake, in Hammondsport, New York. French roots, Finger Lakes soul.
