Guide · Tasting
A Finger Lakes Wine Tasting: What to Expect
A lot of people arrive at a tasting slightly on edge. They think there is a right way to hold the glass, a right thing to say, a test they might fail. There is none of that. Someone pours, you drink, you say what you think. That is the whole thing.
We pour for people every day of the week, so here is the honest version of how a Finger Lakes tasting works: what it costs, how long it takes, and what actually happens once you sit down.
What happens at a Finger Lakes wine tasting?
You are seated at a table and served a set number of wines, usually four to six, poured one at a time by a member of the team. They tell you where each wine comes from and how it was made, and you ask whatever you like. A seated tasting typically runs forty-five minutes to an hour and a half.
The seated format is now standard across most of the region, and it changed things for the better. Ten years ago you stood at a bar and moved down a line. Now you sit, and the conversation has room. It also means the person pouring can go at your pace rather than the queue's.
You do not need to finish every glass. There is usually a spittoon on the table and using it is normal, not rude. If you are driving between wineries it is the sensible choice, and nobody will think less of you for it.
How much does a wine tasting cost?
Most Finger Lakes tastings run between fifteen and forty dollars per person depending on the format. At Domaine LeSeurre an Educational Wine Tasting is $15 for five wines over about forty-five minutes and is free for club members. A Taste of France wine and macaron pairing is $28, and the Signature Wine and Food Pairing is $35.
The fee covers the pour and the time of the person guiding you. Many wineries, including ours, waive it or credit it against a purchase for members. If you are visiting three places in a day, budget accordingly: it adds up faster than people expect.
Do you need to book ahead?
Reserving is recommended, especially on weekends between June and October. Seated tastings have a fixed number of tables, and summer Saturdays fill early. Midweek you can often walk in, but a reservation guarantees the time you want and the table you want.
One thing worth mentioning if you are a group: tell the winery in advance. Six people arriving unannounced on a Saturday is a hard ask for any tasting room. Six people booked a week ahead is easy, and you get a better table.
What to bring, and what to skip
- A designated driver, or a booked tour. Tastings add up quickly.
- Layers. Cellars and lakeside terraces both run cool.
- Skip the perfume or aftershave. It sits over everything at the table.
- Water between wineries. More useful than a snack.
- No need to bring knowledge. That is what the person pouring is for.
What wines will you be tasting?
Riesling is the signature grape of the Finger Lakes and appears on almost every list in the region. Beyond it you will usually find Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer and rosé, along with sparkling wines at some estates. The cool climate, moderated by the lakes, is what shapes the whole range.
According to the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, the region's cool-climate character is what defines it, and Riesling is the grape most associated with it. If you have only tasted Riesling once and decided it was sweet, the region is worth a second try. We wrote about that in is Riesling sweet or dry.
What does a tasting look like with us?
We are Céline and Sébastien LeSeurre. Sébastien is the sixth generation of a winemaking family from Champagne; Céline grew up in a family vineyard in the foothills of the Pyrenees. We settled above Keuka Lake in 2012. Our sparkling wines are made by the méthode champenoise, each bottle handled at least sixty-eight times, and they rest more than ten years on the lees before release.
We guide the experience. We do not chase the sale. If you leave having liked one wine and understood why, that is a good afternoon.
You sit down, we pour, and we tell you where the fruit grew. You can usually see the block from the table. Dogs are welcome, inside and on the terrace, and children have a tasting of their own that our daughters put together, so the whole table shares the same hour.
Come and sit down with us.
Common questions about tastings
How long does a Finger Lakes wine tasting take?
A seated tasting usually takes forty-five minutes to an hour and a half depending on the format. Plan three wineries in a day at most, with a real lunch between them.
How many wines do you get in a tasting?
Typically four to six, poured one at a time. Our Educational Wine Tasting pours five wines over about forty-five minutes and is free for club members.
Do you have to buy wine after a tasting?
No. The tasting fee covers the pour and the guide's time. Buying afterwards is welcome but never expected, and a good tasting room will guide you rather than sell to you.
Can you bring children to a Finger Lakes winery?
Policies vary by estate, so check before you drive. Children are welcome with us, and Le Petit Gourmand gives them four juice and food pairings of their own for $20, running about forty minutes alongside the adults' tasting.
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.
