Finger Lakes Wine Country / October 19, 2025
The Finger Lakes, American Wine Region of the Year, Is a Hotbed of Innovation
New York’s largest wine-growing region has come a mighty long way in a few decades. Where wine lovers once had to search for quality, these days it’s the norm.
The rolling hills that fringe 11 long, deep lakes at the center of the Empire State are home to a plethora of world-class wineries that craft vibrant Riesling of all shapes and sizes; herbaceous Cabernet Franc; red-fruited Blaufrankisch; a kaleidoscope of sparklers; and so much more. Add to this an increase in wine-tourism offerings, breathtaking lakeside vistas, and enchanting waterfalls, and the vibes in the Finger Lakes are entirely grown up.
The region has, however, weathered its fair share of growing pains to get to this point. As many Finger Lakes producers will tell you, cultivating wine grapes in Central New York isn’t easy. Farmers battle extreme freezes in the winter, humidity in the summer, and, increasingly, drought, torrential rainstorms, and the odd frost. Considering most Finger Lakes producers are self-funded mom-and-pop operations without access to the deep corporate pockets enjoyed in other wine regions, the region’s success feels even more a David vs. Goliath situation.
According to Kyle Anne Pallischeck, the New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s Director of Programs, their success comes down to three things.
“Community, collaboration, and creativity,” she says. “In our recent history, there are countless stories of our collaborative community pulling together and working as one. It’s a special environment.”
Meaghan Frank, Vice President and fourth-generation family member at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery and the Board Chair of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, agrees. “We are by and large a region of family-owned businesses. So that sense of community and working together in creative ways really shines through, and is truly authentic,” Frank says.
The story of the region is a pull-oneself-up-from-the-bootstraps tale of immigrants and outsiders who brought new ideas and winemaking prowess to the area. From the French- and German-born winemakers who, in the mid-1800s—earlier than almost any other commercial wine region in the U.S.—helped create New York’s reputation as a sparkling superstar (it was once nicknamed the “Reims of America” after the Champagne capital), to mid-20th century Finger Lakes pioneers like Frenchman Charles Fournier, who hired Ukrainian horticulturist Konstantin Frank as a vineyard researcher. Frank went on to pioneer Riesling and other vinifera varieties in the region. A few decades later, German-born Hermann Wiemer took Riesling to whole new heights, setting a bar that continues to be raised by the progressive multinational team at the winery to this day.
Today, the Finger Lakes boasts over 140 wineries and over 10,000 acres under vine. Its narrative is still being shaped by newcomers whose ideas and experiences are woven with the deep knowledge held by the region’s multi-generational families. Together they create a rich tapestry of both innovation and tradition.
“For many of us, it is about the long game—our whole lives have been focused on the wines and region—and we are looking to the next generation, and the one after that,” Frank says. This forward-thinking approach is indicative of just how much the Finger Lakes has matured. The little-wine-region-that-could has blossomed into one of America’s most exciting AVAs.
“I am proud that we continue to work as a community and remain flexible,” Frank says. “And through that, we make great wine year over year; wines that are our blood, sweat, and tears that we are so deeply proud of.”
Upon hearing the news that the Finger Lakes region was receiving this honor, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “Working together with the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the state continues to support its winemakers and vineyards, encouraging the industry to grow and flourish. To have the Finger Lakes named Wine Enthusiast’s American Wine Region of the Year is not only a testament to the talent and passion of New York’s winemakers—it’s a win for our state’s economy and our reputation as a global wine destination.”
