The Finger Lakes is Having a Moment

And we are proud to be a part of it.

The Finger Lakes wine region has always been a special place, especially for us since we moved here 5 years ago. But lately, it feels like the rest of the world is catching up.

In 2025, the Finger Lakes was named Wine Enthusiast’s American Wine Region of the Year, recognizing what those of us who live and work here experience every day: this is a region with a remarkable combination of agricultural history, challenging cool-climate conditions, talented farmers and winemakers, and a willingness to keep experimenting.

When we started Ria’s Wines, we weren't interested in simply making wine in the Finger Lakes. We wanted to become part of the agricultural community that makes this place what it is. For us, that starts with farming. Our estate vineyard sits on the eastern side of Seneca Lake, where the lake's influence helps moderate our climate. We farm 40 acres, with 20 acres planted to vines, and we're continually thinking about how our vineyard can become part of a healthier and more diverse farm ecosystem.

But one of the things we love most about the Finger Lakes is that farming and winemaking here have never been about following just one formula. Riesling may be one of the region's historic calling cards, but the Finger Lakes has always been a place for experimentation. The abundant opportunity is what excites us the most with room for everything including classic vinifera varieties, hybrids, sparkling wines, red wines, aromatic whites. The region's identity continues to evolve because growers and winemakers are willing to ask questions, try something new and persist.

That spirit is a big part of Ria's Wines. We work with varieties that are familiar to the Finger Lakes, like Riesling and Cabernet Franc, but we also love working with grapes like Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, Blaufrankisch, Traminette and Gamay.

We're also proud of the relationships that make our wines possible. Some of our grapes come from fellow farmers who are as thoughtful about their vineyards as we are about ours. Our Aurora Riesling and Gamay, for example, come from our friend and fellow grower Ryan Fessenden at Lake Road Vineyards on Cayuga Lake. These relationships are part of what makes a small wine region like this so exciting. And then there is the community beyond the vineyards. We get to live and work alongside farmers, winemakers, hospitality teams, chefs, researchers, educators and small business owners who are all helping shape the Finger Lakes.

For us, that is what the Finger Lakes' recognition as Wine Region of the Year really celebrates. It celebrates a community. We're proud to be a small part of that community and even more excited about where it's going.

Why the Finger Lakes?

• Shaped by glaciers: The Finger Lakes were carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, leaving behind deep lakes, rolling hills and a patchwork of soils and exposures that give growers lots of different sites to work with.
• The lakes make the climate: The deep lakes, including Seneca Lake at 618 feet, moderate temperatures throughout the year, helping protect vines from some of our coldest winter temperatures and extending the growing season into October. That moderating effect is one of the reasons grapes can thrive here despite our northern climate.
• A cool-climate wine region: The Finger Lakes is particularly well suited to varieties that thrive in cooler conditions, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and an increasingly diverse range of grapes. The region is also home to many hybrid varieties that are an important part of our agricultural story.
• Agriculture comes first: Wine is part of a much larger agricultural tradition here. Vineyards share the landscape with orchards, vegetable farms, livestock and other working farms. For us, being a Finger Lakes winery means being part of that agricultural community and caring for the land that makes it all possible.

We farm, we experiment, we work with our neighbors, and we’re constantly learning from the land. That feels like the very best of what this region represents.