Wine Country dreaming…

How Close is 16 Elm to the Finger Lakes Wine Trails?

When guests ask how close we are to the wine trails, the simple answer is 10 to15 minutes. West to Seneca Lake. East to Cayuga Lake. Right in the middle.

But the real answer runs deeper than distance.

I didn't choose the Finger Lakes, they chose me. I spent my younger years working these vineyards when the wine trail was just beginning to take shape. Pruning vines in winter when your fingers are too cold to feel the shears. Tying vines in early spring when you're hoping to be the first to get a good tan. Grape harvest in fall when you start before sunrise and sometimes don't finish until the sun sets again on the other side of the lake. I learned the basics from winemakers who were building something new on land that had grown grapes for generations. Like many who grew up this way, we made our own (pretty bad) wines at home too.

We also saw the beginning of the cidery business take off and how that brought attention to our apple growing region and the long-standing tradition of wild apple harvesting and making cider, something I've done every year for 30 years. All that is to say that this tradition of growing and harvesting on the land is near and dear to me. Getting to experience the sun rising over the lake from the back of the grape harvester, or seeing the full harvest moon still setting over the steaming lake on a fall morning, these are the experiences that shaped my love for the land.

When you ask about the wine trails, I'm not reading from a tourism guide. I know what it takes to grow grapes on these slopes, how the microclimate affects the growing season and why certain wineries produce the Rieslings they do. We also have an incredibly skilled and knowledgeable sommelier about a block away at Swirl Wine shop. Get your questions answered and pick up a few expertly recommended bottles to take home. 

Trumansburg and 16 Elm sits right between the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail to the west and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail to the east. This location gives you freedom to choose which lake you're exploring each day. From 16 Elm, you have equal access to both. Your schedule is entirely your choice. Then when you return to 16 Elm for your evening, walk to dinner at Atlas Bowl (boutique bowling!), or Garrett’s Brewing Co. for more local crafted brews. The short drive back means you can rest between your wine trail day and your evening plans. You control the pace. 

While the wine trails do draw many visitors, Trumansburg's location gives you easy access to everything else. Taughannock Falls is five minutes away with its 215-foot waterfall. Ithaca is 15 minutes south. Cayuga Lake is perfect for kayaking or sitting by the lakeshore. 

And just for the record, yes, we did win Wine Region of the Year. 

Ready to explore both Finger Lakes wine trails? Book your stay at 16 Elm Heritage Hotel, where your wine tasting adventure is just minutes away and your schedule is entirely your own.