One Day in Wine Country, Part 3: Class Is In Session
There’s a lot of history here in the Finger Lakes, and not just related to wine. This region was home to important Native American nations, the Underground Railroad, and early aviation discoveries. One of my favorite historic aspects to the Finger Lakes region is our connection to the Women’s Rights movement.
Statues at the Women’s Rights Park in Seneca Falls.
Women’s History
Just 20 minutes up the road from us is Seneca Falls. To some, it’s most well-known as the town that inspired the fictional Bedford Falls in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” However, it’s also the birthplace of the women’s rights movement. The Women’s Rights Convention of 1848 was held at the Wesleyan Chapel, which is now a national landmark.
Today, visitors can learn more about the history of Women’s Rights by visiting the National Historical Park as well as the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In fact, that’s a great place to start your visit to the Finger Lakes if you’re a history buff!
Between the Park and the Hall of Fame, you can stop for a coffee and quick bite at Cafe 19, a Seneca Falls favorite named after – you guessed it – the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Lunch Stop
After all this inspiring history, you’ll be ready for lunch!
The seasonal Wine & Food Pairing is a great way to explore how wine and food impact each other.
The Silver Thread Winegarden is our spacious, scenic tasting room, with one of the best and biggest views of Seneca Lake around. Not only do we offer wine tastings and flights, we also have a delicious Austrian-inspired menu.
Prior to our presence in the Winegarden, it spent 20 years as a reputable Austrian restaurant called Dano’s. When they closed, they graciously offered to let us serve some of their most loved recipes. This includes things like creamy spreads, seasonal cold salads, savory sausages made-to-order, and more! Order a la carte based on what sounds good to you, or get the popular Wine & Food Pairing. This option includes three small plates paired with three wines. We change this seasonally, based on what’s available from our local produce farms as well as new wines that we’re really excited about. After refueling, we highly suggest you head down to the Silver Thread Vineyard for a Library Estate Wine Tasting. (Note: this experience must be booked online in advance.)
Just a mile away is our regenerative farm and quaint, original tasting room/wine cellar. Before the Winegarden, there was simply our little a-frame in the vineyard, a cozy spot with an intimate view of Seneca. Not only is it where we safely age our Library Wines and host guests for reservation-only experiences, it’s also where the wine is made.
When you walk in, large windows enable you to see what’s both outside and downstairs. Straight ahead is the small deck, with a view of our lakeside block, home to four different vitis vinifera: Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Downstairs on the right: our barrel and tank rooms, conveniently attached to the winemaking lab. And downstairs on the left: a beautiful library of aging, Silver Thread wines. This is where you’ll be for the next hour or so, tasting through five or six wines made with hand-picked, estate-grown grapes and carefully stored so they can age to their fullest potential. Your tasting will include both red and white wines, dry through semi-dry, aged anywhere from 5 – 15 years. This unique tasting opportunity is usually led by Silver Thread co-owner/manager Shannon Brock, who has her WSET Diploma and years of experience as a wine educator.
Hidden, Historic Caywood Point
The Queen’s Castle at Fossenvue, aka Caywood Point.
Caywood Point – less than ten minutes south of us in Hector – is the only part of the Finger Lakes National Forest that touches Seneca Lake. Even more fascinating? It’s part of what’s known as the Freethought Trail.
Home to Fossenvue, a lakeside campground founded by known suffragist Elizabeth Smith Miller in 1875, this isolated spot was often visited by prominent activists such as Susan B. Anthony, Alice Stone Blackwell, and Felix Adler.
Accessing this location takes some hiking so bring your boots and some bug spray!
When you’re ready for dinner, there are several options nearby. Grist Iron has a solid menu and a great view. They often host live music on the weekends. A little further up the road is Lucky Hare, another reputable brewery and host to a local favorite eatery: Babe’s Burgers!
There is so much unknown history in the Finger Lakes. Maybe you first heard of this beautiful region because of the wine, but there is a lot to discover while you’re in the region!
