Every now and then, a headline stops me in my tracks.
And this one certainly did.
"This stunning winery was named New York's best for the third time—and it's a lakeside paradise hidden among sweeping glacial waters and waterfalls."
Well.
Naturally, I had to know more.
What mysterious lakeside paradise were they talking about? What hidden little corner of New York had managed to produce a winery so extraordinary that it had been named the best in the entire state not once, not twice, but three times?
I kept reading.
Weis Vineyards.
Wait a minute.
That's practically my neighborhood!
Seriously. Weis Vineyards isn't tucked away in some far-off corner of New York I've only seen in glossy travel magazines. It's just down the road from me, nestled into the hills near the southern end of Our Crooked Lake.
And I had to laugh.
Because apparently, one of New York State's very best wineries has a Keuka address.
And honestly?
We're not surprised.
There are hundreds of wineries across New York State. But apparently, if you're looking for the very best, you might want to follow the winding roads to Our Crooked Lake.
More specifically, to a beautiful hillside just outside Hammondsport, where an old one-room schoolhouse overlooks the landscape and a dream that began thousands of miles away has taken root in Keuka soil.
Because Weis Vineyards has been named New York State Winery of the Year.
Not once.
Not twice.
But three times.
And that's where this story really begins.
From Germany to Hammondsport
Every great winery has a story.
But the story of Weis Vineyards begins long before the first bottle was poured in its Keuka Lake tasting room.
It begins in Germany's Mosel Valley, one of the world's most renowned wine regions, where Hans Peter Weis grew up surrounded by vineyards, winemaking traditions and generations of knowledge passed from one vintner to the next.
Wine wasn't simply something produced there. It was part of the landscape. Part of the culture. Part of everyday life.
Peter's family had been growing grapes for generations, and from an early age, he learned that great wine begins long before the bottle is opened. It begins in the vineyard—in the soil, the weather, the seasons and the patient understanding that some things simply cannot be rushed.
Eventually, his journey brought him across the Atlantic and, ultimately, to the Finger Lakes.
And perhaps it was only fitting that a winemaker raised among the steep vineyard-covered slopes of Germany would find himself drawn to another landscape shaped by hills, cool-climate vineyards and deep glacial waters.
Keuka Lake.
And Then There Was Ashlee
Of course, some journeys aren't simply about finding a place.
Sometimes, they're about finding a person.
Peter met Ashlee, a Hammondsport native with deep roots in the community, and suddenly the story of a German winemaker in the Finger Lakes became something much more personal.
Germany met Hammondsport.
Old World tradition met hometown roots.
And somewhere along the way, a shared dream began to grow.
Together, Peter and Ashlee imagined creating a winery of their own—a place where Peter's German winemaking heritage could meet the unique character of Finger Lakes grapes.
Not an imitation of the Mosel.
Not simply another Finger Lakes winery.
Something uniquely theirs.
A Dream Takes Root in an Old Schoolhouse
In 2017, that dream became Weis Vineyards.
And they couldn't have chosen a more fitting home.
The winery's tasting room is housed in a beautifully restored historic one-room schoolhouse, a building that had already witnessed generations of stories long before the first glasses of Riesling were raised beneath its roof.
I have always had a soft spot for old buildings.
Maybe it's the storyteller in me, but I can't help wondering about the people who once walked through their doors. The children who sat at wooden desks. The teachers who stood before blackboards. The winter mornings when snow-covered boots crossed the threshold and the warm spring afternoons when open windows carried the sounds of the countryside into the classroom.
Old buildings remember things.
And I love that this particular old schoolhouse wasn't forgotten or lost.
Instead, it was given another chapter.
Today, where lessons were once taught, visitors gather around tables, glasses are raised, conversations unfold and new memories are made.
If those old walls could talk, I suspect they would have quite a story to tell.
The Philosophy Behind the Wine
At the heart of Weis Vineyards is a simple philosophy rooted in Peter's German heritage:
Tradition. Passion. Excellence.
Those aren't merely words on a label.
They represent a winemaking philosophy built around respect for the fruit, the vineyard and the unique characteristics of the Finger Lakes.
Peter specializes in German-style wines that allow the grapes themselves to tell the story of where they were grown. Riesling naturally plays a starring role, but the winery's portfolio has expanded to include varieties ranging from Gewürztraminer and Grüner Veltliner to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and more.
And clearly, someone has been paying attention.
New York's Best. Three Times.
In 2025, Weis Vineyards was once again named
New York State Winery of the Year at the prestigious New York Wine Classic.
It was the winery's third time earning the title, following previous wins in 2022 and 2024.
Think about that for a moment.
Weis Vineyards opened in 2017.
Just five years later, it was named Winery of the Year for the first time.
Then it did it again.
And again.
Three Winery of the Year titles in less than a decade.
The 2025 competition brought even more recognition. Weis Vineyards earned multiple honors across its portfolio, including
Best White Wine for its 2024 Grüner Veltliner and
Best Pink Wine for its 2024 Dry Rosé.
From a historic schoolhouse on the hills above Keuka Lake to the very top of New York's wine industry.
That's quite a journey.
Just Down the Road From Me
And here's where I have to add another little personal note.
Weis Vineyards really is just down the road from me.
I live between Keuka and Waneta Lakes, and Weis is one of those wonderful places that reminds me how incredibly lucky I am to call this little corner of the world home.
Sometimes, I think those of us who live here can become almost accustomed to the extraordinary beauty surrounding us.
We drive past vineyards cascading across hillsides.
We catch glimpses of Keuka's blue water between the trees.
We pass century-old barns, tiny hamlets and winding roads that visitors travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to experience.
And apparently, just down the road from me, there's also the three-time New York State Winery of the Year.
No big deal.
Just another day around Our Crooked Lake.
But perhaps that's exactly why I love telling these stories.
Because sometimes the most extraordinary places aren't hidden in some faraway destination.
Sometimes they're right down the road.
More Than Wine
But what I love most about the Weis Vineyards story isn't simply the awards.
It's the roots.
A young man growing up among the vineyards of Germany.
A young woman whose roots were planted right here in Hammondsport.
Two lives crossing paths.
A shared dream.
An old schoolhouse waiting for its next chapter.
And a winery that, in just a few short years, has become one of the most celebrated in New York State.
That is what makes places like Weis special.
Awards matter. Accolades matter. Being named the best in an entire state certainly deserves a very large toast.
But behind every bottle is a story.
Behind every vineyard are people who take risks, work impossibly long hours, worry about frost and rain and harvests, celebrate the good years and persevere through the difficult ones.
And behind Weis Vineyards are Peter and Ashlee, who took pieces of two very different places—Germany and Hammondsport—and created something that belongs uniquely to Keuka.
Apparently, the Best Has a Keuka Address
So yes.
Apparently, New York's best winery has a Keuka address.
And we're not surprised.
After all, this is a place where dreamers have always found inspiration.
Glenn Curtiss looked at the skies above Hammondsport and imagined flying.
Dr. Konstantin Frank looked at the hills surrounding Keuka Lake and believed European grape varieties could thrive where others said they couldn't.
Generations of farmers, winemakers, inventors, artists, small-business owners and ordinary people with extraordinary dreams have planted their roots here.
Peter and Ashlee Weis are part of that continuing story.
From the Mosel Valley to Hammondsport.
From an old one-room schoolhouse to three Winery of the Year titles.
From a dream planted in Keuka soil to wines recognized among the very best in New York State.
And the best part?
Their story is still being written.
Right here.
On Our Crooked Lake.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.™
Small Towns. Big Stories. One Crooked Lake.™
Weis Vineyards — Contact Information
Address: 10014 Day Road, Hammondsport, NY 14840
Phone: (607) 284-4011
Email:
info@weisvineyards.com
Website:
weisvineyards.com
