By the time late autumn drifts across Keuka, the air softens to stillness. The crowds of summer have long gone, the vineyards wear their last shades of gold and rust, sometimes with a dusting of snow and the lake mirrors a quiet sky that feels both melancholy and magical. It’s the season of sweatered mornings, wool blankets, and the comforting clink of a bottle opening by a fireside.
It’s also the perfect time to wander — slowly — along what I fondly call The Keuka Roots Wine Trail.
Not an official route, but rather one written from the heart — a collection of micro-wineries chosen for their intimacy, their stories, and the sense of calm they carry this time of year. There are no tour buses here, no noise. Just winding roads, lake views dusted with mist, and the soft rhythm of life along Keuka’s shore.
So, pour a little curiosity into your glass, and let’s take the scenic way.
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Azure Hill Winery
8716 Gallagher Road, Hammondsport, NY 14840
azurehillwinery.com
Where Craft Meets Calm
At the top of a quiet rise, where the air smells faintly of fallen leaves and the lake gleams through bare branches, you’ll find Azure Hill. Mark and Lisa Knipe have built something simple and soulful here — a boutique winery that feels like stepping into a slower world.
Their small-batch Riesling and Zweigelt seem made for cool weather — crisp, bright, and best enjoyed as the sun leans low over the vineyards. It’s easy to linger. There’s peace here, the kind that matches perfectly with the hush of late November afternoons.
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Keuka Lake Vineyards
8882 County Road 76, Hammondsport, NY 14840
klvineyards.com
Rooted in Character and Craft
Down a winding country road, a 200-year-old barn welcomes you with creaking doors and the earthy scent of oak barrels. Keuka Lake Vineyards is a small producer with a big heart, known for its dry Rieslings and single-vineyard bottlings.
There’s something especially grounding about visiting in autumn — the vines resting, the fields quiet, and a sense of reflection in every glass. They’re also a certified New York Sustainable Winegrower, proving that care for the land isn’t just good practice; it’s good flavor.
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Domaine LeSeurre Winery
13920 State Route 54, Hammondsport, NY 14840
dlwinery.com
French Elegance Meets Finger Lakes Heart
The terrace at Domaine LeSeurre might be one of the most beautiful places to pause in late fall — the lake stretching silver beneath a soft sky, and vines turning amber in the fading light.
Cedric and Céline LeSeurre bring generations of French winemaking artistry to these shores, crafting wines that taste like a conversation between continents. A glass of their Chardonnay on a crisp day feels like poetry — layered, lingering, and quietly full of grace.
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Point of the Bluff Vineyards
10489 County Route 76, Hammondsport, NY 14840
pointofthebluffvineyards.com
A Place to Sip, Listen, and Belong
By late autumn, the hilltop at Point of the Bluff feels almost enchanted. The music has mellowed, the evenings arrive early, and the vineyard glows under the soft wash of sunset.
Here, community is the heartbeat — whether it’s a fireside concert, a local chef’s dinner, or simply neighbors gathering for one more toast before winter settles in. Their boutique wines — elegant yet easygoing — are perfect for the season. Each sip feels like warmth against the chill.
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Keuka Spring Vineyards
243 Route 54 (East Lake Road), Penn Yan, NY 14527
keukaspringvineyards.com
East-Side Serenity with a View
On the eastern shore, Keuka Spring seems to hold the last light of the day just a little longer. The family who runs it pours with the same warmth they greet guests — genuine, unhurried, and grounded.
Their wines capture the quiet beauty of the season: crisp Rieslings, delicate blends, and notes that sparkle like the low afternoon sun on the lake. Sit outside if the weather allows, wrap your hands around your glass, and let the calm settle in.
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A Trail Written, Not Paved
The Keuka Roots Wine Trail wasn’t built with blue signs or mapped in glossy brochures — it was written in moments like these. In the rustle of leaves underfoot while the season's first snow begins to blanket the earth, in the laughter echoing through a half-empty tasting room, in the stories shared by those who’ve chosen to make their living from the soil beneath their feet.
It’s a trail meant for slow days and sweater weather, for unplanned detours and favorite views rediscovered. And though the vineyards will soon sleep under snow, their stories — and ours — remain rooted here, deep and alive.
So take the back roads. Stop for that tasting. Watch the geese sweep across the lake and the smoke rise from chimneys. Around Keuka, autumn is never just a season — it’s a feeling, one that lingers long after the last leaf falls.
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From Keuka Roots
Here’s to late-autumn wanderings, small wineries with big hearts, and the stories that grow between the vines — the kind told over half-empty glasses, where laughter mingles with lake air and time seems to pause for just a moment. To the winemakers who pour passion into every barrel, to the friends who gather even as the days grow shorter, and to all who find comfort in the quiet rhythm of the seasons — may our roots stay deep, our spirits warm, and our stories ever growing along the shores of Keuka.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.
