New tasting room, with a view

"Wow! This is so nice," Cathy Wood said as she entered the new tasting room at Barrington Cellars last Saturday.

Cathy and her husband, Roger Updike, had come from Ithaca to take in some wine tastings on the eastern side of Keuka Lake. Ken and Eileen Farnan, owners of Barrington Cellars, moved into their new facility Oct. 25.

"We moved down (from the original tasting room) and opened the same day," Eileen said. "We were just so thankful to be in here by winter, in time for Keuka Holidays."

The new tasting area, nestled in their Buzzard Crest Vineyards, is closer to the lake than the original room, and larger. It features a vaulted ceiling that peaks at the center of the room.

Sliding glass doors lead to a covered deck that extends the length of the west side of the building, providing a spectacular view of the lake below. Two door-length stained glass windows, at either side of the new tasting room entrance, provide a rainbow of colors when viewed from inside.

The stained glass panel installed on one side was brought here from the old tasting room. It is a take-off on the Buzzard Crest wine label, showing a buzzard in flight above Keuka Lake in a view looking toward the Bluff. A second panel, with a similar theme, has been added.

The glass artist would like to do two more pieces that would fit in the triangle-shaped windows near the peak of the ceiling, but they will have to wait. Eileen and Ken now have almost 3,000 square feet of space in their new building. That is almost three times as much as they had in the original building. This addition should provide the space they will need for the foreseeable future.

Eileen uses an island, anchored a comfortable distance from the kitchen appliances in the room's northeast corner, to serve food to participants during Keuka Wine Trail events.

Three wide rolls of tilepatterned linoleum were used to cover the floor. The texture and colors of the linoleum give the appearance of authentic tile, and maintenance is easier, especially when cleaning up after special events.

Barrington Cellars has a wide variety of wines to sample that range from dry to sweet. The 2002 Diamond is a semi-dry labrusca white wine with lots of fresh fruit nose and taste. The 2001 Vidal Blanc is a French hybrid white, exploding with classic Vidal flavors complemented by enough acid to balance with the 6 percent residual sugar.

The 1999 Pinot Noir is a rich, deep color with a black cherry taste. It is quite a treat. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, another very good red at Barrington, has unmistakable blackberry and spice tastes.

The winery owners are forward-looking individuals. Just in case their children are not interested in taking over the business someday, they have designed the new tasting room so that it may be converted for another use, such as year-round home. There is even framing for a door behind one of the lower level walls. Conversion to bedrooms would be a snap.

"This is a beautiful view. It would not be hard to sell it as a house," Eileen said.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears Saturdays. For comments or questions, he can be reached at 607/271-8279 or 800/836-8970, ext. 279, or e-mail: jrichards@stargazette.com.