Fine wines and dining on a trip to Keuka Lake

One of the great things about winetasting at McGregor Vineyard & Winery is you get to sample wines sitting at a table rather than standing at a bar.

The Keuka Lake winery, nine miles north of Hammondsport on Route 54, was my first stop on a midsummer road trip.

There, wine is poured for you and your companions at one of several tables located in the tasting area. Small treats, ranging from breads to desserts, are provided to accompany the various wines.

McGregor's 2002 Rkatsiteli-Sereksiya wine has just been released. It is a delightful blend of the two white grape varieties. I found it light and refreshing glass with a clean, dry finish.

McGregor offers two Gewurztraminer wines. The 2001 dry Gewurztraminer is indeed dry and spicy. The 2002 Semi-Dry Gewurztraminer is spicy as well, but is fruiter and softer.

My favorite was the 1999 Rob Roy, a full-bodied, almost chewy wine. It is a deep red and has a dark, cherry taste. Although the 1999 blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot is almost sold out, the 2000 version is available.

On to the next winery. I took a right out of the parking lot and headed north. A right onto Goodwin Hill Road, another right at the top of the hill, and I came to Keuka Overlook Wine Cellars after a short distance.

Bob Barrett and his wife Terry own and operate the family winery, located on 67 acres high above the lake. Bob had decorated for the Fourth of July -- the tasting bar was covered with a pattern of American flags. He'd also painted his mailbox with broad bands of red, white and blue.

Keuka Overlook offers an unusually high number of chardonnay varieties -- four -- and I asked Bob why. He said that he was appealing to a variety of tastes.

The 2001 Chardonnay Reserve was barrel-fermented, and had butter and oak flavors. The 2001 Blue Lake Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel, then aged in oak. It had more fruit flavor and an oak taste. The 2001 Chardonnay was processed in stainless steel only and showed lots of fruit flavor in a slightly sweeter wine.

Keuka Overlook offers other interesting wines that will have to wait for another column.

Esperanza Mansion was my pick for dinner. It is a restored 1830's mansion built on Bluff Point, with an expansive view of the west branch of Keuka Lake.

To get there, I got back on Route 54, turned right and headed toward Penn Yan. Then I took a left onto Route 54A and followed that west until I saw the signs for the mansion on the right.

The restaurant offers an elegant, yet still casual, dining experience. Tables are spread throughout the first-floor rooms and on the patio, the latter offering magnificent view of the lake.

The citrus-glazed pork tenderloin dinner was quite a treat, and the Heron Hill 2002 Semi-Dry Riesling the perfect match for the intense orange citrus flavor, but I was impressed most by the Esperanza Mansion's wine list.

"I was determined to have all of the wineries on Keuka Lake represented on our wine list," said restaurant manager Catherine Powell, who visited many of the wineries to solicit their wines.

"We want to support the local wines and farmers. They support us," said Catherine.

Esperanza Mansion also has guest rooms, a tavern and a banquet facility. What a great way to finish the day in the Finger Lakes.

Jeff Richards' wine column appears each Thursday on the Twin Tiers Life Food Page. For comments or questions, he can be reached at 607/271-8279 or 800/836-8970, ext. 279, or e-mail: thewineguy