Find smooth wines and smoked fish along Seneca Lake

For this month's day trip, head north from Watkins Glen on Route 414, along the east side of Seneca Lake. After passing a sign for Lodi about 12 miles up, look for Standing Stone Vineyards on the left.

My favorite white wine at Standing Stone is the 2001 Riesling. And why not?

After earning a gold medal at the recent International Eastern Wine Competition, the wine won Best of Class at the Los Angeles County Fair's "Wines of the World" competition, going up against more than 70 other Rieslings.

It has a wonderful nose, just exploding with fruit. Although the wine is semi-dry, with 2.5 percent residual sugar, the citrus and acid balance the melon and apricot flavors, creating a medley of exciting tastes.

Standing Stone specializes in vinifera wines, but there are other offerings. Many of them, such as the non-vintage Smokehouse White, go well with meals. This wine is made mostly from vidal grapes. It has a very fruity nose with hints of citrus, primarily grapefruit.

I concluded my visit to Standing Stone by tasting the 1999 Pinnacle, made predominantly with cabernet sauvignon, blended with cabernet franc and merlot.

It is a deeply colored, rich-tasting wine with hints of cherry and some tannins. It would go great with a steak or roast and age well in your cellar for a few years, if you can keep your hands off it.

After leaving Standing Stone, head south, back towards Watkins Glen. Two miles down the road, look for Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards Winery on the left.

You will notice a very casual atmosphere the moment you are in the building.

Hazlitt offers a wide range of wines, from dry to sweet, and grape types from vinifera to labrusca. And there is almost always popcorn. (There was a little concern last winter when a transformer for a power line blew and they couldn't pop fresh corn for a while, according to pourer Tyrrell Nelson.)

The 2000 Chardonnay shows good fruit and is creamy in the mouth with some oak. However, the oak is light enough to let the fruit of the chardonnay grape come through. The 2000 Pinot Gris is a dry, full-flavored wine, very mellow, with a little spice. It would be an excellent alternative to chardonnay.

The sweeter wines at Hazlitt are made primarily from labrusca grapes, such as the Catawba used in Cabin Fever. Served chilled, it has some Cayuga blended with it, providing a very smooth wine that starts sweet and finishes somewhat drier.

Now it is time to head for lunch. Leaving the parking lot at Hazlitt, turn left again, head south about 1.5 miles and look for the Stonecat Cafe on the right.

Bloomer Creek Vineyards and the cafe are run by winemaker Kim Engle, his wife Debra Bermingham, chef Scott Signori and his wife Jessica Signori. The cafe is known for smoking its meats and fish. I was impressed with the cornmeal-encrusted smoked catfish sandwich, served on a large roll with coleslaw. With it, I had the Bloomer Creek Chardonnay, which is smooth, soft and buttery, with light oak; a pleasant complement to the seafood sandwich.

Indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 90 people provided a relaxing atmosphere by the vineyards. It is an ideal place to lunch Tuesday through Saturday or have dinner Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Enjoy!

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