Keuka Lake winery expands to give wine lovers more tasting room

Visitors to Barrington Cellars winery will have more elbowroom come this fall.

  "I started crying for that three years ago," says Eileen Farnan, referring to the need for a larger tasting room at the Keuka Lake winery. "When people lined the road down toward the lake waiting for food during wine trail events, you realize you have to do something."

  Ken and Eileen Farnan operate Barrington Cellars, their family winery, on land where they purchased a home in 1971. That house is the current tasting room, but in response to business growth over the last several years, the Farnans need to enlarge the tasting room and add a storage facility.

  It is being built at Buzzard Crest Vineyards, their grape-growing property, and will offer a commanding view overlooking the east branch of Keuka Lake.

  Wine tasting will begin Nov. 1, Eileen insists. That will be just in time for Keuka Holidays, two consecutive weekends of festivities on the lake's wine trail.

  The Farnans originally sold all of their grapes to Taylor Wine Company. In 1973 they planted Delaware grapes to supplement the 12 acres of labrusca, or Native-American, grapes that were already on the property when they purchased their home.

  In 1985, they began to diversify their sales by marketing table grapes and grape juices in the green markets of New York City. Much of the juice is frozen to maintain its freshness because it is produced without preservatives. Since 1991, they have been at the prized Union Square green market site. Thirty thousand people pass through the market each day, according to Eileen.

  When the Farnans purchased a nearby farm in 1983, they were able to move to a larger house (making their old house into the tasting room) and plant more vines. They planted seedless table, hybrid and vinifera grapes.

  Although the winery was not licensed until 1995, dabbling in winemaking for the couple goes way back, to October of 1970.

  Ken and Eileen caught the ripe smell of grapes as they rode home on their motorcycle from a Grand Prix race at Watkins Glen. Eileen said that it brought back memories of making wine with her grandfather in East Irondequoit.

  She decided to show Ken how to make wine, drawing on her memories for inspiration.

  Ken has gone on to become the winemaker at Barrington Cellars. Many of their wines are made from their own grapes, while others are produced from grapes grown at nearby Finger Lakes vineyards.

  The Barrington Cellars wines are made with hybrid, vinifera, labrusca, Catawba, Niagara, Concord and Rose of Isabella grapes, and the wine list includes cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and Riesling.

  The 2002 Riesling is Eileen's favorite wine this year. It tastes of peach with lots of citrus characteristics. I can see why she likes it so much.

  The 2002 Diamond is a clean, crisp, fruity wine, and the Buzzard Peach wine is made from peaches. Wow, is it full of peach flavor!

  Barrington Cellars offers several other sweeter wines including Concord and Pink Cat, created from a blend of Catawba, Dechaunac, Delaware and Concord grapes.

  With the wide range of wines offered, you should be able to find something that is just right for you during your next visit to Barrington Cellars. They are located along Route 54, 18 miles north of Hammondsport.

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