Refreshing wines herald the fall season

What a great time of the year.

  The weather is cooling off. The air is crisp and refreshing as we begin each day. It is also an ideal time to visit wineries as the leaves begin to change.

  Head up the east side of Seneca Lake from Watkins Glen on Route 414. The first stop is Atwater Estate Vineyards, located on the left about 8.5 miles north of Watkins Glen.

  Like many successful wineries, Atwater is expanding its tasting room to accommodate the ever-increasing number of visitors. The new reception area has four expansive windows, three of which afford a view, looking south, of the vineyards and lake.

  Atwater still has some of its 2001 Dry Riesling available. It has matured significantly since I tasted it as a not-yet-released tank sample during a winemakers' dinner in March 2002 at Pierce's 1894 Restaurant in Elmira. The wine is crisp and clean with grapefruit and lemon flavors. It recently earned a double gold medal at the New York Wine and Food Classic.

  The 2002 Vidal Blanc was also a treat to taste. It has green apple and pear tastes with a refreshing, clean finish. Atwater offers several other wines, including reds, at their tasting bar.

  Heading north about 4.5 miles, the next stop is Finger Lakes Champagne House. Sparkling wines from Swedish Hill Vineyard and Goose Watch Winery, located along Cayuga Lake, are poured for wine tasters visiting the Seneca Lake area.

  The nonvintage Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose is a beautiful festive, pink color with crisp fruit flavors and a refreshingly clean finish.

  The Swedish Hill nonvintage Riesling Cuvee has good varietal taste in a semi-sweet sparkling wine that ends with a crisp, clean finish. There are several other sparkling wines to sample, ranging from dry to sweet at the champagne house.

  It is only a short hop north to Standing Stone Vineyards' Smokehouse Cafe for lunch. Christian and Elizabeth Chiron provide a diverse menu in a casual setting. Seated at neatly-painted picnic tables, visitors have a magnificent view of the lake while dining on a covered deck adjacent to Standing Stone's tasting area.

  The smoked salmon plate was just the ticket for those who like to assemble their own appetizers. Chevre cheese was paired with salmon, tomato, onion and cucumber slices and a sprinkling of capers. Two varieties of bread provided the base to build your own tasty morsels. The Standing Stone 2002 Chardonnay, with its smooth, buttery and oak taste went well with the salmon dish.

  The flank steak sandwich, a special that day, was scrumptious. It was topped with caramelized onions and melted cheese. The Standing Stone 2000 Pinnacle was perfect with the steak. This vintage of their Bordeaux-style wine is made of mostly cabernet sauvignon with smaller portions of merlot and cabernet franc to complete the blend. It is a full-bodied wine with tastes of cherry. It also earned a double gold medal and was named the best Bordeaux blend at the New York Wine & Food Classic.

  Don't wait too long to sample the delicious food at Smokehouse Cafe. Although the winery will still be open, the season ends for the cafe on Columbus Day.

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