Finger Lakes Wine Fest – Watkins Glen
Finger Lakes Wine Fest Fun for Non-Drinkers Too
I would describe the Finger Lakes Wine Festival as wine, food, and fun. Whether you drink or not, there’s a lot to do and taste at this Finger Lakes event!
The last time I visited Wine Fest, there were lots of vendors offering a variety of products, from wineglass necklaces to reusable wine corks to sun catchers.
There was also music. Under a large tent, festival-goers grooved to the music of several bands.
There was no shortage of foods to choose from, either. The most popular item seemed to be a huge serving of homemade potato chips called potato twisters.
Tator Twisters at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. Photo: ©Brenda Potter Reynolds
The Wine
The “main course” of the event, the wineries, were housed under large tents and in a building. It was the ultimate wine tour, with some 70 wineries, mostly from the Finger Lakes area, all in one place. Each offered samples of their finest wines and also had bottles of wine for sale. One of the neatest things was that a customer could purchase a bottle or two of wine, fill out a claim ticket, and after 30 minutes or so, their purchase would be delivered to the front office for easy pickup on the way out.
A selection of wines at the Wine Fest. Photo: ©Brenda Potter Reynolds.
I also discovered that designated drivers are eligible for complimentary non-alcoholic juices and soda from certain vendors, which was cool, because I was there by myself and couldn’t drink.
Although I wasn’t sampling wine that weekend, I enjoyed chatting with the winery owners and employees. While visiting with the winery reps, I got the impression that they enjoy the fest as much as the attendees.
The Food
And I did get to taste samples of another kind. There were vendors offering samples of cheese, olive oil dips, beef jerky and salsa.
The Finger Lakes Wine Festival is held annually during July at the Watkins Glen International Speedway, and goes on rain or shine. Buy tickets here or for more information, visit the festival website.