The four main lakes of the Finger Lakes AVA include Canandiauga Lake, Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. Each lake boasts of its own unique viticulture characteristics lending to unique flavor profiles. Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake are recognized as official AVA regions on their own as well.
Cayuga Lake was the first individual lake of the Finger Lakes to acquire AVA status in 1988. Forty miles long, Cayuga Lake is the longest of the eleven Finger Lakes. Much like Seneca Lake, the vineyards are planted on steep slopes, facilitating air patterns that create a microclimate in which cold air runs off the vineyards onto the lake where it warms and rises, creating a vacuum which draws more cold air from the land.
- Established: 1988
- Planted Area: 460 acres
- Predominate Soils: coming soon
- Predominate Varieties: Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gewuztraminer, Pinot Gris
Seneca Lakes is the deepest of the 11 Finger Lakes. With a maximum depth up to 618 feet, this 35-mile long body of water rarely freezes. The depth of the lake affects the mesoclimate of the region by moderating both winter and summer temperatures.
- Established: 2003
- Planted Area: 3,700 acres under vine. Over 200,000 acres in the area
- Predominate Soils: coming soon
- Predominate Varieties: Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer
