Another stop on the Finger Lakes wine tour (Day 2) was Serenity Vineyards.

The grapes were planted in 1977 and the tasting room opened in 2011. This is another vineyard where we split a couple tastings, one white, one red. The tastings here were $3 for 5 wines and you received $1 off if you made a purchase.

The winemaker, Bernard Cannac, provided an amazing amount of information. He’s originally from France and brought his knowledge to the Finger Lakes to make wine. One of the things he mentioned was that the betterness/growth of Finger Lakes wine truly depends on information and weather.

The wines we enjoyed included:

2013 Chardonnay. Toasted walnuts, pear, butter and lemon zest with a long finish, $14.99 – Just couldn’t place the taste.

2016 Seyval Blanc. Ripe white and green apple on the nose. Refreshing acidity in the palate. Common on East coast of South England, $13.99 – Totally got the peach.

2014 Dry Riesling. Gooseberry, flint stone honeydew melon and lime with a lively acidity, $14.99 – VERY dry, not bad at all.

2015 Dry Riesling. Caramel and apricot followed by white flower notes. Soft and complex mouthfeel, $16.99 – These grapes were on the vine for 2 weeks longer. Noble Rot, nose is sweeter than the prior Riesling.

2011 Pinot Noir. A light Pinot, highlighted red cherry, clove, caramel, smoke and oak, $21.99 – Made with French oak. Cool vintage, ages faster. Made with French oak. Like port on nose, overall it’s like a ‘light’ port.

2012 Pinot Noir. Ripe red cherry and cedar aromas with flavors of oak and red currant, $26.99 – Made with French oak. Hot and dry year. Darker color, earthier on nose. NICE. I preferred this one to the prior Pinot.

Note from Bernard – Hot & dry temps are best for Pinot Noir.

2013 Cabernet Franc. Eucalyptus and red berries aromas. Peppercorn leading to plum, leather and tobacco with smooth tannins, $19.99 – Port nose. Unique spices in it, definitely got the peppercorn. good body and nice nose.

2013 Mirth. Blend of Cabernet Franc (50%) and Merlot (50%). Blueberry, coffee beans and earthy notes with young tannins, $23.99 – The earthiness was very subtle. Good body and nice nose. Ended up leaving with a bottle of this.

2012 Merlot. Rich, earthy aromas with dark fruit flavors and vanilla. Soft tannins, $29.99 – WOW! Very unusual for the Finger Lakes.

This was definitely my favorite winery, and we randomly chose it. Thanks for the vino, Serenity Vineyards.