Either Oar Wine, Whiskey, & Cheese Bar

About Either Oar Wine, Whiskey, & Cheese Bar

Either Oar Wine, Whiskey, & Cheese Bar occupies the former Penguin Bay Winery on Route 414 in Hector, on the east shore of Seneca Lake, and is the newest arm of the Martin family's Montezuma, Swedish Hill and Idol Ridge winery group. It opened in August 2025 as a seated bar rather than a stand-up counter: the room looks over the vines, a gravel patio sits under umbrellas outside, and the angling theme runs from a rowboat on the wall to the wine names.

The Either Oar label is Finger Lakes classic with a hybrid streak. Riesling comes two ways, a semi-dry Cast-A-Net built on pear, peach and lemon and a dry bottling, alongside a creamy, savory-edged Chardonnay, a dry Vidal Blanc, and a floral LaCrescent and a Cayuga White under the Borrowed Lure banner. The Dry Rosé is mostly Pinot Gris with a splash of Corot Noir, the reds are a 2020 Cabernet Franc and a Lake Cabin Red, and the outlier is a fortified Saperavi dessert wine. The house whiskeys include a rye, a bourbon and a wheat whiskey finished in jackfruit barrels.

Flights are the format: any four wines, a wine-and-cheese pairing in dry or sweet versions, four whiskeys with local cheese, four mini cocktails, or six cheeses you assemble yourself. Walk in; only groups of twelve or more need to call ahead, and dogs are welcome. Fridays bring the Hook & Sip happy hour, summer Saturdays bring live music, and a blind-tasting series runs in the vineyard in late spring. It is a settle-in-for-the-afternoon place rather than a quick pour.