Fruit Yard Winery

About Fruit Yard Winery

Fruit Yard Winery sits directly on Route 14 at the Lakemont crossroads, on the west shore of Seneca Lake a couple of miles north of Glenora and about ten miles up the lake from Watkins Glen. The postal address says Dundee, but the tasting room is a roadside stop in the hamlet of Lakemont, marked by a sign the owners promise you cannot miss. One practical note first: the owners have announced the winery will close on October 11, 2026, or earlier if the remaining stock sells out, so any visit is now a last call.

The house line is that fruit is what they do, and grapes are simply one of the fruits. Peach, raspberry and strawberry wines share the shelf with grape wines that lean sweet: three Chardonnays in distinct styles (unoaked and dry, semi-dry, and the sweet, perfumed Long Row), a semi-sweet Riesling, and the Trellez series of soft, grapey sweet white, rosé and red. The one bottling for drier palates is End Post Red, a lightly oaked blend of the estate's vinifera and hybrid reds that Vivino identifies as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Nothing here aims for austerity; the style is deliberately friendly.

The visit matches the wines: a roadside show-room tasting bar, tastings for parties of up to six, and an atmosphere the regional guides describe as more fun than serious. Larger groups are not being accepted and buses are not permitted. There is no restaurant, no published flight menu and no stated policy on dogs or children. For anyone who prefers sweet or fruit-based wines and is working the west-side Route 14 wineries, it is a quick, easy stop while it lasts.