Finger Lakes winery guide

Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars

Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars is the second home of the Hazlitt family, whose winemaking roots in the Finger Lakes reach back to 1852.

Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars

About Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars

Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars is the second home of the Hazlitt family, whose winemaking roots in the Finger Lakes reach back to 1852. In 2011 the family purchased the property in Naples, NY — formerly Widmer Wine Cellars, one of the region's most historic and long-standing national wine producers — to grow and expand production beyond their original Hector estate on Seneca Lake. The expansive facility sits nestled in the hills above the quaint village of Naples, at the southern end of Canandaigua Lake, and today it is the production home of the world-famous Red Cat.

The building has been restored and renovated with the warm, welcoming Hazlitt character the family is known for. Tastings are hosted in the main tasting room and next door in the two-story chalet, where guests can settle in at a tasting bar, a wine barrel table, or out on the patio and grassy knoll picnic area. Every tasting comes with a freshly popped bowl of popcorn, and a snack basket of meats and cheeses is available for hungry visitors. Wine slushies, hard cider, wine seltzers, and non-alcoholic options round out the drink list, and a gift shop inside the tasting room carries the full range of Hazlitt and Red Cat wines and merchandise.

Beyond the tasting room, the property offers a 0.7-mile loop hiking trail that climbs the hillside behind the winery through the old, abandoned Widmer vineyards, open dawn to dusk from May through October. Guided facility tours — offered at the Naples location only and reserved in advance — give a behind-the-scenes look at large-scale winemaking. The winery is a proud member of the Canandaigua Lake Wine Trail, welcomes friendly dogs and families, and offers wheelchair-accessible tastings in the adjacent Wine Chalet.

Plan your visit

Address
1 Lake Niagara Lane, Naples, NY 14512
Phone
585-531-3117
Hours
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM Tuesday - Wednesday: Closed

Visitor amenities

  • Pet-friendly
  • Family-friendly

Wines to explore

  • Grüner Veltliner — Grapefruit, lime peel, herbaceous
  • Gewürztraminer — Lychee, raw honey, clove
  • Pinot Gris — Crisp honeysuckle and pear
  • Unoaked Chardonnay — Baked apple, clean minerality
  • Sauvignon Blanc — Crisp, aromatic, tropical citrus
  • Dry Riesling — Ripe melon, crisp acidity
  • Bubbly Riesling — Dry, fruity, fine bubbles
  • Schooner White — Lemon, grassy, crisp minerality
  • Riesling — Medium-sweet, fruit forward
  • Dry Rosé — Honeysuckle, citrus, sea salt
  • Merlot — Ripe raspberry, plum, vanilla
  • Cabernet Franc — Blackberry, sage, medium-bodied
  • Cabernet Sauvignon — Dark cherry, cassis, tannic
  • Schooner Red — Blackberry, ripe plum, spice
  • Sweet Riesling — Clover honey and pineapple
  • White Stag — Melon, peach, honeyed sweetness
  • White Cat — Fruity Niagara, grape juice
  • White Cat Sangria — Peach, pineapple, passion fruit
  • Pink Cat — Light, refreshing pink Catawba
  • Red Cat — Sweet, fruity party blend
  • Red Cat Fizz — Sweet fizzy Catawba, effervescent
  • Red Cat Sangria — Red Cat, natural fruit
  • Red Cat Dark — Concord blackberry and cherry
  • Peach Mango — Luscious peach, juicy mango
  • Strawberry Watermelon — Fresh strawberry and watermelon
  • Blueberry Passion Fruit — Juicy blueberry, tropical passionfruit
  • Bramble Berry — Concord with raspberry flavors
  • Red Cat Dark Splash — Light, bubbly wine seltzer
  • Cider Tree — Crisp medium-dry local apples
  • Cider Tree Cinnamon Spice — Full-bodied cinnamon and nutmeg
  • Late Harvest Vidal Blanc — Apricot, honey, silky finish
  • Solera Sherry — Raisin, toasted almond, caramel
  • Port — Plum, vanilla, bitter chocolate

More at this winery

Hillside Hiking Trail

A 0.7-mile loop hillside trail running up behind the winery through the old, abandoned historical Widmer Winery vineyards. Steep inclines and uneven ground call for decent hiking shoes. Open May through October, dawn to dusk. A trail brochure is available at https://hazlitt1852.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Naples-HikingTrail-r1.pdf

The Wine Chalet

The newest Naples experience room — a two-story space with cozy seating and speakeasy vibes, open late. The drink menu includes wine by the glass, hard cider, wine slushies, wine flights, and non-alcoholic options, alongside a small snack menu of popcorn, chips, and mini charcuterie boards. Patio seating and a mini gift shop are also available. Seasonal hours June 5 – December 31, Friday & Saturday 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM. The chalet is wheelchair accessible with a lift and doubles as the winery's Handicap Accessible Tasting Room during regular hours — ring the doorbell and a Wine Guide will host you. The space can also be rented year-round for large group tastings, meetings, and private events.

Winery Facility Tours

Guided behind-the-scenes tours of the large-scale production facility, offered at the Naples location only and reserved in advance. The site is a 3+ million gallon former Widmer Wine Cellars plant and is also home to East Coast Crush & Co-Pack, Hazlitt's custom beverage production services company.

Gift Shop

Located inside the tasting room and stocked with the full range of Hazlitt and Red Cat wines plus branded merchandise. Curbside pick-up is available — call ahead to place an order and allow at least one hour for it to be ready.

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