Leidenfrost Vineyards

About Leidenfrost Vineyards

Leidenfrost Vineyards sits on the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake in Hector, on the Route 414 strip that carries most of the east-side wine traffic between Watkins Glen and Lodi. The farm predates the winery: John Leidenfrost Sr. grew grapes here for Gold Seal and Great Western, his son took over in 1984, and the family began bottling under its own name in 1990. The first tasting room was a log cabin with a wood stove; today's timber-frame building looks straight out over the lake, and the lawn below it is the best seat on the property.

The vineyard mixes vinifera, hybrids and old labrusca vines, and the list follows suit. Riesling is made semi-dry with citrus and nectarine, alongside Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc; Catawba goes into the medium-sweet Log Cabin White, and Cayuga White and Vignoles into the off-dry, gently spritzy Tattooed Lady. The reds are the serious end: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Baco Noir are fermented in one-ton lots and aged around two years in French oak, and the Pinot is bottled bone dry with cherry, red currant and a tobacco edge. A barrel-aged, Ruby Port-style Cabaret closes the range.

Tastings are seated and guided, and you pick any six wines; walk-ins are taken first-come for parties of up to eight, with email reservations suggested for six or more. Groups of eight to twenty can book a private hour in a lake-view room, with a charcuterie board on the higher tier. There is no kitchen, but prepackaged local cheeses and cured meats are sold to take out to the deck or lawn. Winemaker Liz Leidenfrost, the founder's granddaughter, runs the cellar, and the family is usually the one pouring.