Finger Lakes Wine Festival starts Friday

WATKINS GLEN—The annual Finger Lakes Wine Festival is set to take place this weekend. Running from Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13. The event takes place at Watkins Glen International (WGI) and is presented by Yancey’s Fancy New York Artisan Cheese. More than 90 wineries will be showcased at the event along with several different vendors and live music.
One of last year’s new additions, the wine seminars, will be returning once more in this weekend’s festival.
“We are doing the wine seminars again,” WGI Public Relations Manager Betsy Mayer said. “They were new last year but due to the feedback we got last year, those are coming back. They focus on more than just Reislings, and focus on those who say they can only find mostly sweet wines. They run two times a day Saturday and Sunday.”
Mayer predicted the attendance will continue to improve from past years. She said while she will not release the attendance numbers from previous years, she is “hoping for the biggest turnout yet.” Mayer said there are a few more vendors than there were last year, and things like the wine, music and pace car rides continue to draw more attendees.
Mayer said while they have previously offered both outdoor cooking demonstrations and indoor cooking classes, they will now only be offering the indoor classes this year. She said there will be a new flame work glass set up where the outdoor classes used to be located.
Friday’s opening for campers begins at noon, with the Launch of the Lakes Toga Party running from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Music from Blues Plate Special will be playing while the announcement of the Toga Parade will be at 8 p.m. The fireworks show at 9:20 p.m. will end the day’s party. Saturday’s festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., while Sunday will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.