Lou Damiani and Phil Davis grew up together in Hector, New York, went to college, and came back to the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in the late 1990s with a specific mission: make red wines from the Finger Lakes that could hold up to serious scrutiny. Lou planted his first vines of Cabernet Franc and Merlot in 1997. Phil pulled out a hybrid vineyard the following year and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. When their estate fruit started coming in during 2003, they opened Damiani Wine Cellars. Winemaker Katey Larwood, who trained in Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley, Central Otago, Alsace, and the Hunter Valley before falling for the Finger Lakes during a stint at Keuka Lake Vineyards in 2015, now runs the cellar with a sur lie aging program that builds texture into the white wines and careful vintage documentation published annually. The tasting room sits just north of Watkins Glen on the east shore with views directly over Seneca Lake, open daily.
Don't miss: the barrel tasting events, which are among the most direct ways to understand how Katey Larwood thinks about the vintage before it reaches the bottle.
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Gold Coast limestone soils, dock parking available
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Food Drink
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Food Drink
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Lakewood Vineyards
Food Drink
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