Anyela’s Vineyards

Take a deep long lasting sip on the last dregs of the summer season.

It’s that time of year again, September has boldly approached, swiftly giving August a kick in the shins.

Each day is getting a little bit darker, the trees losing their fervent green color and the air becoming crisp, more refreshing than stifling.

In these last summer days, I can’t help but think you have to make the most of it. 

So in a last ditch attempt to savor the heat and humidity, we went for a little road trip a week ago to the Finger Lakes in New York, specifically the wildly mispronounced town of Skaneateles.

Vineyards sweep and surround each of the Finger Lakes, much like subsequent glasses of wine would soon sweep our fingertips.

A quick overnight trip would be all we’d need to pay our last respects to what proved to be a beautiful summer.

Let’s start with the vineyards. We stopped at Anyela’s Vineyards. A family run establishment by a young at heart couple catering to wine tasting needs of their visitors.

Experts on wine, the owners can be heard chatting about the body and hints and notes of each of their wines. Extremely proud grandparents too, as they boasted that next to us was their granddaughter, who had brought along a friend for a tasting.

You could easily picture their summers spent at the winery, learning all there is to know about curating brilliant flavors and entertaining eager visitors.

For the shockingly low price of $5 per person, you are able to sample five different wines of your choosing. The reason that I stress that the price is so low is because they don’t skimp on your sample serving. Which of course, was a beautiful thing. And it’s fun to go with family to such a family loving environment.

The bubbly (pun intended) woman working there was also happy to take a few snapshots of us sampling the wine. Getting our little portrait from all different angles as the light and shadows hit the room. I was delighted, as that’s generally what I’m found doing on any given occasion.

After sampling, we simply were not ready to leave. So we bought a bottle of their chilled Cayuga White to take outside to enjoy in the sunshine.

Anyela’s has a beautiful patio and garden area that overlooks the vineyards, complete with views of Lake Skaneateles.

And I certainly couldn’t help myself from exploring the grounds a little bit. So with the blazing sun in full force, we set out for the vines.

Some of these vines are covered like those above, while some grapes are free to the open air.

The summer heat was oppressive, rays of light colliding with our skin as we roamed the rows. An impeding sunburn was a likely aftermath. I should have cared more about the sunburn, but it was one of our great last days to remember, so I let it soak into my skin. Even my cameras were aching from the heat, clouding the lens with humidity.

My parents, slightly shaded with umbrellas on the patio, cooly observed our wandering sipping from their stemmed glasses.

Exploring is always my priority, and on a day like that, I couldn’t resist.

We eventually rejoined them in celebrating our last trip away for the summer.

With days like these, the views, the company, the great wine, the drive is always worth the memories.

Have you ever visited any of the Finger Lakes in New York?

Or visited a vineyard? Tell me where, I’d love to get ideas for future trips!

xo Kelly

If you’re interested, here’s some information on the winery:
Anyela’s Vineyards
2433 West Lake Road
Skaneateles, NY 13152
http://www.anyelasvineyards.com/