Seneca Lake (West - Dundee)
5435 Route 14
Dundee, NY 14837
800-243-5513
info@glenora.com
glenora.com
Hours: 10am-6pm Sun-Thurs, 10-7 Fri & Sat
Fee: $1, Reservations: not required
Let me set the tone for our Glenora experience. Driving up, we could see the noteworthy location on the lake. Great views. Someone was even getting married at the gazebo in the distance. The tasting room is perched on the top of the hill, which has even better views. It's too bad the experience went downhill once we walked inside.
An employee breaking down boxes at the front bar greets us and directs us to the cash register area. Look toward register area. It is a rickety card table festooned with seasonal tablecloth (think pumpkins) sectioned off from the rest of the room with a red velvet rope. We pay our $1 tasting fee and are instructed to stick out our hand to be stamped. Huh? Realizing the hand-stamping is not optional, I dutifully obey and walk through the busy, touristy gift room into the slightly less busy and touristy tasting room. I see small children and adults milling about and realize they have good reason for the hand stamps. It's so the kids and cheap adults don't con them into pouring wine.
It's only once we pass the circus in the main room that I realize something. I hear country music. And feel it, for it is being played at an unnecessarily loud level. Because it is country music I recognize, I know it is at least 15 years old. Our young host (May I see some ID? Seriously.) is unfazed and explains the tasting menu. We choose six wines, leaning heavily toward the reds... assuming based on our experience so far that the whites will be sweeter than what we prefer. At the start of our tasting, a roving cheese-tray employee appears with wasabi-horseradish something. I pass because I foolishly think wasabi would ruin my palate (should've gone with the cheese). But the group next to us dives fingers first into the tray, by-passing the toothpicks at the height of the Swine Flu scare. More cheeses came around; this time they were fruit-infused (raspberry, grape?). No thanks, I'm good.
Glenora's tasting experience allowed us to gain perspective. We could now truly appreciate the quality wine and tastings, elsewhere. It did get my first ever "Bottom of the Barrel" award. Overall, the wines were not so flawed that a newcomer to wines would be distressed. They were safe, mellow wines designed to appeal to the tastes of the masses. And our favorite wineries will be less crowded because of that.
Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Dry Riesling 2008 - $17.99. Though watery, this wine had good flavors. The value isn't there, especially when we had just come from a fantastic sampling of Rieslings at Wiemer.
Meritage - $24.99. Bordeaux blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. Found it to be "just meh".
Sangiovese - $16.99. Definitely one we wanted to sample since no one else had it on the tasting menu. It had a pleasing aromas but not enough complexity. This was one of the two better wines.
Syrah - $16.99. A Double Gold winner. Average, not a lot of flavor; good tannins. For this price, I really expect more personality. The second of the better wines.
Cabernet Franc - $15.99. A Gold Medal winner. Did not like this one. Oaky and a lot more fruit present than needed to be.
Brut 2002 - $24.99. Another Gold Medal winner. (Who are these judges? Not that I'm passing judgement, just curious.) Blend of Pinot Noir and Concord, excuse me... I meant Chardonnay. Couldn't get past the Concord grape smell and taste. Not recommended.
Glenora Port - $16.99. Hey, look. They have port on their menu. This is different. And it uses 8 year old brandy from their sister winery. Let's try it. Tasting notes just read "NO." I was idiotically hopeful.
Other wines on the tasting menu:
Whites & blends: Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling, Lake Series.
Pinot Noir Rose
Semi-Dry & Sweet: Cayuga, Chardonnay and Niagara. Classic Blush. Bobsled Red and Jammin' Red. (I wish I were making this up.)
Reds & blends: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yellow Cab.
Fruit Series: Blueberry Breeze, Raspberry Rose, Cranberry Chablis and Peach Passion.
Sparkling, Port and Ice Wine
