Sipping a Chardonnay from the Finger Lake Area #WorldWineTravel

Many years ago, before I began blogging.  Before the age of cell phones and portable computers.  Back when you used a camera with film that had to be taken in for development.  Way back then, we met our friends Keith and Kim in the Finger Lakes Region of New York for a Murder Mystery tour of the area wineries.  

Photo courtesy of Google photos

This is the most current map I could find.  Look at all those wineries.  I don't know how many wineries there were in the late 1990's  when we went, but I'm sure there weren't that many.  We visited 5 while on tour where we met mystery writers, sipped wines, and followed clues to solve a murder.  It was great fun.

I don't remember too much about the wines.  I think I was still a relatively newbie in regards to wines back then but had advanced from Blue Nun to Bogle Petite Syrah and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay.

Last month, we lost our dear friend, Keith and traveled to Pennsylavania for his Memorial Service.  As we drove, we remenisced about this wonderful man who was like a brother to my husband.  Keith and Frank met in 1971 when they were stationed together on the USS Robison while serving in the Navy.  Their first traveling took them to Viet Nam, twice, where they engaged in battles.

Frank talked about those times and how close they had become during those trying days and the fun and crazy things they would find to do while on leave.  Through the years, we would get together as often as possible while raising families, caring for parents, working full time, etc., but whenever we were together, we had a great time.

Talking about those times and this trip, in particular, inspired me to revisit the wines of the Finger Lakes when Susannah of Avvinare invited us to join her in exploring "Lesser Known Wine Regions of the World".  You will find links to more articles on this topic below.

I found this bottle of 2017 Ravines Chardonnay at Total Wine.  Ravines has vineyards and wineries on both Geneva and Keuka Lakes.  It is a small family-owned winery that has both shalestone and limestone sites.  The Chardonnay that I opened was mineral-driven yet very smooth.  I poured myself a glass to sip while making dinner.

I was very impressed with this wine.  It was one of the nicest Chardonnays I have enjoyed.  It paired very nicely with a simple dinner of Grilled Pork Tenderloin and a Marinated Bean Salad.  I was unable to find out too much about the 2017 vintage, however, the notes for the current vintage state that it will age nicely.  Based on my experience with this bottle, I would agree.

I'm anxious to learn more about Lesser Known Wine Areas, please join me as I visit the other articles this month.

Follow us on social media using the #WorldWineTravel hashtag and join in the fun.

Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles dishes on "Liechtenstein, Valle d'Aosta and the Umpqua Valley - a few wine regions you may not be familiar with"

Jennifer from Vino Travels posts “Blaufrankisch of Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes Region"

Martin from Enoflyz Wine Blog shares "Beyond the Usual: Discovering Teran from Slovenia’s Coastal Karst"

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator showcases "Discovering Virginia Wine + Cuisine via the Governor’s Cup Case 2025: 3 Red Blends with Ham, Gratin, Greens"

Cathie from Side Hustle Vino adds "Off The Beaten Vineyard in Guanajuato, Mexico"

Andrea from The Quirky Cork brings "Greece's Most Ancient Grape Finds a Home on the Slopes of Meliton"

Camilla from Culinary Cam writes "Rkatsiteli: An Ancient Grape from the Oldest Wine-Producing Region on Earth"

Terri from Our Good Life joins with "New-to-Me Wine Region: Affinitas Sarga Muskotaly in Hungary"

Wendy from A Day in the Life On The Farm pens "Sipping a Chardonnay from the Finger Lake Area"

Susannah from Avvinare, writes about "Discovering Brda in Slovenia"