On a map of New York, 11 skinny blue streaks snake across the middle of the state. These curious parallel formations, carved by glaciers receding at the end of the last ice age, are the Finger Lakes, named for their obvious resemblance to the slender, crooked digits of a human hand. The lakes are deep cobalt, glossy-surfaced, and narrow as rivers. The vast Finger Lakes region is a pastoral patchwork of storybook waterfront villages, grand Victorian homes, dairy farms, forests, waterfalls, and sloped vineyards. And the lakes run through it all.
The principal "fingers" are the five major lakes that stripe the region. These unique bodies of water, which range in length from 3 to 40 miles and are as narrow as 1/3 of a mile across, are framed by a gentle rise of vineyard-covered banks and rolling hills. The region is one of mesmerizing beauty, like a dream marriage of Scotland and Napa Valley. The lakes have given rise to unique conditions and microclimates that are ideal for grape-growing, and the region is home to one of the most notable winemaking concentrations in the country; an ever-growing roster of some 75 wineries dot the banks of the lakes. Several are boutique wineries that have made great strides in challenging the accepted supremacy of California and Oregon winemakers. Organized wine trails -- comprising the wineries along Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua lakes -- can be followed, making it easy to visit Finger Lakes wineries and taste their wines.
Quite remarkably, the Finger Lakes region remains unknown to many Americans -- and even many New Yorkers. Anchored by medium-size upstate cities on either side -- Syracuse and Rochester -- the Finger Lakes are largely about outdoor recreation, relaxed wine tours, and small-town life, though the area packs a few surprises, such as the astounding Corning Museum of Glass; the progressive charms of Ithaca, a quintessential college town; the summer haunts of Mark Twain; the legacy of the Underground Railroad that carried slaves to freedom; and the origins of the women's suffrage and civil rights movements, American aviation, and the modern Mormon Church.
In warm months the Finger Lakes region comes alive with cyclists, wine tourists, and theater and music fans. Though the region is most often thought of as a summer destination, it is really a year-round place. It is gorgeous even in winter -- which is actually much milder than most parts of upstate New York -- and perhaps most stunning in autumn, when the brilliant blue lake waters are framed by an earthy palette of reds and yellows and sun-kissed, golden vineyards.
