King Ferry Winery – Treleaven Wines Review

Address: 658 Lake Rd. King Ferry,New York 13081.
Phone Number: 315-364-5100
Tasting Hours: See website for wine tasting details.

Region: Finger Lakes AVA, Cayuga Lake AVA, New York
Reviewer: Caroline Helper
Review Date: 6/22/2012
Reviewer: Caroline Helper
Rating: 3

The Review

Located on the east side of Cayuga Lake, King Ferry Winery produces wines under its own label and also under the Treleaven label. The winery prides itself on its Chardonnays and is a fixture at many farmers’ markets in neighboring cities – including New York.

The Place: &nbspUnlike neighboring Seneca and Keuka Lake, which are both ringed with wineries on all sides, Cayuga Lake is still developing its wine production. King Ferry Winery has been there since 1984, and is a charming and welcoming family-run operation. The main building is surrounded by a lovely garden, vineyards, and views of Cayuga Lake, and the tasting room doubles as the barrel room, so guests can taste wines while taking in the racked-to-the-ceiling barrels of the winery’s wines. There are some picnic tables outside in the summer, where guests can take their wine tasting if they’d prefer the sunshine to the heady smell of oak.

The Experience: &nbspThe team at King Ferry Winery is a fun group that likes to guide visitors through an educational and thorough tasting, while still ensuring that there are plenty of laughs. The owners, Tacie and Peter Saltonsall are delightful, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll get the winemaker, Lindsey Stevens, a true firecracker, to guide you through a tasting. The winery’s two labels – King Ferry and Treleaven each represent a distinct style and make this a great spot to come with a group of mixed-experience levels.

The Wines: &nbspThe wines produced under the King Ferry label represent a more modern style of winemaking, and are made with traditional European grapes such as Chardonnay, but also native and on-the-sweet side grapes like Vignoles, Delaware, Niagara, and Cayuga White. These wines are approachable and easy-drinking – not wines to be taken too seriously and a fun experience for the novice wine taster. The wines produced under the Treleaven label, on the other hand, are serious wines made in a European style. Their Burgundian Chardonnay, smooth, rich, and nutty is a truly delightful wine, and the winery’s Rieslings and Gewurztraminer are quite pleasant, too. The reds produced under the Treleaven label include a velvety and spicy Merlot and a classic Bordeaux-style Meritage blend. The Trelleaven EIS wine, made from late harvest Riesling, is one of the better deals in the region when it comes to dessert wines – at $34.99 a bottle, it’s a sumptuous, tangy, and absolutely delicious wine that has an outstanding quality-to-price ratio compared to other wineries’ offerings.

Extras: &nbspTastings cost $3/person with a choice of 6 selections and there is an extra $1 charge to taste some select wines. King Ferry stands out in that they donate a portion of the proceeds from their tastings to a local charity every year. During the season from May to October, the winery offers local cheeses and snacks that are available to enjoy while sitting outside with a glass of wine, however, there is no restaurant on site. The nearby Man in The Moon Cheescake Co. is a great place to stop for dessert, a sweet snack, or a slice of cheesecake. Also from July- September, the winery offers live music from 5:00-7:30pm.

Insiders Tips:  &nbspIf you live in New York State, make sure you ask for the winery’s farmers market schedule – they sell their wines at several farmers markets around the state!