Little Steps in the Finger Lakes

Mel Goldman figured one thing out right away when he started Keuka Lake Vineyards in the Finger Lakes: Riesling. Tours to the region as a wine enthusiast brought him into contact with the wines. He took bottles back to his friends for a tasting group, and tasted blind against Rieslings from Germany and elsewhere, the New Yorkers prevailed. So that's where he put his focus first.

Located just up the western side of Keuka Lake, Goldman's winery and tasting room is nestled among a small set of unassuming white buildings. What pops visually is the vineyard just below the winery, a slightly flat portion of gravel, clay and silt over shale that drops off dramatically.