Greetings, Great Beer Now fans and followers! This is the fourth entry in a multi- part series of blog posts relating to the Great Beer Now Country Bales and Autumn Ales Beer Tour 2018, which took place in west central New York. I made my way from Syracuse to Binghamton and back, stopping along the way to visit some of the best breweries, wineries, and distilleries the area has to offer. Grab a beer and follow along on my journey through this scenic section of New York State. Cheers!
I visited the Central New York region twice this year, spending time at different breweries and soaking up the mountain scenery and fresh air. My second visit was marked by several new brewery visits, but it also included a memorable sojourn to something different; an adult beverage producer that reigns supreme in this part of the country. I’m talking, of course, about wineries and one that I visited and liked very much was Owera Vineyards, located at 5276 E. Lake Road, Cazenovia, New York.
Country Accents
Owned by the Muserlian family, Owera Vineyards is a full- fledged wine production facility. The country business spans 57 acres and includes a farm, production facility, and tasting room along with plenty of meeting space for gatherings large and small. Weddings are a common occurrence, too, and they even have outdoor accommodations perfect for exchanging vows amongst the vines.
Owera Vineyards has its own restaurant and bar, serving food options such as pizza, lobster tail, cheese boards, steak, and other foods, many of which include wine recommendations. The wine is served at the bar and in the tasting room. They serve beer and cider also, just in case you’re not in the mood for wine.
The calendar is usually loaded at Owera Vineyards. Depending on which evening you visit, you may encounter a trivia night, half price night, and live music. They schedule other special events tied to the season and/or holidays and with the abundance of private meeting space and large grounds, it is common to find private events taking place as well.
Fruit of the Vine
Owera Vineyards believes in wine education and the tasting room is the place most visitors will convene to sample wine and learn more about how it is made, how it tastes, and how to properly pair it with food. Tastings are offered at different levels depending on how many you wish to sample. The Standard Wine Tasting comes with three samples while the Premium Wine Tasting comes with five samples. If you prefer a little more wine and already know what you want, a good option is the wine flight, which includes four 2 oz. samples.
Take Me Home
Owera Vineyards is a first- class operation and one of only a handful of wineries I visited this year. My focus is always on breweries, as everyone already knows, and Brew Central does, indeed, include many excellent makers of well- crafted suds. But when you visit a state like New York, it is imperative that you visit at least one winery. After all, the state of New York is home to over 1,600 vineyards and over 400 wineries and most of them have been around far longer than their craft beer counterparts. With such a rich history, no visit to New York would be complete without a stop at one of the many wineries that call this area home.
I visited Owera Vineyards in the early afternoon hours on a crisp, fall day. Driving up to Owera Vineyards, my first impression was positive and the things that struck me most were the natural beauty and the elegance of the property. A winding lane takes you to the main building and along the way, you pass ponds, apple trees, gardens, and of course, grape vineyards. The fall colors on display from surrounding trees added to the visual appeal. Things were off to a positive start and I couldn’t think of any way that the first impression could have been any better.
Entering the main building at Owera Vineyards, the first thing you see is the bar and restaurant. The tasting area is off to the right. My wife and I didn’t visit for the food, even though I admit I was quite tempted to try some after reading about the specialty pizzas. We instead headed directly to the tasting room and positioned ourselves at the tasting bar, poised and ready to try different varietals and learn a little more about Owera Vineyards and New York wine in general.
With the wine, I discovered that Owera Vineyards has a large, overflowing trophy case. As a whole, the wines produced and bottled here have won more than 120 awards with the medals going to a large cross- section of styles and flavors. Often a couple of wines will dominate the awards for most wineries, but that isn’t the case at Owera Vineyards. The awards are widely distributed, which is a true testament to the winery’s commitment to quality across the board. I liked Betty’s White and Owera Owahgena Red the most, but there are many excellent options. I recommend the Premium tasting as the best means to sample a few wines and discover the ones most suitable to your palate.
Breweries have been and will remain the main focus of any tour I take, but wineries often have much to offer and Owera Vineyards is certainly a place worth visiting. The beautifully manicured grounds, the elegant facility, the cleanliness inside and out, the helpfulness and knowledge of the staff, and the quality of the wine itself all combine to make Owera Vineyards a place deserving of your time. It’s not far from Syracuse and easily worth the short drive to visit, so be sure to make your way to Owera Vineyards the next time you’re in the Central New York region. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
[…] (Great Beer Now) […]