The Finger Lakes wine region’s long list of honors has grown by one — and the latest recognition is quite significant.
This one comes from Wine Enthusiast magazine, one of the industry’s preeminent publications and websites, which has named the Finger Lakes the 2025 Wine Star Award American Wine Region of the Year.
It’s an honor shared by all of the region’s winemakers, whose reputation for quality continues to grow each year.
Fred Frank, president of Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery along Keuka Lake, also is celebrating the award. However, he said he can’t do so without thinking about his late grandfather, wine pioneer Konstantin Frank.
“I feel Konstantin is smiling down from the heavens with pride in seeing the Finger Lakes named as the Best Wine Region in the U.S.,” Fred said. “Dr. Konstantin Frank pioneered the introduction of the Vitis Vinifera varieties in the Finger Lakes in the 1950s, which sparked a quality renaissance in the region’s wines. We are now in our fourth generation continuing Dr. Frank’s legacy at our family winery.”
Fred Frank notes that in the current issue of Wine Enthusiast, Dr. Konstantin Frank Gruner Veltliner was named the No. 5 wine in their “Top 100 List of Best Buys” from around the world.
Other Finger Lakes winemakers also are basking in this latest honor for the region, which draws roughly 1.5 million visitors who come to sample wineries big and small — most of them concentrated along Seneca, Keuka and Cayuga lakes.
Scott Osborn of Fox Run Vineyards in Torrey, Yates County, is proud that the region’s wineries continue to build on the legacy of what Dr. Frank ushered in decades ago.
“It is truly exciting to see the world take notice,” he said. “As a winery owner here, I’ve witnessed for the last 32 years the collaboration between winery owners and winemakers working together to make the best wines from such diverse terroir and climate. We’re thrilled to be part of a region that continues to raise the bar and redefine what cool-climate winemaking can be.”
Vinny Aliperti, winemaker and co-owner of Geneva’s Billsboro Winery, also looked to those pioneers of the past.
“Witnessing our wine industry evolve and mature over the last 25 years has been a true privilege,” he said. “Today we stand on the shoulders of the generations of winegrowers who toiled and persevered in laying the foundation for our success. We owe it to them and future generations to protect and preserve these Finger Lakes.”
In a press release issued by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, Wine Enthusiast Media President Jacqueline Strum said the “Finger Lakes have been a beacon of innovation, resilience, and quality within American wine. The region’s winemakers combine deep respect for tradition with a forward-looking commitment to sustainability and community, producing wines that consistently stand among the world’s best. We recognize the Finger Lakes with a Wine Star Award as the 2025 American Wine Region of the Year for its exceptional wines, people and sense of place that make the region truly special.”
Sam Filler, executive director of the Penn Yan-based New York Wine & Grape Foundation, said the award reflects not only what is happening in the Finger Lakes, but in the industry statewide.
“This honor from Wine Enthusiast celebrates not only the Finger Lakes, but the strength and evolution of New York’s entire wine community,” Filler said. “The American Wine Region of the Year Award affirms what generations of growers and winemakers have known: The Finger Lakes define what cool-climate excellence looks like in America.”
Amy Navor, executive director of the Geneva-based Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, echoed Filler’s sentiment.
“This recognition highlights our community’s shared success and innovation, proving that when the Finger Lakes grows, the entire New York wine industry grows,” she said. “We’re honored to work alongside the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and our peers to showcase the region’s authentic story to the world. The Finger Lakes stands as a testament to resilience and collaboration, where generations of growers and new wineries work together to craft exceptional cool-climate wines.”
Hochul noted that the Finger Lakes, home to 11 glacial lakes and more than 140 wineries, is the largest and most established wine-producing region in the state. She added that the region has developed international recognition for cool-climate native and hybrid varieties, as well as classic vinifera varieties, particularly riesling and cabernet franc. The Finger Lakes also produces world-class rosés and sparkling wines, Hochul noted.
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation said the Finger Lakes’ deep history in winemaking began in 1829 with the first plantings along Keuka Lake and evolved through the pioneering work of Charles Fournier and Dr. Konstantin Frank.
“Their commitment to experimentation and excellence set the stage for the region, now celebrated globally for its cool-climate precision and diversity of style,” the organization said.
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