Here’s a quick rundown on how this event will work, but please see below for further details, explanations, and event tidbits:

• Event days are November 20 and 21 & December 4 and 5, from 10 am to 5 pm.
• Tickets are sold only in bundles of 4 to maximize available space and keep all parties (regardless of vaccination status) safe, $275 + tax and service fees. No exceptions.
• This is a one-day event, with 2 weekends and multiple dates to choose from. Tickets will only be honored on their specified date, with no exceptions or exchanges.
• Ticket price includes 6 wineries, with food and wine samples served at each.
• Ticket price also includes a souvenir wine glass for each of the 4 people, plus 2 Cayuga Lake Wine Trail serving boards to take home.
• Multiple itineraries are available to choose from. Quantities of each are limited and cannot be increased. Click here to see all itineraries in one spot to help you choose one.
• You must stick to your chosen itinerary: Early or late arrivals at each winery will only be accommodated if space permits. You also cannot stray from your purchased itinerary. If you aren’t on their list, they will not allow you in.
• Wineries reserve the right to refuse service to intoxicated customers, or those arriving too far outside of their designated time slot.
• We are always following current NYS guidelines, which can change at any moment. As of right now (10/1/21), masks are not mandated by the state, but each business is given the ability to make its own rules. Some will require masks, some will not. Please bring it and be prepared to wear it when asked.
• No pets, please.

What’s new this year?

Tickets are sold in bundles of 4. After months of deliberation, we’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to keep every single eventgoer and staffer safe is to keep this event amongst tables of 4 that are spaced 6 feet apart. Wineries will be providing tables, though some are dividing their tasting bars into groups of 4 seats. In order to accommodate as many guests as possible while remaining socially distant and safe, we are unable to provide seating for smaller groups. But let’s be real- wine is much more enjoyable when you can sit and savor it.

4 days to choose from! This event is listed for 4 days over the course of 2 different weekends, but your ticket is only good for one day- with an itinerary* provided. I know that this deviates from how we’ve done this event in the past, but we’re doing our best to keep everyone as safe as possible while still being able to provide an awesome experience. Your group of 4 will be provided with an itinerary* for 6 different wineries to follow for your selected day. This helps keep each tasting room from getting overcrowded and allows for social distancing and safety. Bonus- since the crowds of the past are almost nonexistent, this exemplifies your experience!

Your itinerary* is incredibly important! Don’t worry- you’ll be able to select an itinerary* for the day you wish to come, from multiple options to boot, so you should be able to see your favorites! Again, this is a safety measure to keep a reasonable amount of people at 6 feet distances and is the ONLY way we can host this event without requiring proof of vaccination. (See below for a further breakdown of how the itinerary works.)

What do you receive? Each bundle of 4 is $275, plus tax and service fee. We’ve changed up the theme of the event this year. Out with the old, in with the new! We know that this is technically a holiday event, but we wanted to give you something that you can use year-round. So, we’re serving you up an awesome serving/cutting board for your next get-together, or solo charcuterie party!

All 4 of the folks within this bundle will receive:

• a holiday party-inspired food dish large enough for at least 3 to 4 bites, if not more, at all 6 wineries
• 4 wines presented with it, also at all 6 stops
• a digital recipe book for all 13 food options
• $5 off a $35 wine purchase at each stop- let the shopping begin!
• a 13.75” by 9.75” customized serving/cutting board, 2 per group of 4, given at the last stop
• and a souvenir wine glass to take home at your last stop

We know this event doesn’t look like they have in the past, but we think you’ll love the new and improved way we’re bringing it to you! We also ask that you respect the efforts we’ve put in to bring you this event in the safest way possible by also doing your part and staying home if you’re sick, stay 6 feet from other groups, and travel within your “covid crew.”

*Itinerary FAQ:

This is a whole new concept so I wanted to break it down as much as I could. This is also THE MOST important part of the day and I want to make sure it’s as clear and simple as possible.

• As mentioned above, we’re doing itineraries to help everyone out. If you’ve attended one of our events in the past, you know that it can get quite crowded at all hours. I know that that’s part of the fun for some, but it’s also 100% not safe right now. Safety is our #1 priority in this. The second is your experience and enjoyment!
• Itineraries are broken down into groups of 6 wineries, with many different ones to choose from. Thirteen of our wineries are participating in this event, and all 13 will be a starting option, with a few different paths to follow for each. Since your ticket includes 6 wineries, you’ll get to visit almost half of them, but you’ll receive the recipe for all 13- bonus!
• All 13 of the wineries are structured differently and can seat a different amount of people. Itineraries are made based on their individual capacity limits and the flow of their tasting room.
• Your itinerary has you at each winery on the hour, every hour starting at 10 am and getting to your last winery at 3 pm. (There are some itineraries that have you at Long Point at a:30 minute time and getting to your last stop at 4. This is to accommodate a bit of extra travel time, which equates to more time to sing in the car between stops! There are also a few that start at 11am and end at 4pm.) This allows your group time for the tasting, shopping, bathroom, travel to the next, etc. Remember- each winery is different and will conduct their tasting a bit differently, so they won’t all take the same exact amount of time. And since they’re all different, some may offer a flight, while others may pour one at a time. A different experience at each is a good thing! This helps differentiate your stops and also prevents them from blurring together.
• If you’re running late, this will eat into your tasting time at that stop. Because it’s a structured day, there isn’t room to extend time at each stop to accommodate. We know accidents happen but try your best to be on time. ‘Leave by times’ are provided as you’re browsing the different itineraries and are on your receipt after your purchase. The ticketing agency, Showclix, will also send an event reminder with the itinerary, and the wine trail office will also send you an email a few days before the event to remind you of your schedule, to provide you with your digital recipe book, and to send a little bonus project that we’re working on to help enhance your day!
• If you’re early, we also kindly ask you to wait to go in if the group before you is still using the area.
• All 4 “tickets” will be listed under the purchaser’s name, but all 4 will be ID’d at check-in.
• At each stop, you’ll be asked for your name to check in, and even though each person in your group was ID’d at the first stop, you’ll likely be asked for ID each time, too. It’s up to them to make sure everyone they serve is 21 years or older and is taken very seriously.
• If you pass a winery on your itinerary while going to the next, don’t worry! Travel time isn’t really an issue here and backtracking just couldn’t be avoided. It was built into your day and will all work out, trust me!
• This schedule also allows the wineries time to clean up, sanitize, and reset before the next group arrives. Again- safety, safety, safety. We want YOU to feel safe coming, and we also want their employees to feel safe serving you. The safer we are, the more of these events we can host!
• Itineraries cannot be modified in any way, shape, or form. They’re specially curated to each winery’s availability and they’re all full and accounted for.

General FAQ:

• How did we determine the cost? The cost is reflective of the current tasting fee structures. The cost to operate a business has gone up in every aspect and in every industry, and that’s true for the wineries, too. On average, tasting fees are $10 per person for 4 to 6 wines, but go as high as $14. $10 x 6 wineries = $60, x 4 people = $240 in tasting fees.
  • The event is priced at $275 (plus tax and service fee) for a table of 4 which equals $68.75 a person, which also includes 6 food dishes, the serving board, the event, the recipes, the experience, the memories, and the souvenir wine glass. (It’s about $78 a person after NYS sales tax and service fee.)
• Will there be a reduced DD rate? At this time, we aren’t able to offer a reduced DD rate. The restructuring of this event has been a very complex process and adding a DD option into the ticket buying experience will have only made it that much more difficult to manage. We certainly don’t discredit how valuable a DD is to the wine experience and still want to encourage responsible choices about drinking and driving. Visit this page to look at various companies in the area that can help you get around.
• Why must it be a group of 4? Why can’t 2 of us come alone? The simple answer is that most tables seat 4. A more complex explanation is that the wineries can space a group of 4 out much easier than a smaller group. Regardless of the size, the group must be 6 feet from the next in order for us to not require proof of vaccination. If they sat 2 at a 4 top table, they’d have to allow fewer people in per hour to accommodate, meaning we’d have to limit tickets even more than they already are.
• Will there be transportation and accommodation packages this year? Unfortunately, no. To be frank, with how complex this event has been to restructure, adding in another difficulty like that would be impossible, not to mention that since groups are limited to 4, I wouldn’t be able to rent a shuttle bus as I have in the past.

Selecting your itinerary

There are about 50 or so itineraries to choose from, with13 wineries being a starting point.

Participating wineries are:

• Long Point Winery
• Montezuma Winery
• Swedish Hill Winery
• Knapp Winery
• Goose Watch Winery
• Buttonwood Grove Winery
• Toro Run Winery
• Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery
• Thirsty Owl Wine Co.
• Hosmer Winery
• Lucas Vineyards
• Americana Vineyards
• Six Mile Creek Vineyards

Click here to see all itineraries in one spot to help you choose one.

I know it’s a lot to choose from, so here are some things to consider when purchasing an itinerary:

• Personally, I like to start farther away so I can work my way closer to home base. Admittedly, not all these itineraries are able to smoothly go north to south or south to north. Backtracking was inevitable, but all travel times were considered when these were being created. (And I’ve also provided a “leave by” time right in the ticket ordering system to help manage your time between each stop.) This all being said, if you’re struggling to pick the right schedule, choose one that has you ending closer to wherever you’re going to afterward.
• Others like to start their day at a winery nearest to where they’re coming from.
• If you don’t care about the start or end location, select one based on the wineries within the itinerary. If you click “more details” under each option, you’ll see exactly which wineries are included.
• If you can’t get an itinerary that includes some of the ones you want, think of this as a good time to try one you haven’t been to before, or maybe one you didn’t previously enjoy. Staff, vintages, and experience change over the course of years and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised this time around!
• *Important* The number in the dropdown box is how many tables/bundles of 4 are available, not how many people you’re buying for.

We’re following all up-to-date NYS guidelines. Currently, we aren’t mandated to require masks OR vaccinations status, though that’s up to the individual wineries. None require vaccinations, but a few do require masks. From the moment you purchase your tickets to the day of the event, these mandates could change, and we’d legally have to implement those rules.

Tickets to this event are non-refundable.

Ready to buy tickets?

Click the date you’d like to attend and follow the directions to the left!

December 4th

December 5th

Any further questions? Call or email the wine trail office: 800-684-5217 | info@cayugawinetrail.com