If you’re not sure of what to expect of wines from New York State’s Finger Lakes AVA, let us illuminate you. Imagine cold winds from Canada rustling through vineyards, which produce grapes with impressive verve and remarkable acidity. Slate and limestone slopes that welcome the warmth of the summer sun and work in tandem with deep bodies of water to ripen grapes. In the glass, all of this translates to wines with distinctive fruit and acidic profiles. In short, this cool region is a treasure trove of potential and innovation, which produces elegant fruit and prominent acidity. And although climate change looms, an exciting horizon lies ahead. How It Started In 1958, grape grafting trailblazer Dr. Konstantin Frank first adjoined Riesling and Chardonnay vines on cold-hardy rootstocks in the Finger Lakes region. Although in his experience, American hybrids often yielded unreliable and costly results, Frank saw potential and founded the region’s first vinifera winery, Vinifera Wine Cellars. The institution revolutionized the local wine industry and made the survival of European varietals in a cool climate feasible. Propagation in nearby vineyards and the founding of new wineries soon followed. In 1982, the Finger lakes AVA was established, followed by the declaration of the Cayuga Lake sub-AVA in 1988 and the Seneca Lake sub-AVA in 2003. Today, there are more than 130 wineries spread across the region. Varietals That Thrive Here The Finger Lakes AVA produces white wines with invigorating structure. Today, Riesling dominates the AVA, manifesting in a range of styles with varying levels of dryness. In addition to its characteristic acidity, these wines tend to deliver fresh notes of tart apples, Meyer lemon and peach, which complement the grape’s signature petrol aroma. Blind tasters can distinguish Finger Lakes Riesling from examples that hail from Alsace and Mosel. The latter lead with fruit, which gives way to a petrol mid-palate before finishing with mouthwatering acidity. The Finger Lakes expression, on the other hand, unabashedly strikes with a surge of linear acid upfront. Late-harvest and botrytized Rieslings produced here, which exude restraint and balance, have also boosted New York State's sweet wine reputation. These scintillating gems have graced wine lists worldwide alongside German and Australian counterparts. Chardonnay is also exceptional here, with still wines boasting bold but round acidity and lively citrus and orchard fruit flavors that are reminiscent of vibrant Chablis. The unoaked, stainless-steel style mesmerizes even the staunchest of the “ABC” (Anything but Chardonnay) crowd. Moreover, it often dances gracefully with Pinot Noir in traditional-method sparkling wines, symphonizing stone fruit with red berries framed by toasty brioche. However, Chardonnay's pièce de résistance is its Blanc de Blancs, characterized by white peach, apricot and delicate floral notes—a stylistic rendition that holds its own against high-end sparklers from Trentodoc and Carneros. Gewurztraminer, generally a low-acid variety, also flourishes, but with a robust acidity that outpaces that of bottlings from Alsace. These are wines with pronounced but inviting notes of lychee and rose petal. Similarly, Sancerre lovers can embrace the region’s Sauvignon Blanc, which delivers herbaceous and floral notes that harmonize with citrus zest. For reds, Cabernet Franc steals the spotlight. This resilient winter-hardy grape delivers consistent yields. Winemakers are enamored by its versatility, crafting both oaked and unoaked styles. Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc bursts with red fruit flavors and a cheeky hint of green bell pepper. It shines with both French and American oak, adopting fine tannins and a voluptuous body with hints of coconut, clove and vanilla bean. Pinot Noir also performs well in years with long, dry growing seasons, yielding fresh flavors of sour cherry and strawberry marked by its classic acidic profile. In similar conditions, Merlot blossoms and achieves higher levels of acidity compared to its Long Island, California and Bordeaux counterparts. Looking Forward The region is also home to a bourgeoning sparkling scene. While other regions chase to retain acidity, the cool climate of the Finger Lakes allows for picking sparkling grapes deep into September, achieving a desirable balance between ripeness and acidic lift. Many believe these sparklers will play a large role in the Finger Lakes AVA’s future. But here's the twist—climate change is real. The silver lining is that it opens doors to other international grape varietals that may now prosper in the region. For instance, Dr. Konstantin Frank cultivates the native Georgian grapes Rkatsiteli and Saperavi with ease. Likewise, Nancy Irelan of Red Tail Ridge is on a similar journey, introducing bold reds of Teroldego and Lagrein from Northern Italy. All benefit from extended periods of warmth and sunshine, which create the potential for the development of greater phenolics, tannin and complexity. It’s against this backdrop that we consider Wine Enthusiast’s current crop of top-rated wines from the Finger Lakes AVA. They span a variety of varieties and styles, illustrating the tremendous depth and breadth of the region. If these bottlings are any indication, the Finger Lakes AVA surely has an exciting future before it. Our Top-Rated Finger Lakes Wines Why You Should Trust Us All products featured here are independently selected by our team, which is comprised of experienced writers and wine tasters and overseen by editorial professionals at Wine Enthusiast headquarters. All ratings and reviews are performed blind in a controlled setting and reflect the parameters of our 100-point scale. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment to conduct any product review, though we may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this site. Prices were accurate at the time of publication. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that Dr. Konstantin Frank founded the Finger Lakes AVA's first winery. He founded the region's first vinifera winery. We regret the error.