Red Newt Cellars & Bistro: A True Finger Lakes Experience

In this, our second segment from our amazing visit to the Finger Lakes in New York, we take a look at one of the finest wineries in all of the region, Red Newt Cellars.

Red Newt is located on the east side of Seneca Lake in the town of Hector, NY. In 2011, the winery received the New York Wine & Grape Foundation Award for Winery of the Year, an honor bestowed amongst 200 other wineries in the area.

In addition to producing wines from a variety of east Seneca Lake vineyards, Red Newt offers innovative Finger Lakes cuisine in its Bistro, one of several restaurants in the region that promotes culinary relationships between chefs and farmers. Each evening, the Bistro's menu features appetizers, entrees, and desserts made with locally sourced ingredients and each specifically designed to pair with wine.

In this segment, filmed in the spring, we meet with the owners of Red Newt, David and Debra Whiting, and learn quite a bit about the history of Red Newt -- including the origins of the name itself -- and discuss the growth of winemaking in the Finger Lakes and the numerous accolades awarded to both the winery and bistro.

It was recently when we learned that several weeks after our visit, Debra died in a tragic car accident. Yet in her passing, it is clear that her passion will live on through Red Newt, a place where, in her words, "you can find a true Finger Lakes experience... the wine, the food and the scenery." Our sentiments exactly...

In her memory, The Debra Whiting Foundation has been formed to carry on Debra's vision and commitment to local wine and food, farms, families and community.

We are incredibly lucky to have met both David and Debra and can't thank them enough for such a warm and welcoming experience. We'll be back soon...

Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro is located at 3675 Tichenor Road in Hector, NY.

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of segments that detail our visit to five unique wineries in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Though all of the footage was taken in the spring, and the weather and foliage is obviously a bit different today, it is our hope that viewer will find within our work the beauty and charm of each winery and the region as a whole. Indeed, it is quite undeniable...

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Red Newt Cellars
• Red Newt Bistro
• David Whiting
• Debra Whiting
• Finger Lakes
• wine
• Hector NY
• Seneca Lake
• vineyards
• The Debra Whiting Foundation