Damiani Wine Cellars — Attraction in Town of Hector

Damiani was not on our radar until scouring CellarTracker for wines with high ratings and high numbers of bottles in cellars. Folks seem to like this place, and so do we. From the road, it doesn't look attractive, with a dated roadside sign and fairly nondescript appearance. However, the tasting room is well-kept, and the wines speak for themselves. Surprisingly, the heavy reds (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, their Meritage, etc.) were the standouts from the lineup. A tasting guided by Mr. Michael A. Cimino was very enjoyable and helped us understand the winemaking philosophy and aging trajectory of many of the wines. This is a well-run operation, and we will be returning in the future.

SEPTEMBER 2017 UPDATE:

We returned to Damiani for a second time after being blown away last year by many of the reds, and were not disappointed on our return. The hospitality of the staff was outstanding, as was the quality of many new releases including the '15 Cab Franc, '13 Cab Sauv, '12 Merlot Reserve/Damiani Vineyard, among others. Also of note is the newest release of the Bollicine sparkling wine, which at $16 retail has become our go-to sparkling wine over the last year. Bottom line, Damiani is a must-visit for any Finger Lakes wine lover.

SEPTEMBER 2018 UPDATE:

Our third visit to a perennial favorite. Love coming here for the laid back but super-knowledgeable staff, Michael most of all. Tasted through everything that was new to us. Surprised at how well the '16 barrel fermented Chardonnay has turned out, as well as the '17 dry rosé. As always, the 2016 MC^2 blend, 2015 Meritage (of note due to the difficult vintage), and host of other reds impressed us. This winery has a dedicated following for good reason. A must-visit for anyone who says the Finger Lakes can't make...

My husband and I recently got married in the Finger Lakes and wanted to take our family and close friends to some of our favorite places. We had visited Damiani and were delighted to find out they accommodated larger groups for private tastings. They were so easy to work with and were super flexible as our head count changed due to travel issues and weather. The tasting itself was so fun! Jeremy, who led our tasting was great, just the right mix of funny and informative. My husband and I have done a fair amount of wine tastings and we learned so many new things. Some of our friends even took notes and there were so many questions. In addition to hosting an excellent tasting, the wines were great! Everyone in our group tends to enjoy dry wine and that is all Damiani does. They make some amazing blends, great bubbly, and have several fun single varietal wines to choose from. If you want an informal tasting for a small group or a larger private tasting, Damiani is the...

We planned 5 days in Watkins Glen specifically to taste wine. This was our first visit. Day one, tasting one, at a wine bar in town (going by the same name as its winery). We asked our server for recommendations within a certain radius of town. For reds, Damiani was on the top of her list on the east side of Seneca Lake. We arrived at Damiani on day three, having tried multiple reds at various nearby wineries. We were greated by Jeremy. He provided friendly, professional, and knowledgeable service during our tasting. He represented the label as if it were his own (may have been for all I know), and he guided us well. We purchased MC Squared and another red. We can have more shipped when needed and will stop in the next trip to the region. Glad we stopped. Don't let other reviews panning the facilities decor`sway you from a...