Forge Cellars — Attraction in Town of Hector

Forge Cellars, a recent entry in the Finger Lakes winery fraternity, is a small operation that dedicates itself to quality, and maybe a bit of pretension. They are appointment-only, with limited time slots, and the tasting I attended was done by the vineyard manager, a Mr. Rainey, with grapes being sorted and loading into a crusher right behind us. They only do Rieslings and Pinot Noir wines (and a rose made from Pinot Noir grapes). The word that most captures the wine style here is "austere"; even their "fruity" Riesling seemed muted and mineral-intensive. There is nothing wrong with that but it is not to everyone's taste. I like more mineral Rieslings but I also like more perfumed and fruit-intensive ones as well, so a bit more variety in style might have helped. The Pinot was of a similar restrained nature, though interesting enough to have merit. They seem to pride themselves on doing things in a European manner (one of the winemakers is French), including apparently having meals with everyone around the table eating and drinking wine. I respect what they are trying to do but this was all laid on a bit thick; they are just not in the same class as places like HJW or Boundary Breaks, which do not bother with such things (at least in public). However, they are new, and it takes time for a place like this to get established and figure out the right rhythm, so I am inclined to cut them some slack. In any event, the wines are good enough to be worth purchasing, at least for those who like their Rieslings on the less-fruity side. Serious wine people should make this a stop on their tour of the Seneca Lake wineries.

UPDATE October 2019: The winery makes excellent wines that are worth the purchase, and I will do so in future either by website order or by purchasing them from someplace such as Hector. But I will never again go to their winery, for tasting...

There are so many excellent wineries in the Finger Lake region, almost all are so welcoming and so accommodating and happy to have you there. And also just about everyone goes out of their way to make sure that you're tasting experience is enjoyable. Not here. Though they have over 15 or more wines available to consume they only have one tasting option that allows you to try for rieslings and one red wine. If you want to try any of the rest if you're lucky they have them available by the glass for at least $10 or you can buy a bottle. That is a horrendous tasting experience why buy a bottle of something you have not even tasted. And if you were looking to get any sort of attentive information about the wines that you were consuming you have come to the wrong place. Sure some tasting experiences you can have overbearing hosts when you really would like a little bit of space but not here. Here all you get is space you don't get any help or any information or any attentiveness. Sadly the wine is good but this is not a review of the wine this is a review of the experience that we had. With so many options this will absolutely not be a place we...

Highly recommended by a local. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve been blessed to travel the world tasting and studying wine. The Finger Lakes is my home, and only a few wineries really knock my socks off. For me, that means they go above and beyond in 1.) quality of wine 2.) location and views and 3.) service + knowledge. Forge Cellars absolutely had it all. 11/10 in every category. Today, our tasting host, Wes, was an absolute gem. Not only did he know everything there is to know about Forge’s vineyards and winemaking, but he was also a superb and interesting human being. My bestie and I felt so taken care of, paid attention to, and treated with high class hospitality. Somehow, at the same time, Wes treated us like royalty and portrayed the down to earth spirit of Forge’s terroir-driven wines. This is the PLACE if you want crispy, dry rieslings that put the Finger Lakes on the world map with a few unique wines thrown in the mix. Forge is a sister winery to a maison in France, so you can also taste and buy delightful French wines. The aesthetic is hip-cozy with pristine lake views. I can’t wait to go back with more of my...