Coyote Moon Vineyards on the River — Restaurant in Town of Clayton

Had I posted this review last year they would have gotten 5 stars and the best review that I have ever written. Recently my husband and I went in to visit during this new season and they no longer offer any food service. We used to go there for lunch and dinner all the time last year and sit on the water. This year they're only allowing some appetizers and they don't have any sandwiches or meals anymore. This is completely upsetting because I have recommended so many people go there because the service was always great and the food was phenomenal. I'm not quite sure why they only want to focus on their wine and snacks now, because the food definitely seemed like it was making them money. On top of that, their website and Facebook never mentioned that they are no longer serving actual meals there so we drove quite a distance out there just to be disappointed and find out that they no longer serve the meals. We did buy a few bottles of wine and had an appetizer inside by the window, however they don't even have tables outside on the deck anymore when we were there and it was a beautiful 80 degree day. Pretty upset that this is the direction that they are going in because there are wineries everywhere and they even have their main Winery right up the road, so why is this location only focusing on...

We were fortunate enough to book a wine cruise to celebrate our 19 year anniversary. We are very familiar with and love Coyote Moon wines but this was our first time to Coyote Moon on the river. The Staff was very welcoming and inviting. Wine selection was phenomenal as always and the view on the river was second to none. Our two hour wine cruise included a wine tasting prior, a choice of bottle of wine each, and a snack box with cheeses, strawberries, crackers and meats to pair with the wines. Captain Joe (with the Mullet!) Took care of us on the river and we had Abby, (an aspiring classical opera singer) providing guest services,music and entertainment. Keep a close eye and you can catch the quiet Captain Joe lip singing to some song choices but if you want to be absolutely amazed you have to ask Abby to bless you with the most amazing voice you have heard. Coyote Moon is seriously missing out not taking advantage of her classical voice! This is an excellent choice for bridal parties, anniversary celebrations, birthdays or any night out. Great company, beautiful sights , excellent hosts and all...

I really, really wanted to like this place more than I did.

First the positives... I love their wine. I usually prefer sweet wine, but their oak barrel chardonnay is one of my all-time favourites. Their rosé is the only rosé I actually like, so flavourful that it tastes sweetish despite being dry. Their cherry fruit wine is hands down my favourite cherry wine, and I've been to a lot of fruit wineries.

Unfortunately, the service was not nearly as good. They suffer from the issue that I've encountered too many times as a single traveller, namely, if you do a tasting as a single person, you will get the bare minimum amount of attention, if that, even if it isn't busy. Also, according to their website, they serve salads and sandwiches, but in actuality they only have a few chilled pastries. This was a bit of an issue as this was a planned stop on a long road trip.

I decided to come here after visiting The Boat tasting room in Lake Placid and trying a few of their wines. That was an amazing experience, and despite the limited selection, I'd much rather go back there...