Summertime in the Finger Lakes, NY is a magical season. The serene beauty, abundance of activities, generous hospitality and quaint charm combine to create a travel destination rivaled by few in the United States. This year, the legendary Watkins Glen International will host to its 19th annual Finger Lakes Wine Festival, (July 11 – 13) a coming together of more than 90 New York wineries, serving up an astonishing 600+ varieties of wine and food. The event has grown into the largest wine festival on the East Coast, welcoming in more than 25,000 guests every year, all eager to relax, drink wine, and feast on fine dining for the weekend. Andrew Smith, Director of Marketing and Promotions for Watkins Glen International spoke with ResortsandLodges.com about the annual festival; the history behind the event, the demographics, and why this festival is an amazing experience for couples and people who love wine.
RAL: Tell me about the Finger Lakes Wine Festival…What am I getting myself into?
AS: The Finger Lakes Wine Festival is the largest wine festival on the East Coast, featuring New York State Wine. It is a tasting event with 90 New York State wineries that attend each year. All of the wineries have booths and displays set up throughout the facility, and everyone essentially comes in and samples wine paired with delicious food and a fun, energetic environment. We really target the female demographic, age 21 to 34. We see a lot of couples in this age range, as well as groups come to Watkins Glen for an incredible weekend.
RAL: Take me Through a Day at the Festival…What can I Expect other than Wine?
AS: We have live music that plays all day, local cooking demonstrations from some of the best chefs in the area, and of course plenty of wine to be had. We also have the unique opportunity to ride in a pace car around the Watkins Glen track, which is an experience that not a lot of people get to take advantage of in a lifetime – it is pretty cool to be out there. We also have premier entertainment opportunities – whether it is a high end breakfast in our club area or the wine and food pairing event that takes place daily, the festival certainly has its fair share of unique opportunities to expand your knowledge about Finger Lakes wine and dining.
RAL: What makes this festival so unique compared to others of its kind?
AS: I think it is two-fold really: We are going into our 19th year, so we have a lot of history and tradition behind this thing. The fact that it is held at a world renowned racing facility transformed into this collection of fine wine and food is unique in itself. And of course, as many travelers know, the Finger Lakes in the Summer time is an incredible place to be. One of the things that also makes this unique is that it is all New York State wine. We are obviously close to places like Canada, Pennsylvania, etc. and we have wineries from those areas who always want to attend. The way that we established this event in the beginning was New York state wine only, and we have held true to that over the years.
“The fact that (the Finger Lakes Wine Festival) is held at a world renowned racing facility transformed into this collection of fine wine and food is unique in itself. And of course, as many travelers know, the Finger Lakes in the Summer time is an incredible place to be.”
RAL: Where do you see this event heading in the future?
AS: We see this continuing to grow. We have had tremendous success and year over year growth to this point, so we see positive signs to come. There has been great feedback and attention from the local community, and we are starting to really expand our marketplace. The upside and potential of the festival is enormous, and we are really excited to see where it goes.