OUR VINEYARD
Our vineyard is purposefully planted in the heart of the Finger Lakes, in the Town of Hector, on the southeast side of Seneca Lake, the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes by volume. We grow Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Only 100% Estate Grown fruit is used in our winemaking.
With plantings extending to the Seneca Lake shoreline, and a steep, westward facing slope our vineyard is optimally situated to maximize the sunlight hours captured during the growing season and produce a micro-climate which helps mitigate the challenges of growing vinifera in upstate New York.
TOP 10 BEST WINERY RESTAURANTS 2026
To celebrate the very best, a panel of experts for USA Today shared their top selections, and readers cast their votes! The result: ten winery restaurants that embody the art of food and wine at its highest level—destinations where every detail is designed to delight, including Ryan William Vineyard at The Tasting Barn!
RYAN WILLIAM VINEYARD
FEATURED WINE
2026 New York Wine Classic
WINNER OF BEST WHITE WINE
PINOT BLANC
Year
2025
Bottle size
750ml
Notes from Judges
One of our many Estate Grown, single-vineyard offerings, the 2025 Pinot Blanc is fresh, lively, and appealingly packed with distinctive fruit but no oak. The stainless steel fermentation and extended sur lie maturation create an enticing crispness that is interwoven with a wonderful creaminess. Flavors of Meyer lemon and honeydew are elevated by the playful natural residual sugar. While aromas of white flowers are met by orchard fruit and slivered almonds which gracefully emerge as the wine gets comfortable in the glass. This is a wine you will keep coming back to.
GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Year
2019
Bottle size
750ml
Tasting Note
Light in color, the 2019 Gewürztraminer is packed full of spicy aromas of Asian pears, rosewater, and honeysuckle. On the palate it is tongue tingling with notes of mouth watering candied orange, spice, and a hint of white pepper. Fermented dry, in the Alsatian style, pair this with an array of foods, including smoked meats, hard cheeses as well as spicy cuisine.
Please call to order.
PINOT NOIR ROSÉ
Year
2024
Bottle size
750ml
Tasting Note
Made from 100% hand harvested Pinot Noir, the 2024 Pinot Noir Rosé is dry and delicate. The grape skins were macerated with the fruit in a traditional cold soak to provide clean yet complex layered aromatics of strawberry and ripe watermelon. Expertly balanced, the wine finishes with mouthwatering notes of raspberry and blood orange.
Please call to order.
THE TASTING BARN
GREAT WINE STARTS IN THE VINEYARD
GREAT TIMES HAPPEN AT THE TASTING BARN
Located on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail in the Finger Lakes of central New York State, our tasting room, known as The Tasting Barn, is minutes from Watkins Glen, the town of Hector, and the village of Burdett, and just a short drive from Ithaca and Trumansburg.
The Tasting Barn offers curbside food and provisions to go, as well as dine-in, tapas-style snacks, brunch, lunch and specialty dinners. All of our offerings are fresh, local, made-to-order, and set in our restored and rejuvenated barn, originally built between 1865 and 1870.
