Atwater Estate Vineyards

Thousands of years ago, glaciers gouged their way through this region of New York, carving through slate and shale, leaving behind eleven glorious lakes. The Iroquois Nation that once thrived in these fertile valleys believed the Great Spirit had blessed the land by placing her hands on the earth and after she lifted her fingers, the remaining impressions left on the land filled with water and became the eleven lakes we know as the “Finger Lakes”. However the lakes were formed, the rich, fertile soils combined with the deep lakes and rolling valleys create an ideal climate for growing grapes. Our vineyards, located on the southeastern hillsides of Seneca Lake, date back to the early 1900’s when native varieties like Catawba and Concord reined the region. In the early 1970’s, local grape grower and wine entrepreneur, Bill Moffitt, purchased the eighty-four acres of land on Seneca’s eastern shore, and began planting French-American hybrids and vitis vinifera on the farm. By the late seventies, Chardonnay, Marechal Foch, Seyval, Chancellor and Chelois had started to take root and were flourishing well.