Came to this winery as a stop on our self guided Seneca Lake West Shore wine tour. As we pulled in, it was if we were driving through a mystical land filled with old dinosaur, animal and goblin statues. Once through the magical forest, you are greeted by a beautiful view of their vineyard and the rolling hills of the area. The staff was friendly. We chose to do a self guided wine tour with a flight of sweet and dry wines both $12 each (pictured). We found a quiet spot out on the back patio to enjoy our flights. We enjoyed the selected wines and service. We would happily return to try more. read more

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Castel Grisch is a refreshingly unique/quirky place. Significantly more laid back and less fancy/formal than the surrounding wineries, this place has a lot of fun statues both outside and inside. There is a giant dog, Leo who works there, and is so friendly and well behaved. The staff member doing our tasting was kind and attentive. The wine was on par with the area. Their rose actually tastes like strawberries which pleasantly surprised me. Amazing vibes the whole time read more

It's worth a visit just to see the wireframe cloth covered animal menagerie they have, including a Jurassic Park. The wines were tasty and the tasting room very busy but not overly so and they had a large dining room and patio are for events. We bought a small cheese board with the wine tastings read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

This winery is an experience like no other on Seneca Lake. I stopped by monday at 11am after a Nascar weekend at Watkins Glen. I had a flight with the owner and she properly served and presented their vintage. I moved to the outside patio with a glass of reisling $12 and a mini charcuterie $5. The owner moved the table and chairs for a perfect lake view and opened the umbrella for me. There was faint music a breeze and birds chirping, so relaxing. The charcuterie was a perfect portion for one. I purchased 3 bottles to take home $68. You simply cannot leave without a stroll through jurassic world . Yes I said dinosaurs! I am returning in September with friends for a music art and hot air balloon fest. read more

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We went to Castell Grisch to view the toy Jurassic Park along with the other animal displays. Most were ruined with the weather conditions. It would be nice if they renovate the displays, adds a good character to the entrance. The tasting room is pretty huge with nice views. The backyard open seating and the yard is pretty cool. Nice open space. We got the rosè wine and enjoyed it with friends. The ladies behind the counter were on their toes and were very friendly. We had a great time. read more

Castel Grisch Winery is one of the smaller Finger Lakes wineries, but is very close to the town of Watkins Glen, and has a back patio which has a distant view of Seneca Lake. What makes this winery just a bit different is all the whimsical displays and statues on property that someone has gone a lot of trouble to put together. If you have kids in tow or are just a kid at heart, you'll have fun roaming about the property checking out the displays, which is what I did. The "lost world" area was very well done with all the various dinosaurs, along with adjacent holiday-themed areas you can tell are used for Halloween or special events. Some statues have seen better days and are falling apart a little, but it's still a fun adventure if you don't focus on those. As far as the winery itself, it's not huge, but modern inside and includes a nice patio with a view of the vineyards and lake in the distance. There wasn't much activity going on during the Monday we visited, and there wasn't much activity going on and there seemed to be only one employee running the wine tastings and guest experience. The flight of wine was decent, and a nice way to try out their offerings. We wound up buying bottles of a red Pinot and a white Riesling wine that we found flavorful. While Castel Grisch isn't one of the more fancier wine experiences in the region, it's definitely a cool spot to visit if you find yourself in Watkins Glen wanting to visit a winery and check out some creative displays. read more

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This place is super cool. For kids and adults. The wine was good and all the dinosaur statues and atmosphere was amazing. Highly recommend. read more

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Christine is amazing! She knows the selections so well and provides an inviting atmosphere.

Hospitality was great! Very friendly people and great service! They had very good cariety in choice of drink!

Had an wonderful time here today. Our host was so kind and generous. And even though she was busy, she made sure to take care of each and every customer who came through the door. She took her time out to explain each drink to the patrons. Adults can enjoy the delicious wine tasting, and kids love the dinosaur park and running around the grounds. Not to mention the beautiful view. Highly recommend visitors to Watkins Glen to come here, it was only a 8 minutes drive from town. read more

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We visited here for Deck the Halls weekend in November 2023. They have some really cool displays on their property while driving up to the winery. Feel free to pull over and take pictures with the safari animals or walk through the forest of dinosaurs!! Definitely some cool stuff here, including a Delorian next to the Statue of Liberty!! We like sweet wines and they had a few good ones here. Staff was ok - they weren't overly friendly and seemed to just be "going through the motions" and it wasn't even THAT busy when we visited. Could definitely use some customer service training. read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

A lot has changed in 3 years since we were last here. When we arrived it appeared that we were entering a different universe. As we went up the dirt road, we seen what looked to be a forrest of dinosaurs, or a carnival. They have a lot of different art throughout the property. We pulled up and were amazed by all of the photos. This is the place that had back to the future vehicle, and wow this place is incredible. We arrive to the winery and a group of people came out upset about not being able to be served for some reason. We walked in sat down and was served immediately. We did a tasting. But appears that the winery is under different ownership than previously. Something changed and I noticed different atmosphere. The wine still taste good, so nothing negative here for us. read more

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It was so completely random coming up to this place and seeing all of the interesting displays outside. My friend mentioned some sort of Chinese lantern walking tour? I'm not entirely sure what it was but there's just such interesting things surrounding this winery. From animals to inanimate objects that were all colorful and big and possibly light up after dark? It was just so strange but cool. Anyway we walked into the winery and the bar was pretty much full of people and not any room. Would have been nice to maybe have been guided to another part to get service? Anyway we just bought a bottle of wine and left. The employee was nice as we were purchasing but we weren't entirely sure what the whole thing was and they didn't offer to let us sample at all. I probably should have asked but usually when people walk in and kind of look around not knowing what they're doing, you think someone would help out. read more

Fun place to hang out with beautiful finger lakes views and tasty wine. We enjoyed our wine flight tasting here! read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

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Real wines and champagnes with an aftertaste worth driving over to taste! Good good good read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

This was our favorite winery on our tour. The outdoor patio has views that were just breathtaking. The winery was accommodating to our dogs. We were able to just relax which is what we wanted! read more

Castel Grisch Winery - four glasses of wine on a wooden board - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

Came for the disc golf course and stayed for the view! Castel Grisch was an early stop on our finger lakes trip, and we decided to play the front nine to tire out our pup before trying the wine. The disc golf course is fairly reasonable with both wooded and field baskets, with fun statues along the way. It could be better marked but the map online helps. The winery requests $5 a person via QR code or at the winery. The winery has a wonderful view of the lake that pictures won't do justice. They have a tasting room, indoor seating, an outdoor deck, and some grounds you could walk. All of these options were dog friendly! We both tried a flight and then had a glass of our favorite. The wine was good, not great. They also had some pre packaged cheese and small snack options for purchase but we didn't partake. The woman helping us was splendid! We would definitely return for ambiance, but did find better wines elsewhere. read more

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Wine is so so. Worst part is they don't let you choose which 5 wines you want to try, but instead require you to pick only from their 3 preselected flights. Found that so annoying since there were wines I wanted to try from each. Come to find out, it wasn't that much of a loss since most of the wines were just so so. That aside, we did really enjoy the lantern display they had! See attached photos. read more

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Our favorite stop on our wine tour! They have an interesting mix of wines and all were delicious, we bought two bottles after our tasting. And the staff member who served us was super friendly and took her time explaining the wines to us, which I appreciated. The property is also very fun, obviously worth it to see the lantern show, which was a surprise on our drive up to the vineyard. read more

Things have changed! On a recent trip to Castel Grisch, our party was greeted by a man in a van awkwardly staring at all of us as we walked into the winery. The winery was empty, there was no patrons inside. The flights of wine were expensive and flavorless, compared to other wineries. The racks of wine had been replaced with cheap souvenirs of automobiles that were out of place. I felt as though I was in a junk store and not a winery. The winery itself was cold and dark. The whole experience at castel grisch was unwelcoming. Will not be returning to castel grisch. read more

Horrible customer service. We arrived 5 minutes past closing and although the place was still full, they screamed at us to leave. Absolutely, disgusting. I will never go back, read more

I'm surprised by all the negative reviews that was given for this. This was our first stop on our Finger Lakes trip. Lots of parking and you're greeted by a "Back to the Future" car when you walk in. The best part is Samson! He is so cute and welcoming. He had beautiful blue eyes and greeted us with the biggest smile. And yes, he's super friendly!! (if you're wondering, yes hes a puppers!!) The lady was nice and took the time to explain each one to us. They gave it in plastic cups because of covid and it was in a cute wire holder. Outside had social distancing signs and the view was really nice. Would recommend! They also have deals on different wines. read more

Do NOT miss this 'attraction' on the wine trail. The Chinese Lantern Show display of yard art is beyond anything I could imagine. The wine tasting was fun. This region isn't Napa or Italy or France. Just sip and enjoy. You're on the Wine Trail! read more

Balloon Festival sucked. Couldn't wait to leave despite the overpriced entry fee. Music was good.

Ugh. So disappointed with my stop here. This was another stop on my recent Deck The Halls 2016 event... and honestly, I wouldn't have missed anything if it had been skipped entirely. The winery is out of the way with a rocky driveway leading up to the winery and the entire tasting experience was significantly lacking. Basically, I arrived with my small group and the girl tending to the check-in was almost dismissive in tending to anyone coming in (you check in and get a stamp, custom Christmas ornament from that winery, along with your wine sample and paired food item, etc). The main tasting space seems small... then there's a small, U-shaped counter area that was easily filled by a minimal amount of people upon our arrival. Other than that, there were about 6-8 tables for standing next to. The wine itself was generic/bland...and honestly, it just felt like there was an overall lack of attention to the service experience. It wasn't welcoming, it didn't feel organized...it was just... ugh. Never again. TL;DR Wouldn't recommend. Won't go back. read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

Delicious wine, wonderful service, and a beautiful atmosphere! Castel Grisch is a wonderland of tasteful pairings and whimsical fun for everyone, we will be coming back. read more

I'm rating this one star due to the employee who was supposed to be conducting tastings. Myself and another couple were totally ignored while the employee was on the phone. He never acknowledged us or apologized for being busy. After a few minutes we all walked out. They definetly lost a sale from me, because I was quite interested in the Chard/reisling blend. I've never been ignored at a winery before. read more

Castel Grisch Winery - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

This was our first stop on our Seneca wine tour. Great start to the day. We went early Saturday morning so we had the terrace to ourselves aside from one couple. The wine tasting holders were unique and the view outside was gorgeous. read more

Castel Grisch Winery - View from the entrance - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

I bought some wine and took it home, I have not consumed it yet, so the wine itself I am not reviewing. The staff at Castel Grisch helpful and friendly. The tasting room not as busy as some of the bigger better known wineries which is nice. Nice grounds and outdoor deck, the view is fantastic. The wine? Have some samples and decide for yourself! read more

Tables wines weren't outstanding, but the ice wines were some of the most outstanding wines I tried all day, and worth the stop if you are into that sort of thing. Actually, the Chardonnay was pretty good on second thought...maybe the best one I had all day. The server was very nice, and engaging, even if a little rough around the edges...I got kind of tired of hearing him say this is our #1 porch pounder...this is our #2 porch pounder. But he was fun anyway. read more

Two words: Wine Parfaits. They sell these, whatever they are. That should tell you something. Perhaps it was due to the current pandemic, but our visit in August was a mess. No instructed tasting, you just buy a flight, and they put the plastic glasses in a tiered wrought iron device, and they give you Keebler Zesta crackers. On the plus side, just $5 and a great view. You can grab a can of Genny from the fridge and enjoy that. On the minus side, there were way too many people, large party tables, and one table felt the need to blast their their own "classic" rock. Also, the wines. read more

Had a great time tasting two different flights of wine. We definitely would give Chelsea ( our server) 5 stars. She was extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and had a tremendous sense of humor! Plus they have dinosaurs!!!! read more

One of the best wineries we have been to in the finger lakes. Great job meeting the needs of the many while maintaining safe covid practices. The view and the ability to sit in the vineyard where the grapes are growing to make the wine your enjoying is priceless. The selection and suggested pairings were great. It is absolutely worth the stop! read more

The wines are great, our tasting specialist was friendly and even shared a recipe with us. After your done tasting, you must go have fun and play with the dinosaurs and newer underwater pieces. They have so much to keep you busy. We must have done little photo sessions for an hour. The view on their back deck is gorgeous. We love this winery. I wish I had asked for our tasting specialists name as she was wonderful. read more

We found this charming winery through "Harvest Hosts" which is an RV membership group for locating sites while traveling. We spent the night in our motorhome in their quiet parking area overlooking the vineyard, the lake and the hills. We arrived on a Tuesday and the actual winery was closed, but we were enthusiastically greeted and made to feel very welcome. The winery ambiance was delightful with tables set out overlooking the beautiful vista. Even though the store was closed, hubby had a discussion about the wine we asked to purchase. He was given a sample of their Baco Noir and we are now looking forward to enjoying it as we move on remembering our stay with them. We would definitely come back! read more

Castel Grisch Winery - View from our window - Wineries Near Me - Watkins Glen, New York

We stopped by on a whim and loved the scenery. They have disc golf on site, but we did not play. Not sure how the prices compare with others in the area, but it was cheap- only $7 (although, the samples were itty bitty). The wine was okay- we got the dry sample. We were sad that there was only one red wine since that's really what we like. We didn't really like the riesling and Chardonnay. We didn't see an option for food. read more

Not particularly spectacular winery or a cafe but we were feeling nostalgic for the cuisine so we decided to stop by. The Winery is the closest one to the Watkins Glen so it was a decent place to visit after a long day. I think that the menu we had isn't available but we were craving Goulash and Pickled Herring and that craving has been satisfied... Ambiance and decor in the cafe could be better but we weren't complaining... I think it's a decent place to visit for the views onto the Seneca but I think there are other wineries that have great wines along Rt-14 a little further up the road. read more

If I could give this establishment 0 stars I would. I have never in my life experienced such rudeness from a staff in my entire life. I would not recommend this place to my worst enemy m. read more

Castel Grisch used to be an "every time" stop that we always fit into the schedule. Two trips ago we had a disappointing experience - with rude service (including a sexist comment towards one of the people in our group) and so-so wine. We were surprised and thought maybe it was an off day / season. This last time we went - about a week ago - the wines had gone even further downhill. I'm not sure what the cause is - if it's the weather, or a change in staff/winemaker, etc.?... But we won't be going back to Castel Grisch. The samples were on the small side, which was actually good for a change because we ended up pouring most of it out. The wine here used to be so good. We haven't been in a year or two but they do have a nice German buffet for dinner. read more

I love pretty much every place on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, but (for now) Castel Grisch is only getting 2 stars from me, and here is why: We were with our kids, and knew we wanted to stop at one of the more spacious wineries so we could have lunch and then the kids could run around outside while I tasted a few wines. We checked online ahead of time, and the menu online said they had salads, panini's, finger foods, soups, etc. That was going to be perfect for us, and we were all pretty hungry. We walk in, and the dining area (inside & out) was spacious and huge and looked newly remodeled. Score! (Or so I thought). I went up to the counter and asked the woman about lunch and she pointed to their cooler which had pre-made Cheese & Fruit Plates. She said that they were in-between with their menu right now and that was what they were offering. I mentioned the menu online and she said "yeah, that's confusing right now since we are not offering food." Well.... that's pretty unfortunate that they couldn't have updated their website, because we did check their website before driving up. The tasting area looked roomy and was not very busy - we didn't bother to stay, so I didn't taste any wines. I may give them a second try down the road, and if I do, I will update my review. The outdoor seating looked so nice, I was very bummed that we couldn't have lunch on a beautiful Sunday overlooking the vineyards and lake. **I noticed another review that mentioned , there were no bathrooms available because they were being remodeled. As of the day I visited, bathrooms were available again. ** read more