I want to like Red Newt Cellars but it's just not my vibe. The rv resort I stay at while in the Finger Lakes Region is within walking distance. Last year, Red Newt offered RV guests a buy one get one "tasting"... which I found out is not the same as a "flight". The serve told me I could try again. I love this region and gave Red Newt another try this year. Stood at the bar for the wine "tasting". I would have liked to sit and hang out for a while but the atmosphere inside was all business. Between the hard sell to purchase bottles after the tasting to the managers doing work on their lab tops at guest tables. I didn't feel I could unwind here. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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We booked a lunch and wine tasting at Red Newt during a visit in the off season. Our first visit to RNC was last summer while camping at the Finger Lakes RV Resort. During that visit we sampled some good wines, so we knew we wanted to try it again. On this visit the service was very prompt and the place was not busy on this visit compared to the summer. During our initial visit the employee at the tasting counter first seemed annoyed that we wanted to taste wine an hour before they closed (The attitude improved when we said we were buying a couple cases).  The view is amazing from the large deck and dining area. One could sit on the deck and sip vino all afternoon. As with many wineries on the Finger Lakes their wines tend to lean to the less dry/sweeter side, but we did find some very tasty medium reds and red blends. The lunch offerings were simple, but very delicious. They offer a variety of sandwiches, burgers, and shareable items. One thing that stood out was their Hellbender-balsamic onion jam that they make inhouse. It was so tasty that my wife inquired about purchasing some to take home.  We look forward to returning at our next stay at the RV Resort. read more

Really wanted to like this place, but the wine here was just not as tasty as at other wineries in the area. The service was friendly and fast. The French fry mountain was good "bar food" as a snack. And the scenery was quite beautiful. At the end of the day, you're most likely coming here for the wine. Unfortunately, it is simply not as good as others nearby. read more

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I really enjoyed this winery. I'm not usually a Rieseling drinker, but the Bullhorn was very good, especially in the hot weather. My favorites were the 2019 Cabernet Franc and the Merlot. Basically, every wine I tasted in the 6-wine flight was solid, though I prefer reds. The complimentary tasting of the Red Newt wine in a bag was also really good. I honestly didn't know wine in a pouch could be that good!!! The views are lovely and the patio is shaded. Excellent vibes all around. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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Great wine, great food, friendly staff. One of my favorite wineries! The Hellbender onion jam on grilled cheese is crazy good. Best grilled cheese I've ever had! read more

So glad to see that they brought back the hot lunch menu at this winery . We really enjoyed our lunch. There were ample options for lunch and great wine too. This has been a favorite place for many years. I highly recommend a visit! read more

Red Newt Cellars - Lunch plate - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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We visited for a wine tasting and enjoyed the wonderful wine and beautiful views. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly and the Gewürztraminer was so good we couldn't leave without getting a bottle to enjoy later. A great spot for anyone who appreciates a good wine! read more

Red Newt Cellars - two wine glasses on a table - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

The wine here was excellent and the staff was both fun and friendly as well as knowledgeable.

Pretty good wines with a nice view. Very relaxing atmosphere! Our server took our tasting flight choices, brought them to us at our awesome seat outside, and then left us alone, just coming back once to see how we were doing. They have several tasting flight options, but the wines in each are chosen for you, rather than you going down a huge list and choosing four. I'll definitely be back! read more

Red Newt Cellars - Water - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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On our recent visit to the area, my wife & I stopped in Red Newt Cellars. It came highly recommended by friends we met on our trip. Glad they did. The person who did our wine tasting did a great job. Very friendly. Explained the wines well (forgot her name). We found their wines had such a great taste. Full bodied. Sooo good! Must have been. I know I bought every wine from my tasting. I usually never do that. We bought a case and probably 3 bottles beside that. Just like other wineries in the area, tastings were very reasonable. It was very clean, and staff was very friendly. View of Lake Seneca outside was great. We would definitely make this a stop when we go back. I know we will be purchasing many bottles again! read more

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Need I just remind people that this place got a solid 95 points from James Suckling?! My boyfriend and I went there on a Saturday afternoon, arriving around one of the peak hours. We made the reservation ahead of time and was able to be seated without any wait. Our server are very friendly and attentive. The menu is divided into glasses of choice, tadpoles of choice, and food section. For wine tasting, you have to order food. We ordered a bunch of food and wines, but here is my favorites: Charcuterie board - it comes in larger portion than I had expected. This includes three types of meat, some candied pecans, small assort of cheese and jam, and baguette slices. It comes in a cute black cheeseboard and taste very good. One thing that surprised me was the candied pecans lol. It's so good, and it's topped with honey Tango oaks Riesling - one of my favorite from today's tasting! Very floral and light. I don't know too much about wine but this clicked for me. On the menu it uses the word "elegant" to describe it. I don't know how elegant is a taste but it sure did taste like that. The Knoll - deserve the 95 from James suckling! This has a very vibrate and complex taste, and definitely one of the best dry Riesling! Overall the Red Newt is worth a visit, for the quality wines it produces! read more

Red Newt Cellars - The view from patio - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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Excellent wine, great food (with multiple vegan options!), wonderful friendly, helpful staff, beautiful views, and amphibian themed!! Couldn't ask for more! Will definitely be back :) read more

Red Newt is my new favorite in the Finger Lakes! The wine is really really good and they have a large variety. They have these cute little pours they call tadpoles that come in a very very small wine bottle. The bottle has the type of wine and describes it so you know what exactly you are getting. You even have the option to scan a QR code and someone will come over and talk to you about the wine. We also got the spiced pecans and they were amazing. They have a nice outside patio (limited lake views) and the workers were very knowledgeable and helpful. They also have a huge selection of wines to buy there. Will definitely be back! read more

We arrived and were greeted. The winery inside is large. They were seating everyone outside. They were not doing any wine tastings, flights etc; how are you supposed to know what you like. That to me was a big turnoff. Other places were finding ways to make it work. I ordered a glass of a red wine, it was okay. My wife ordered something white that she like and got a bottle. We had to purchase a food item as well. To me it was a waste. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

Love Red Newt! Sitting on porch, tasting wines and good snacks. Nice open space, seating indoors or covered seating outdoors My favorite is their "Blue Newt" wine I had a grilled cheese sandwich. Our driver said the coffee espresso was an added happy surprise. If you are traveling, the "tad poles" are great to bring back to hotel or on picnic. They are small bottles like a champaign split. Look in cooler! I come here regularly and get a case. Oh, they ship! read more

By far, our visit to Red Newt Cellars was one of the best my wife and I have had through our many years of visiting wineries. The Team was excellent -- friendly, helpful and informative. The wine and food paired with an unforgettable experience..........I highly recommend that you go out of your way to plan a visit to Red Newt when you visit the Finger Lakes. read more

The service we received at this winery might be the best around Seneca lake. Meredith and Paige treated us as if we were their own family with kindness and so much care for our experience at Red Newt! On top of the amazingly pleasant experience, the wines and food were awesome! read more

New discovery - the Red Newt Cafe is our new go-to for lunch on the east side of the lake. They are educated about gluten allergies and I had tons of options. I had a side salad, spicy tomato soup and fried pickles chips!! (Soups and those fried appetizer type items are really uncommon for those with gluten allergies.) Everything was delicious! The rest of our party had sandwiches (pork, blt) and mac-n-cheese and they all loved everything. The post lunch wine tasting was 6 of choice for $6. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Great gluten free options! - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

$6 for 6 wine tasters I had the: - 2013 Riesling - Tango Oaks - This is a nice Riesling, voted best American Riesling - 2013 Riesling - Lahoma - great brunch wine. Very fruit forward, but not too sweet - 2017 Cabernet franc - forestry aromatics, big fruit flavors, and a slight spiciness at the end. I really like this one. I can imagine it going great with all the foods. - 2013 merlot - glacier ridge - went to barrel for 12-15 months. Great for red meats and big game. Big bold flavors. - 2012 merlot - full bodied, great with vegetarian food dishes. - hellbender - super strong wine. Comes with chocolate chips. The thing is to do wine chocolate wine. The chocolate chips definitely change the flavor of the wine. read more

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I will start by seeing the location of this winery is perfect, right on a hill overlooking the lake with plenty of outdoor space where you can enjoy the view. Our server was really nice and was knowledgeable, I just felt bad as you could tell they were a little understaffed and he was struggling getting to the all the tables. The wines weren't our favorite although I feel like if this winery was by us we'd think the wines were better. The great wineries around them make a lesser wine stick out a bit more. Now the candied pecans were great and actually got my wife to like pecans. If it's a nice day this is not a bad winery to visit but I can't recommend it with so many other amazing wineries near by. read more

Called ahead of time to make sure dogs were allowed and was told yes but got turned away when we arrived because of an event. Never again.

Came to try their wines and have a quick bite for lunch! Wines here are good - they have the usual FLX varietals. We tried a variety of Rieslings and reds as well as a rosé. They have a cafe on premise where they make soups, sandwiches and salads. Since it's fall, they had a butternut squash soup that was perfectly spiced with the littlest bit of a kick to it. I had the fall salad with local greens and cheddar. My husband had a turkey Cuban pressed sandwich. Lots of varieties of grilled cheese on menu too. Nice place to go if you are in need of a casual lunch with a glass of wine! read more

Red Newt Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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Summary: Nice building, friendly and helpful staff, and good wines. Food: Delicious foods for a good price. The food was also served quickly (though the restaurant was mostly empty). Wine: Good wines! Plenty of options (many different Rieslings) and great tasting room staff (Tameka and Sam were both fantastic at explaining the wines and recommending ones to try). Ambiance/View: Pretty building with plenty of space for larger groups, and a pretty view out of the windows in the restaurant side. read more

NOT TO BE MiSSED! The 2016 Riesling "The Knoll" is a superlative once in a generation award winner, as well as the 2016 Cabernet Franc... bold cold soaked to perfection with glorious descriptions by the winemakers. And do not miss the 2014 Viridescens - oh my! A lovely setting with informed servers - particularly Heather! Got questions, pull her aside! Owners are truly embracing solemn, yet well thought out marketing techniques for the future. Well freaking done!! read more

Red Newt Cellars - a bottle and two wine glasses on a wooden table - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

Hummm...where to begin. I want to be as fair as possible. I have enjoyed some wine here in the past particularly the Lahoma Vineyard selections. I brought some ladies visiting from Canada to the winery for light snacks and a glass/bottle. I understand being understaffed but these girls were not very attentive nor did they seem to know much about wine. There were relatively few people on the patio so I'm trying to consider the lack of returning to the table or checking on us. Honestly, I just think next time I'll save the time, and buy a bottle elsewhere. read more

Had one glass of red wine, was meh. Food was decent . Kinda pricey for what you get. View is fantastic. Service was impeccable: friendly and fast. We went on a Monday there was one other couple there. read more

Good wine in a large tasting room. Variety of whites and reds, as well as dry and sweet wines. Really, there is something for everyone. The cafe is delicious and offers beautiful views from the patio area. Not a huge selection of food, but it is all well done and very tasty. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Tomato soup, Caesar salad and cheese and meat tray. Excellent food and really good wine. Views aren't bad either. - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

The drinking policy is very strict. DO NOT go here if you plan to drink at the winery. The wine was forgettable, the customer service was awful and there is no nice open space like at nearby wineries. On the whole, I love a good tasting but this has to be the worst place I have ever been. read more

The wines here are delicious! They have ample seating, and the tadpoles are perfect for trying their wines!!! We tried three wines the 2014 Riesling, the 2017 Pinot Gris, the 2018 Cab Franc, and the All were perfect summer wines! The Riesling and Pinot Gris ate crisp and citrusy, the Cab Franc is light, dry and layers of berry flavor! Everyone here is incredibly conscientious with safety. Couldn't recommend them more!! read more

Red Newt Cellars - Beautiful view, tadpole bottles, delicious wine!! - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

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an hour agoNEW We just had a horrible experience at this winery. They couldn't have been ruder. We walked in and they were going to clear a table right away. After waiting for some time we walked over to a table and seated ourselves. The hostess walked over and said someone would be right with us. We waited while two servers cleared tables around us and no one asked if we wanted anything . After twenty minutes we walked out and went to Hectors where we had a wonderful experience. read more

Excellent experience for myself, daughter in law, husband and grandson! Everyone got what they wanted and then some!!! Wine, cheese,, lattes and 2 brownie sundaes!!! Our hostess was so amazing, knowledgeable and accommodating. We had a wonderful afternoon! Thank you so much and we look forward to having your wines when we get home. And we'll be back next year! read more

The view from the deck is glorious and the service is attentive and friendly. The winery's dry Riesling paired well with the shitake mushroom grilled cheese, and bacon black bean patty grilled cheese my husband and I shared. The grilled cheese sandwiches were nicely toasted, with plenty of gooey sharp cheddar. I do think a little more salt and something to cut through the heaviness like a tomato sauce would have helped or more seasoning. The kale salad with shaved Parmesan or chess on top and pickled carrots with a light vinaigrette was a nice, light complement. And finally, the chicken spiegie was tender and well seasoned. All in all, this was a great and picturesque place for lunch. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Chicken spiegie (single), kale side salad, bacon and black bean grilled cheese, and shitake grilled cheese. - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

The tasting room is fairly large, with a nice central tasting bar. There are two flights available, $5 for reserve wines (5 wines on that list), or $2 for the standard wines (pick 5). The staff were quite knowledgable about their product, as one would expect. The wines themselves were quite good, especially the Riesling (a theme for this trip; Seneca Rieslings are top-notch). This, and the bistro run by the winery, were the hilight of our trip. read more

We had an incredible experience here. This winery takes every opportunity to accommodate your every desire. It's unreal actually. The menu is very upscale for a casual place. There are lots of delicious choices. We are vegan so we got the vegetarian burger with no cheese. The salad dressings including the thousand island are dairy free, and amazing. Like amazing homemade vinegarette style dips. We ordered the fries with no horseradish cream and the chef asked if we would like White Russian dressing instead, which ended up being our favorite of the dip trio. The chef took funding out we were vegan very seriously and even swapped out the bread because the normal bread was buttered. We didn't ask for any special treatment but it was so wonderful that they cared and made us feel like being vegan was acceptable to them. The fries were delicious. Just saying. Amazing. I typically do not like NY wine, but the wine here was exceptional. They use grapes from other vineyards in the finger lakes to make some pretty special bottles. My favorite was the 2013 Loma Riesling and the Viridescens Meritage blend. The cab francs were great too! The gentleman doing our tasting was very eloquent and knowledgeable and it was a wonderful tasting. We ordered iced coffee to go because we are just passing through, and they even use coffee ice cubes. The details! Unreal. Definitely go here. read more

Visiting off season we ate in the Winternet Cafe (their limited menu cafe with WiFi within the tasting room). We ordered at the cash register and service was a little slow, but hey we were on vacation and its the off season. We each had the free range meatloaf with onions and pepper-jack cheese, the veggie panini and the smoked turkey club with bacon, sauteed onions and apples on focacia. ALL were excellent, very well balanced flavors but the standout was defiantly the meatloaf - EPIC - slightly spicy, savory and everything else just emphasized the flavor of the meat. Over all a good experience - and we're looking forward to going back when the bistro will be open read more

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Great food! Grilled cheese and spicy tomato soup on a rainy day. Friendly and helpful staff. read more

Red Newt Cellars - Great lunch! Tomato soup and grilled cheese on a rainy day! - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

Friendly awesome staff. We enjoyed the wine offerings and especially the large selection of Rieslings. We stayed for a tasty lunch out on the deck which was quickly made to order by the bistro staff. Unfortunately, my poor cell reception did not allow me to check in while I was there read more

Great experience here. Staff is super friendly. Susan was extremely helpful. We had two flights of very good wines, learned how to pronounce Gewurztraminer, and enjoyed a cheese slate. We did not leave empty handed. read more

Absolutely loved the dry Riesling and the hellbender port. A little wierd and empty and quiet inside. Granted that was at 10 am on a Friday! Very helpful staff, gave us an alternate route to see the gorge at watkins glen. Something we really wanted to do but is closed after the beginning of November due to ice. Appreciated that they took care of two tourists! Out of all the wineries, make this a must taste! read more

Red Newt Cellars - Very cool sign! - Wineries Near Me - Hector, New York

I recommend Red Newt over many of the other wineries at the south end of Seneca lake. *** First off, their dry white wines are fantastic. Their specialty is their spectrum of Rieslings, many of which have won international awards (and even beaten out German Rieslings in competitions that are TRULY prestigious). Any lover of the European Old-world grapes the finger lakes are perfectly suited for will love it here. *** Dry red lovers will be happy too. They have a large variety of Cabernet Sauvignons, Cab Franca, Merlots, Malbecs, and Pinot Noirs. Try them all. I walked out with a case of the Merlot. One of the best wines I've ever tried. Some of the bottles I'll let sit, and some have already be uncorked. That's a good sign. *** The experience here earns the place five stars. Our wine taster knew everything there was to know about wine, and not just the wines available here- but all the wines we'd find in the finger lakes and beyond. She'd worked in California previously, and had visited Italy, France, Argentina, even Chile. We asked a thousand questions and she answered every one. *** We didn't try their food, but as my girlfriend's a foodie, our wine taster was very open and forthcoming about what Red Newt's wines would and would not pair well with. She knew everything about food, too. *** Stop in. Hillary Clinton did, apparently. read more