I've been to the Finger Lakes region of NY several times over the past couple of years.
I attended the Wine & Cheese Festival this year. It is an incredibly popular event (it sold out this year) that combines the classic tastes of wine & cheese. The ticket price is very reasonable (and in many ways what I found most attractive about the event was the value for the money) it includes 33 wineries (several which I had not visited before).
My overall experience was good and visiting all of the wineries is possible if you spread it out over the three (3) day period.
If you're not traveling with a group, it is important to note that the event attracts large groups from birthdays to bachelorette parties. It is best to start early to avoid the van, limo and bus groups.
Overall, good customer service at each winery and they seemed prepared in most cases for the large crowds.
If I had one criticism, it would be the food selection. As a pescetarian, I was surprised how many of the wineries offered dishes with some type of meat. It also wasn't always cheese dish that a winery offered as their food selections (e.g. we had chili and chick peas offered to us). I did love how the majority of the wineries offered a print out of the recipe they were serving. I picked up several of them to try at home.
In a nutshell, a festival weekend seems to be a great way to experience what feels like the never-ending wineries in the region (and I would go back and do it again). read more