Beautiful weather, great views, great food with amazing and over-worked waitstaff. Thanks Taylor

Thirsty Owl was easily one of our favorite stops on the Cayuga wine trail. The wine was terrific and the views were gorgeous. It felt more like a destination winery, like something you'd find on the north fork of Long Island. It was pretty crowded around 2PM and it felt a little more pretentious than some of the other wineries on the trail, but that was very easy to overlook given how good the wine is and how beautiful the view of the lake is. The one real disappointment was the food. The charcuterie board was honestly pretty bad. It not only looked, but tasted like it sat in the back of the refrigerator. My friends and I all were disappointed and shocked at just how bad it was. We expected a winery with this good of wine to have a charcuterie to match, but were left shocked and disappointed. My friends also ordered sandwiches and they had a similar reaction. Whole not necessarily bad, it was nothing special and didn't seem worth it. If I were rating this solely on the food this wouldn't be a 5 star review, however the quality of wine and the view make up for it. Overall, this should be a must visit on everyone's list. read more

We came here for a wine tasting and lunch and had a great experience! Starting with the wine tasting, they had a good variety of wines and we really enjoyed the wines we tried. It was only $5 for 5 tastings and that included a coupon to use towards the purchase of a bottle. The person who helped us was very friendly and knowledgeable about the wines, which also added to our experience. After the tasting, we enjoyed lunch outside on the patio. The portions were large, the food was delicious, and the prices were reasonable too. Our waiter was also attentive. We shared the pickle fries as an app, and I got the chicken cordon bleu sandwich with fries, all amazing. Overall I'd highly recommend for both a tasting and lunch! I'd love to come back here one day. read more

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Very reasonable tasting price,$5 for 5 and pours into actual glasses . Pour size was generous. You also get a $2 coupon towards a bottle purchase. Large menu woth multiple varietals and a few styles of some of the varietals. Each wine I tried was great and a good example of the style. Afterwards we had lunch at the bistro. Again the menu had lots of options. The patio has a great view of the lake. Had the Cuban. It was good. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to Cuban sandwiches and I'd get this one again. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Tasting menu - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

Loved having Lisa as our taste connoisseur! She was so knowledgeable of the wines and what would go well with each. When we come back from VA, we hope to see her! read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

While Vineyard hopping for our 39th wedding anniversary, we stopped here for a delightful lunch. The entire facility was incredibly accommodating as well as wonderfully designed. We enjoyed amazing food and a wine tasting. Our service was excellent, and the view of the lake was inspiring. We have nothing negative to say and would highly recommend this venue for everyone to enjoy read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Happy couple - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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As soon as we walked in and Mac took us for our tasting, we knew we were in for a treat. She was so kind, funny, and knowledgeable about all the wines she was serving. Pretty much the best service you can ask for. We can't recommend Thirsty Owl enough. They will be the FIRST stop on our next trip to the Finger Lakes! read more

All of the wine was okay. Nothing to write home about, but definitely drinkable. Our server for the tasting was friendly without being overbearing. They had a coloring book and crayons for the kiddos, which my 5 year old loved. Not my favorite Finger Lakes winery, but I would come here again. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wines - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

Beautiful spot. Tasty wine and affordable wine. Food was delicious, lots of gluten free options! Plenty of outdoor seating as well, always a bonus. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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We had a fantastic experience. It had been 4 years since we were in the finger lakes and revisited this winery due to their great wines and food. We again ate lunch on the outside patio with a beautiful view of the lake. Definitely a favorite since it serves really good food, which you don't find much since many have food trucks at the vineyards. They have it all! read more

I am not a wine guy. I will generally avoid the stuff unless (1) it's in sangria or (2) I'm eating food (generally Italian) that it pairs with. Then my cousin asked me to plan his bachelor party in wine country (more on that in a sec), so I had to figure out the right places to visit. 1 of his must-do's was getting a boat, so rather than make a bunch of shitty sandwiches, I looked for places where we could dock and eat. Enter Thirsty Owl, which has a big dock with a bunch of slips. They also take a crew of 8 dudes, which was an issue with some of the other wineries nearby. If you call them, they even drive you up/down the hill. They say they don't do tours, however the drive up the hill through the fields counts for me! One of the owners was there to greet us, which was very nice considering how busy they were. There's a crapton of merchandise all around, so expect to see a lot of owl souvenirs (most surprisingly affordable). Tasting bar is very large and there's an auxiliary bar in the back. Just need to grab someone's attention and the tasting itself was cheap. Wines were the best I've had in NY. I normally hate riesling but I liked theirs. Best of all was the pinot gris, which was redolent with bright fruit flavors; it was so good I got 2 bottles. Snow owl was the consensus favorite, however it was too sweet for my taste. Gewürztraminer was one of the more unique things I've tried; grabbed a bottle of that too. Ice wine Appalachian Bottom Dweller Dry Riesling were good too, as was the Meritage for reds (on the sweeter side, my cousin got a bottle). Would've tried the rose but they were sold out. All of the above reads like an advertisement of why wineries should be dude-friendly. Folks were very entertained by us, with a few ladies really loving my cousin. I mean, the guy did decide to effectively do the bachelor party that the dentist from the Hangover movie lied about. Regardless, good times were had by all. We ended up getting lunch too, being seated on one of the picnic tables outside. They should probably move the tables closer and add a server or 2; I could tell you service was slow, however as a former server it was a LOT of ground to cover for 2 people. For starters we got pretzels, fried calamari and and a fried pickles special, which all hit the spot. 1 guy had to be a fancy fuck and got his own cheese board; it looked good. Got the buffalo chicken mac n cheese (special) which was epically good for someone multiple glasses of wine deep. Really good mac n cheese, with blue cheese and buffalo chicken cutlet. I was kind of in heaven. Everyone else enjoyed their food, which is not a given for this kind of place. Will be back to the Finger Lakes, and this will be a must visit when I do. Wonderful place with wonderful people, and special wine. See: the boys CAN behave at wineries. read more

We stopped in for a tasting. It was a little crowded, but there is someone at the door to direct you to an open spot for tasting. My favorites were the Vidal Blanc, Snow Owl, Diamond and the Tailspin. I left with three bottles! We had lunch at the Bistro there on-site and sat outside to take in the views. We were a group of five and all plates were cleaned. BLTs, pulled pork sandwich, chicken wraps and fish sandwiches were shared and enjoyed by all. I'd definitely visit again! read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Entrance - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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This was one of our group's favorite wineries of the weekend. The wines are definitely among the best in the area. Overall, I found them to be approachable but still complex and very tasty. One thing to note: the experience and ambiance are a little different here than other wineries. Though Thirsty Owl's wine can go toe to toe with any on quality, the tasting was less of a curated vineyard experience. We felt like we were basically drinking at a bar in a gift shop. (I mean, literally, we basically were). The bar is to the side of folded t-shirt stacks and other souvenirs. It's not quite the romantic outdoor experience you might envision. Also, our server, though friendly, came across as more of a bartender than a sommelier. Unlike at other wineries, they gave us a concise blurb about the wines rather than extended stories, histories, or deeper explanations. In the end, though we bought a half dozen bottles, we felt like we knew less about Thirsty Owl than others. Which is kind of a shame, because it was really great. Still, I'd definitely recommend it. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Inside - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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Close to our rental made this an easy choice to check out. We were able to get in as soon as we arrived and had a view of the grounds and their lake. Service was fast and friendly. Our drinks and appetizer of calamari only took minutes to arrive. My wife and I had a bottle of Finger Lakes Riesling that we found to have just the right amount of sweetness for us. The calamari was well seasoned and a great balance of crispy outside and chewy inside. I had a steak and cheese sands which with a red wine sauce which I hope to steal the recipe for, my wife had the Cesar salad with chicken. It was a nice place to find and we enjoyed our last dinner for the trip at this great venue read more

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Had an excellent wine tasting experience with Henry. He knew his wines and did not have an issue answering any question I threw at him. Great price and great service The ice wine and the Bottom Dweller wine was my top bottles. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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This was the first of several wineries visited during our recently concluded vacation to the Finger Lakes. A sampling of 5 wines will set you back a modest $5 and, should you choose to purchase a bottle, $2 will be deducted from its cost. Each of the white wines we tasted was deemed good to very good and pricing is more than reasonable. Fear not, we did not depart empty handed having acquired 2 bottles and a T-shirt for my wife. read more

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Beautiful setting. our wine consierge was great fun and kept us entertained and interested in the winery and our tastings. the gift shop and wine racks were chock full, this winery did not disappoint. Well worth a visit. read more

Tastings and a bistro. The tastings are 5 for $5 and a $2 coupon towards a bottle of wine. Busy and good atmosphere.

This bestro has one of the most beautiful views of Cayuga Lake and their vineyard. Nice menu with many options. I was there with a friend on Sunday for lunch. We each ordered an appraiser and salad The servings were huge. The presentation and flavorings were over the top--not in a good way. Should I return, I would request everything on the side. And I hate to be one of those people. My friend loved the view and enjoyed the wine. It was a nice summer lunch. read more

Great food at the bistro. Food was high quality. Beautiful views of the lake from the covered patio. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Owl display - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

One of our favorite stops in the Finger Lakes. Great view, nice little restaurant, cool merchandise, and is dog-friendly (not the restaurant part). read more

We boated to this winery and were very excited to do the tasting as it's only $5. The wine was decent for the price. Most importantly, though, the customer service left something to be desired. We were there during their opening hours, but they were constantly asking if we were leaving soon, which made us feel super uncomfortable and guilty for being there. read more

We really wanted to love Thirsty Owl, but there were a few misses. When we arrived, the only option for a tasting was standing at the bar (no seating options at all.) We liked several of the wines, and even bought a few bottles and a T-shirt because we really liked their merch! They have a lot of cool little gifts inside--it's basically a gift shop / winery duo. We also got a free $2 off coupon to put towards a wine purchase which was cool. However, the biggest miss for us was the smell. Inside literally smelled like wet dogs (not sure if it's because they allow dogs inside), but it was really off putting. Every time we tried to smell/taste a wine, the wet dog smell was so overpowering! Just something to keep in mind when visiting. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

This is by far my favorite winery! There is parking you can even head up by boat and a golf cart will bring you up to the winery. There is a beautiful view of the lake. The outside area is great if you have dogs or just want to be outdoors. They have a wide selection of wine. I like the sweeter wines the blushing moon was great if you do as well I also bought the pinto noir which is a dry red. I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap which was filling and neatly served with a side of the pasta salad. The service here is great from every aspect. The wine tasting flowed well, it was quick and she also gave great recommendations and compliments. All around best winery highly recommend! read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - A view of the lake from the outside picnic seating - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

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Came here 2 years ago and remember loving it so had to come back this year as well but wasn't in love like last time. We did a tasting for 2 and got directed to a woman at the bar. She was nice in the beginning but as soon as another group of 2 women joined, she seemed to be more interested and friendlier with them. They just offer you saltine crackers to munch on which I think needs to be upgraded. It's not Covid times anymore and almost all the other wineries in the area give you cheese to pair with the wine at least. Wines we liked- Reisling (award-winning) Diamond (was better 2 years ago in my opinion but my husband was a fan this time as well) They have a bistro inside to order a whole meal which is convenient-and with decent food but time consuming. The service is poor- the staff is mainly made up of middle school girls and they seemed super busy. We just sat there literally for 25 minutes before getting our appetizer soup so I was starving by then. Luckily the soup was good. We had 3 different servers all throughout. At the end, the waitress just smiled and said "have a great day" without even acknowledging how long we waited or apologizing for it. -tomato bisque- delicious. 10/10. good portion, right amount of flavor. doesn't taste like its canned and was very creamy. -chicken parmesan sandwich- 5/10. not enough red sauce at all so it just tasted like a chicken sandwich, disappointed cause its tough to mess up chicken parm. the fries were good though. -pulled pork sandwich- 9/10. great bbq flavor, just soggy . pasta salad was good too but missing something. Recommend? yes, you might have a better experience than we did Return? Unfortunately might need to take a break read more

Out of all the wineries that I visited in the Finger lakes I think this one was our favorite! The view from their lawn of the lake is breathtaking. We did their wine tasting and absolutely fell in love with their dry resiling! It's the smoothest dry Riesling I've had! I could drink it water. We bought a couple bottles home with us and I regret not buying more. But it just means we have to go again soon! We decided to do the wine tasting outdoors on their patio because we weren't comfortable doing the tasting inside. Some of the staff members wore masks while others wore face shields only with no masks underneath which if we understand gas laws and physics know it isn't effective. As a nurse, I wasn't comfortable with that. That would be my only complaint though about this place. So we stayed outdoors and still enjoyed our experience thoroughly. read more

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Wow! A beautiful location on the lake with a gorgeous view from the outside tasting area. This was just the start... We visited about a dozen vineyards while in the Finger Lakes region on a recent trip along Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. The Thirsty Owl was a nice surprise. The staff was warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. Helpful does not begin to describe them; caring is yet another word that comes to mind. I had first been to the Finger Lakes three years ago and quite enjoyed our experience. We were especially pleased with the low cost of the wine tasting fees at most vineyards in comparison to California and other regions we have been. On a whim, we stopped at the Thirsty Owl. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the tasting fee was only $5 (similar to the fees of 2017) but much less than any vineyard we visited in 2020. We were told that a couple years ago, most vineyards in the region decided to increase their fees and I'm certain that the pandemic this year didn't help with pricing. Thirsty Owl, however, did not join in. At any rate, we really enjoyed quite a few of the wines we tasted, where at many other area vineyards we really didn't like the majority of those sampled. We were fond of our wine expert, Michelle, who had a similar palate to mine. She recommended a couple options toward the end of our tasting based on our "likes". She was pleasant, knowledge and engaging. In addition, she is a great saleswoman. Also, it should be noted that The TO had the staff pouring wine wear face shields, unlike any other vineyard. They certainly must care about their staff and clients. I have never been a member of a wine club, but she also persuaded me to become just that. This vineyard doesn't require shipments throughout the year. One case does it! This is not the standard. And with so many great wines, I had plenty of options to choose from. Speaking of which.... somehow we selected several of the adjacent bottles to what we planned on, (perhaps we were a bit tipsy?) when gathering our case to check out. I was so disappointed when we got home (5.5 hrs. away) that we only ended up with 1 bottle of our favorite pick. I wrote to the vineyard and told them of my mistake, hoping that perhaps at a future date I could exchange the wrong bottles for what we had intended. I also expected that especially during Covid this would not be an option but decided to let them know, just in case. The customer service was stellar. Not only did the owner let me know she would send me the Appalachian Bottom Dweller bottles we intended to buy, she would ship at no cost to us. Amazing and unheard of! I offered to send pictures of the snafu, but she trusted me without question. Thirsty Owl, you have gained a customer for life. I will be sure to send my friends your way when they are Finger Lakes bound! Thank you, thank you! I can't wait to come back. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Outside - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

My husband and I are case club members. This was the first bad experience we have had. None of the regular staff we are used to were not working today. We each ordered a glass of wine instead of a tasting since we have been there many times we already have our favorites. We took our glasses to the back seated area. My husband finished his quick so we went back in so he could order another. He returned to the same area where we were first served by a lovely lady. While I browsed the store he was told by a young gentleman that section was only for people doing tastings. He let the young man know he was only trying to get a refill of the blushing moon, but again was told it was for tasters only. My husband said fine and proceeded to put back his merchandise and his blushing moon wine bottles he was going to purchase. The young man proceeded to tell other customers that my husband was just a grumpy old man. My husband did proceed to the register to purchase our two glasses of wine that are not included for case club members which is one of the only wineries in the area that does not provide that to their case club members for their first glass if they do not do a tasting and a bottle of wine for me. I left my unfinished glass on the bar and walked out after the girl at the register decided to provide her 2 cents to stick up for the young man. I offer this to the establishment. Teach your younger staff better customer service manners. We will not be returning which is unfortunate since before today Thirsty Owl was one of my favorites in the Finger Lakes. To future customers best of luck. read more

Large winery on the senica lake trail. There is a cafe with lots of outdoor seating that we did not try during our stay but it looked to be quite busy. We did the tasting which was $5 each. The tasting was good and we both paid extra do add an additional tasting. There is a nice large store where you can get their wines or other items. We spent a bit browsing around and got some wines to go. We then went for a walk wound the grounds. Dog friendly inside and out! But not in the inside cafe. read more

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It had been years since I had been here but the wines keep getting better. There's something for everyone but I loved their dry reds.

Love the wines here! A little sweet but hey it's the finger lakes. They also happen to have crazy fast WiFi (had to stop here and log onto citrix to do work in the parking lot for about an hour). Came here during COVID and they had tastings set up outside. It was a nice view of the vineyards and lake but we got much nicer views by parking and walking down the trail toward the lake. Ended up taking home bottles of the following: - 2019 Appalachian Bottom Dweller Dry Riesling ($16) - 2017 Traminette ($14) - 2017 Snow Owl ($12) - 2018 Diamond ($10) - 2019 Lot 99 ($14) - 2018 Malbec ($30) read more

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This was the third stop on our list of wineries to visit on Cayouga lake. I don't know why the reviews aren't that great but I have to say from a wine sampling standpoint, this was by far the best experience my friend and I had! The two men that were doing the samples were not only knowledgeable but so entertaining. Give them a word and they started singing to you and it was in a good voice! They knew about the wines, they knew about the winery in history, and they could sit next to you and have a glass of wine and you could talk to them for hours like you were old friends. The wine and the Cider was extraordinary as well. We both ended up buying a few bottles from this place and let me tell you we will be back! read more

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A server I think his name may have been Bob who used to work for New York State corrections was a really nice guy and it's a lovely location. I enjoyed the wine and their views were lovely. It's lovely location certainly worth stopping at. I wish they had more dry Riesling wine. Worth adding to your itinerary! read more

Nice Winery! The owl theme is a memorable brand and I enjoyed looking at some of the art and gifts they had in the gift shop. The tasting was pick 5 for $5 which was fun to look over the list and try some wines. They have a load of awards on display and I chose a couple of the wines on the list that had awards and some that didn't. I think it was $2 off a bottle if you do a tasting so I went with one I liked, a bottle of "Snow Owl". They have a deal where the more bottles you get the higher % off which would be good to go in on multiple bottles with friends and family. Overall, we picked a nice day to stop in as the view was perfect and wines were smooth. Thanks! read more

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Our group of 5 had a tasting with Heather. She did a great job explaining what we were tasting and was incredibly kind. We sat outside with a bottle after the tasting which was amazing and peaceful. It had great views and was quiet. The prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend!! read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

We had stayed down the road every July for 5 years, but had somehow missed going to Thirsty Owl. I'm glad we did! It's a beautiful space inside and out, the wine is very good, and our taster, Debbie, was wonderful. The person doing your tasting can make or break your experience, and she made everything so enjoyable for us. She is friendly, efficient and knowledgeable, but is also funny and engaging, and honestly enjoys her job and talking to people. We liked the wine, especially the dry whites, and bought several bottles. My favorite, and one that is very interesting and a bit different is the Appalachian Bottom Dweller Dry Reisling. Ask Debbie about it's history! We also like a good port style wine, and are so glad we asked to taste their Vinte. Delicious---we had to buy that as well. Our tasting was standing at the bar, which was fine with us. We've also done many seated tastings, and both have their advantages. At the Thirsty Owl, we liked the interaction with a good taster. They are also very dog friendly. We were in the Finger Lakes for a Greyhound event, so our dogs came into the wineries with us. Everyone there was so interested in meeting them, and the dogs had as much fun as we did! And you get a nice $2 discount coupon, and can shop for cool stuff. read more

Thirsty Owl Wine Company - Our Spanish Greyhound (Galgo) girls were welcome here! - Wineries Near Me - Ovid, New York

Insanely popular winery. I think it was only $5 for a tasting and you got money off that if you buy a bottle. No brainer stop. Friendliest staff in all of FLX. Literally every one of them. read more

Thirsty owl has perhaps the best set-up on the lake. They have a beautiful outdoor dining area, a nice shop and great views from their lawn. We had to wait about 20 minutes and due to covid the dog wasn't allowed in doors, which usually is permitted. The wines were excellent! Their dry rose was perhaps the best I've ever had, and we came home with a few bottles. Only thing that was slightly off putting was the tasting felt a bit rushed, and they gave barely enough to taste. Otherwise it is for sure a great place to stop in on a tour, and we will be back! read more

Loved this experience! The other day before, went to Hazlitts by Seneca lake and this was by far a much, much better experience Prices were great! $5 for 5 tastings; less than $20 for decent bottles of the non-dessert wines Tried the snow owl, blushing moon and Port! Port was awesome! But ended up buying bottles of Snow Owl and Blushing Moon - great tasting wines The guys serving were also super nice and funny - Jimmy was our server. He was knowledgeable and kind BEAUTIFUL view! Out of the wineries around Cayuga Lake, probably the closest and best view, plus vineyards read more

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Shout out of appreciation to my absolute favorite Finger Lakes winery. No matter the time of year or day I am in the area you are a priority stop! I love your wines and your staff feels like family. Keep on keeping on read more