JR Dill Winery offers small batch wines and a robust snack menu alongside Seneca Lake in upstate New York.
If you spend any time at all around upstate New York's Finger Lakes, one of your lasting memories will probably be the sheer number of wineries.
It's tempting to squeeze in as many as possible (and we did, on this trip!), but my advice is to plan what number of stops will allow you to just relax and take in the experience.
That said, it's difficult to choose which of so many wineries to visit! Our Finger Lakes experiences allow us to sum up a number of the options for you. Here's what you can expect from JR Dill Winery.
Finding the Winery
JR Dill Winery is located on the east side of Seneca Lake, about four miles from the village of Burdett.
The winery is set back a little over half a mile from the lake shore, but you can see the lake as you drive (and also from the property).
With a 15-minute drive or less, you can also visit Finger Lakes Distilling (a near neighbor of JR Dill), Bagley's Poplar Ridge Vineyards, the Ginny Lee Café, Lakewood Vineyards, or Barnstomer Winery.
Do I Need Reservations for a Tasting at JR Dill Winery?
The winery is open daily, and you don't need reservations.
We were able to sit either inside or on the covered patio without any issue finding a spot.
Indoors, you may notice the lake glass bar, which displays a colorful panoply of beach glass collected over many years from right here at Seneca Lake.
We opted for outside on the patio for the nice views of the lake across the street.
Tastings + Snacks at JR Dill Winery
In addition to wine flights, JR Dill offers an extensive snack menu. We’d just eaten at The Elf in the Oak nearby, so we passed on snacks.
They also sell local craft beer.
When we visited in fall 2023, a flight of five wines cost $10.
Our friends who prefer sweet wines didn’t love this stop (the sweets here weren’t their favorites), but this was one of my favorite of all of our winery stops!
Their dry reds were robust and full-bodied, and had a little bit of a funky flavor (in a good way!).
We especially loved the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc. Both of these wines would be great in a bourbon sangria.
I was also intrigued by their “wine flour” for sale, and picked up a package. I’m excited to try and figure out how to use it.
The location of this winery in close proximity to the stunning gorge at Watkins Glen is also a plus. The campground there makes for a great home base as you explore the food and drink scene around Seneca Lake. Have fun!
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