Canandaigua is expected to see crowds of more than 30,000 this weekend for the sixth annual Finger Lakes Riesling Festival. That event has moved around a bit in recent years, and this year it will take place at the New York Wine and Culinary Center and also along the Canandaigua City Pier.
Festival producer Lauren Dixon of the ad agency Dixon Schwabl says that’s a good spot for festival, since the wine and culinary center promotes Finger Lakes wines, which are such a big part of the state’s economy.
“The wine industry generates more than $4.8 billion annually for new York state’s economy and interestingly enough the finger lakes accounts for about 75 percent of that due to the number of wineries, a little over 130 of them, so it really is an economic engine for this community.”
Dixon says they decided several years ago to highlight Riesling wines because the climate in this region produces some very good Riesling wines.
The festival runs from 10am to 5pm both Saturday and Sunday. It costs 20 dollars to get into the wine and beer tastings and the proceeds benefit the YMCA.
