Finger Lakes Wine Quiz: Riesling, Glacial Lakes and Vineyards

This Finger Lakes wine quiz tours the vineyards that line New York's long, deep glacial lakes. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on how glaciers carved the 11 lakes, Seneca and Cayuga, why deep water helps grapes, Riesling, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Keuka Lake's Y shape, ice wine, Hammondsport and Watkins Glen.

Start Finger Lakes Wine Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

State
Which state are the Finger Lakes in?
Origin
What carved the Finger Lakes?
Count
How many Finger Lakes are there?
Deep
Which is the deepest Finger Lake?
Grape
Which grape is the region's flagship?
Water
How do the deep lakes help vineyards?
Frank
Who pioneered European wine grapes there in the 1950s?
Shape
Which Finger Lake has a Y shape?
Ice
Which sweet wine is made from frozen grapes?
Glen
Which village is known for a gorge and racing?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which state are the Finger Lakes in?
Answer: New York
They lie in the west of the state.
Q2: What carved the Finger Lakes?
Answer: Glaciers
Ice Age glaciers gouged deep valleys.
Q3: How many Finger Lakes are there?
Answer: 11
They look like fingers on a map.
Q4: Which is the deepest Finger Lake?
Answer: Seneca Lake
It plunges over 180 meters.
Q5: Which grape is the region's flagship?
Answer: Riesling
It suits the cool climate.
Q6: How do the deep lakes help vineyards?
Answer: They moderate temperatures
Deep water holds heat into autumn.
Q7: Who pioneered European wine grapes there in the 1950s?
Answer: Dr. Konstantin Frank
Many said it could not be done.
Q8: Which Finger Lake has a Y shape?
Answer: Keuka Lake
It is sometimes called Crooked Lake.
Q9: Which sweet wine is made from frozen grapes?
Answer: Ice wine
Grapes are picked in deep cold.
Q10: Which village is known for a gorge and racing?
Answer: Watkins Glen
It sits at Seneca Lake's south end.

How Glacial Lakes Shape New York Wine

The Finger Lakes are 11 long, narrow lakes in western New York, carved by Ice Age glaciers. On a map they look like the fingers of a hand. Seneca and Cayuga are the largest, and Seneca is the deepest, plunging more than 180 meters.

The deep water stores summer heat and releases it in autumn, while staying cool in spring, which slows early budding and helps protect vines from frost. These conditions suit cool-climate grapes, and Riesling became the region's flagship. Winemakers also produce sparkling wines and sweet ice wine from frozen grapes.

In the 1950s, Dr. Konstantin Frank proved that European wine grapes could survive here, near Y-shaped Keuka Lake and the village of Hammondsport. Today well over a hundred wineries dot the hillsides, and visitors combine tastings with trips to Watkins Glen, known for its gorge and its car racing circuit.

What This Quiz Teaches

Wine fans will enjoy these questions.

How the lakes formed
Which lakes are biggest
Which grapes grow best
Who pioneered the region
Which towns to visit

Did You Know?

Wine trails link wineries around several lakes.
Native grapes like Concord also grow in the region.
Cornell University in Ithaca studies grape growing.
Lakes rarely freeze over completely because of their depth.
Waterfalls are common in the region's gorges.