Life in this hamlet of 300 residents revolves around Sheldrake Point Vineyard & Cafe.

The village is too small to rate a post office or even its own name. Sheldrake Point is lumped under Ovid in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Yet Sheldrake is a tourist mecca with around 10 waterfront bed and breakfasts, inns on a range from two bedrooms to Victorian mansions and guest cottages, nearly all within walking distance of the winery and its five-star restaurant specializing in Sheldrake-signature foods — dishes prepared to pair with the establishment’s 23 wines from its own grapes and those of other premier growers.

Foods feature freshables grown in the kitchen’s herb and produce garden and such local products as Mennonite cheeses from Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty.

The 160-acre vineyard slopes down to 40-mile-long Cayuga Lake, lengthiest of the Finger Lakes, making it such a choice spot for weddings that Sheldrake is booked through 2007. Expanded from its original 1850s farmhouse on 400 feet of lakefront, the property contains an award-winning winery served by in-house and visiting oneologists from France, meeting and conference facilities, a tasting room, expansive gift shop, decking through the gardens and gourmet restaurant under the supervision of executive chef Jack Carrington, a former mountain rescuer.

Michael Adams, managing partner of the vineyard/cafe complex, which serves as a central meeting/informational hub in the hamlet, describes the settlement as “lost in time.”

“I have a photograph taken in the late 1800s showing a 100-room hotel which burned to the ground near the time trains replaced water transportation,” he said. “Sheldrake did not progress, which was a blessing as the town was not tarted up. Today, we try to respect the rural, pastoral character of the neighborhood.”

The unique quality of the neighborhood is its prominence on The Nautical Wine Trail, along which you can taste libations by boat, as one couple cruising up from Key West to escape a hurricane did last year. Seven wineries mark the waterfront between Cayuga and Seneca lakes, which are connected by the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which unites with the Erie Canal.

Although the business is built around five themes, winemaking dominates.

“From the earliest days of the winery,” Adams said, “the goal was to focus on quality vines and winemaking, and we are proud of the many medals our wines are winning.”

Contact Sharon DeMarko-Gordon at 693-1000, Ext. 107.



IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Sheldrake Point Vineyard & Cafe.

• WHERE: 7448 County Road 153, Ovid; the town is located near Cayuga Lake, south of I-90 between Rochester and Syracuse.

• WHEN: Tasting room and gift shop are open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. all year. Café open to the public April through October and year-round for special events. Call for times and reservations.

• COST: Accommodations range from $150 to $250 per night. Wines generally from $9 to $25 per 750 ml bottle. Restaurant prices for lunch average $8.95. Dinners are a la carte with main courses between $16.95 and $23.95.

• MORE INFORMATION: Call (866) 743-5372, e-mail finewine@sheldrakepoint.com or visit sheldrakepoint.com.



Sheldrake’s five key themes

• Winery & vineyard: Riesling is the signature variety in the Finger Lakes. Sheldrake’s bottling was awarded “The Top Riesling in North America” at a 2005 international competition.

• Restaurant/café/food: Wine pairings and wine flights are matched with cafe originals.

• Garden and nature: Landscape architect-designed winery gardens are now at their peak. Café seating is arranged lakeside in the gardens under umbrellas.

• Waterfront/boating: This is one of few Finger Lakes wineries with a private dock. Guided fishing boat cruises and fly-fishing lessons can be arranged.

• Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty: This organization, akin to “Vermont Fresh,” promotes picked-today foodstuffs. Culinary Bounty members contribute local food products to the Sheldrake Point kitchen and stock its gift shop with such delicacies as nut brittle and gourmet mustards. The gift shop specializes in New York-made crafts, art and food items.