This vineyard offers a large variety of wines which can be sampled in the congenial atmosphere of the kitchen of the simple home which serves as the tasting room. The winery is open weekends and other times by appointment. This winery is run by the owner who is a third generation grower of grapes and winemaker. He was, as usual, serving the wine samples on the day I was there and was very knowledgeable when discussing the wine samples and the growing of grapes on his estate.
The Daniel Lenko Winery opened in 1999 and has received awards which are displayed, along with family pictures, on the wall as you enter the home.
I sampled 3 wines today. There were two 2008 Chardonnays, one with American oak($22.95) and the other with French oak($29.95). Both were candidates for purchase and I took the French oak home as it was more complete on my palate and I will enjoy it when it ages a few years to maturity.
I also tried a Meritage($59.95) which had received a 93 from another reviewer but was not what I expected. It was an uninteresting wine for me, not showing the character which I have experienced in other similar wines in the region.
Don’t be discouraged by the outward appearance of the vineyard if you would like to meet a friendly and knowledgeable owner as you sample wines. It is not the typical winery you will find in the area and does not offer the expected refinements if that is what you are seeking. I was able to have a friendly and informative chat with the owner on this day but it can of course get busy in the high season. I was told some days find lineups out the door as the facility can’t handle too many inside.
Niagarawinesmith 