Finger Lakes royalty poured in a real castle
Belhurst Castle / West Lake Shore Β· Geneva Β· New American / Contemporary American Fine Dining Β· Visit Website β
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk Β· July 26, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Edgar's Restaurant in the Castleβs wine list and gave it The Wild Card β RagingWineβs Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists β
Take Vibe Match and weβll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You're sitting in a 19th-century lakeside castle overlooking Seneca Lake, and the wine list reflects the setting β local, focused, and a little precious about it. The Finger Lakes lean is strong here, which is either a feature or a bug depending on how you feel about Riesling. We happen to think it's a feature.
The list leans hard into New York State and Finger Lakes producers, and Belhurst's own estate winery anchors much of it. Beyond house pours, you'll find reliable regional names like Ravines Wine Cellars, Hermann J. Wiemer, Sheldrake Point, and Standing Stone Vineyards β all legitimate, all worth drinking. The surprise is the range of styles covered: aromatic whites, a capable Cab Franc, and enough depth to make a Finger Lakes skeptic reconsider. The list doesn't stretch far beyond New York, and if you're hunting Old World or California heavyweights, you'll be disappointed.
Glass options run roughly 10β16 pours, with local producers well-represented and the estate wines from Belhurst's own production taking up prime real estate on the list. Rotation doesn't appear particularly active β this feels more like a set-it-and-forget-it program than one with a rotating seasonal slate. That said, what's there is drinkable and fits the romantic-castle-dinner-on-Seneca-Lake energy completely.
Ravines Wine Cellars Riesling β Unknown
Ravines makes some of the most serious dry Riesling in the Finger Lakes, and seeing it on a hotel restaurant list that could've just loaded up on house wine is a good sign. Lean, mineral, and food-friendly β it's the move for the prix fixe.
Sheldrake Point Cabernet Franc
Most guests at a romantic castle dinner are reaching for the red meat and the obvious reds, but Sheldrake Point's Cab Franc is the Finger Lakes at its most confident β earthy, structured, a little wild. Most people skip it. They shouldn't.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Washington State Riesling is fine, but it has no business anchoring a wine list in the heart of Finger Lakes Riesling country. It's a grocery store placeholder on a list that otherwise celebrates the region. Walk right past it.
Hermann J. Wiemer Reserve Chardonnay + Seasonal seafood special
Wiemer's Reserve Chardonnay has the structure and restraint to stand up to a buttery seafood preparation without steamrolling it. On a menu built around local ingredients and regional inspiration, this is the combination that makes the setting feel earned.
π² The Bottom Line
Edgar's is a Wild Card because it's doing something genuinely interesting β building a wine list around one of America's most underrated wine regions while you eat in a castle β but the steep markups and static program keep it from being a destination for the wine itself. Come for the lake view and the Wiemer; just know you're paying the castle tax.
Downtown Geneva Β· Geneva Β· Wine Tasting Lounge
Trestle Thirty One is a legitimate reason to make the detour to Geneva β not just for wine tourists, but for anyone curious about what focused, single-estate winemaking looks like in the Finger Lakes. If you want range across regions, look elsewhere; if you want to understand one place deeply, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Side Seneca Lake / Barracks Road Β· Geneva Β· Special Tasting / Wine-Focused
Ravines is the rare winery tasting experience that makes you forget you're on a tourism trail β the wines are too honest for that. If you're anywhere near the Finger Lakes and you skip this, you're doing it wrong.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
West Side Seneca Lake / Barracks Road Β· Geneva Β· Tasting Menu / Wine Dinner
This isn't a wine list review β it's a winery experience wearing a dinner jacket. If you're already sold on Ravines or want a focused deep-dive into what serious Finger Lakes wine can be, the Geneva barn delivers that with conviction. If you need optionality or outside references, you'll want to eat somewhere with a broader list.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
West Side Seneca Lake / Route 14 south of Geneva Β· Geneva Β· Event Dining / Farm-to-Table
This is a destination experience, not a restaurant wine list β but if you're making the drive to Seneca Lake anyway, an estate dinner at Fox Run is a genuinely satisfying way to drink through the lineup with food underneath it. Send a friend? Yes β but tell them to go for the Cab Franc.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
West Side Seneca Lake / Barracks Road Β· Geneva Β· Winery tasting room with seasonal farm-to-table small plates
This is what a winery restaurant should be: one producer, done exceptionally well, with food that gets out of the wine's way. If you're passing through the Finger Lakes and skip this, you made a mistake.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Linden Street Β· Geneva Β· Bar / Brunch / Small Plates
For a bar that could've loaded up on bulk-brand crowd-pleasers, Linden Street Rooftop shows genuine taste in a small package. Don't come expecting a deep cellar β come expecting a few smart pours with a view.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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