Being forced to stay close to home for a honeymoon doesn’t have to be a bummer. Roadtrips can be very romantic if you’re in the right place. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? Or, just drive your lemon down the highway. Yeah. We weren’t sure what was up with this one either…

Happy Friday everyone!

All of the wineries we visited had spittoons on the counter for tasters to spit out their samples. This avoids any change of dangerous driving.

But let’s be honest, most of us want the full experience. Hiring a limo or bus to do the driving for you is a great way to relax and taste all you want and be responsible. Consider some of these companies to haul you and your sweetie around:

• Finger Lakes Winery Tours
• Caz Limousine Service
• Finger Lakes Limousine & Coach
• Grapevine Country Tours

Our last stop of the day was Rock Stream Vineyards in Rock Stream, NY. Tim loved this place because they server complimentary cheese with your tasting. Can’t go wrong with free cheese!

This place is best known for their grappa, a Pomace brandy liquor made from grape skins. It’s meant to be served chilled and sipped slowly, so it’s not for the novice. The 80-proof liquor will put hair on your chest. It wasn’t for me, but Tim’s now a fan.

We took home a bottle of Cabernet Franc which didn’t last the week at our house. It went great with the Italian dinner we cooked a few nights later.

As you drive down Rt. 14 along Seneca Lake, there are wineries lining either side of the road. Some offer free tastings, others charge a small fee per pour. Our next stop was Torrey Ridge.

We each chose six wines to taste. The staff at all of the wineries are helpful in picking what you might like. The more questions you ask, the more you learn about their particular varieties.

This stop is actually two tasting rooms in one. Adjacent to the Torrey Ridge building – which houses the huge, two-story tasting facility seen at the top of this post – is the Earle Estates Meadery.

Legend has it, the term “honeymoon” originates from an old Irish tradition in which newlyweds drank honey wine, or mead everyday for one full moon (a month) after their wedding. That makes Earle Estates a must-see for any honeymooning couple. We may not have been “just married,” but it made us happy anyway.

During our day of wine-tasting in the Finger Lakes, Tim and I started out in Geneva, NY, at Belhurst Castle. Built in the 1880’s, it’s a place with a long and rambling history, including its use as a speakeasy and casino during prohibition.

Like most many of the wineries in the region, they’re probably best know for their Reislings. Belhurst consistently receives awards for their wines.

It goes without saying, that one must be careful when tasting and driving. So we loaded up on lunch before we began to imbibe. Stonecutters is one of two restaurants at Belhurst. In good weather, you can sit out on the patio and enjoy the amazing lake views across the lawn.

The food is reasonably priced and wine parings are suggested with each item. We started with a cheese platter featuring Upstate New York cheddar and some tasty mustards. My mozzarella-tomato-pesto panini and Tim’s catfish sandwich were great. He especially loved the fried pickle that comes on the side.

Without drinks, our bill was less than $30 for two. Not a bad way to start the afternoon.

Then it was on to the good stuff: the vino. Belhurst recently completed construction on a new wing at the hotel, below, that houses the tasting room and gift shop.

We sampled some of their reds and whites and spent some time chatting with the dude who was pouring. He told us about the grapes used, some from Upstate and others from Long Island. Tim and I both love dry wine, so we decided to take home a bottle of their semi-dry riesling. It was a little pricey, but quite good.

As our readers know by now, we’re just as fond of 90+ day epic journeys as we are of staying close to home for a honeymoon. One place my husband and I love to travel to is the Finger Lakes wine region .

On a drive home from visiting my in-laws in Syracuse, Tim and I decided to take an afternoon tour of the Finger Lakes to remind all us East Coasters that we can find a bit of Napa-esque charm nearby. Our friends Mark and Christi absolutely loved their long-weekend mini-moon here. With it’s stunning lake views, charming B&B’s, and award winning wines, the Finger Lakes is the perfect place for a short stay or a week-long retreat for a new couple. A five-hour drive from Boston or New York is all it takes to get away. And don’t worry, we were parked for the shot above.

You can find lots of trip planning info here and here. A great B&B list is here. Foodies will want to check out this list.

We’re just wrapping up a weekend of hosting a book club brunch (for me), attending a fantasy baseball draft (for Tim) and a night out on the town with friends for drinks and a movie (for us both). I’m shocked to type this, but Hot Tub Time Machine was surprisingly actually worth the 13 bucks I paid to see it!

This week I’m featuring some more posts on mini-mooning in New York’s Finger Lakes wine country. It’s such a beautiful area of the country, with really fantastic wines. And yet it’s laid back and not at all pretentious. Makes me want to plan another weekend up there this spring!

Mark and Christi were super excited to check out some of the fantastic wineries that New York State offers in the picturesque Finger Lakes region. Most of these wineries have tasting rooms that will give you samples for free or for a small fee. They’re cozy and not at all pretentious. The staff is always willing to share their knowledge and help you discover the varieties you like best. (Can you tell I’m a huge Finger Lakes fan as well?)

They discovered some of their favorite spots easily. The got a free bottle of sparkling wine because they were honeymooners at Arbor HIll Winery in Naples, NY.

Also in Naples, they thought Imagine Moore Winery, above, was “a very cool winery with generous pours.”

And it wasn’t just wine Mark and Christi were tasting. They also checked out the local still at Finger Lakes Distilling where $2 buys you three whiskey samples. Christi calls their Glen Thunder “moonshine, pure and simple.”

After all the tasting, food was in order. These honeymooners had lunch at Stonecat Cafe in Watkins Glen. Mark says the food “was fantastic.” Christi is a collector of some amazing things, including vintage typewriters and super-cool Pyrex bowls. So you know they had to also wander into several antiques shops and check out the General Store.

These two sadly just missed the annual Grape Festival, which took place the following week in late September.  But they were eager to learn more about it. Christi says, “Henry, our innkeeper at Bristol Views, told us that grapes grown in the Canandaigua Lake region are mostly used for grape jelly, grape juice, and, of course, the local fave – grape pie.”

What a sweet way to spend a few days in the Finger Lakes! Check in tomorrow for the newlyweds’ more adventurous activities.

Roslindale, MA, residents Mark Murphy (a video and event producer) and his new wife Christi Gorelli (a graphic designer and blogger-extraordinaire) are awesome. No way around it. They’re two of the sweetest, coolest, nicest kids you could hope to know. We had the pleasure of attending their (super-fun and ultra-crafty) September 2009 wedding in Leechburg, PA, where Christi grew up.

These two are hoping to head to Barcelona this spring, but needed a post-wedding break before they headed back to real life. The Finger Lakes region of New York State was the perfect destination along their drive back to Mass. It was just right for them and their two adorable dogs. Christi says, “We wanted to do something small right away after planning an out-of-state wedding.”

I love the idea of a “mini-moon”. Whether you’ve got a big journey planned for later or a tight budget to begin with, staying local and keeping things simple can be every bit as romantic as globetrotting.

The Finger Lakes offer honeymooners charm, charm and more charm. From gorgeous view along the eleven glacier-carved lakes to the adorable antique shops lining the Main Streets of small lakeside towns, you can’t get any more quaint. Oh, and there’s wine. Lots of it.

The region has over 80 wineries, most of which grow their grapes locally and offer tastings. There are three main “trails” you can follow, running along Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka Lakes.

Mark says, “The great location meant waking up to beautiful sights every morning,” as seen above. He adds, “Depending on the time of year, you can have wonderful weather and scenery as you drive along the lakes.”

Pour yourself a glass and check in every day this week to see Mark and Christi’s hiking, drinking, eating and chilling in NY.