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Finger Lakes Blog

Finger Lakes Blog Posts

Author: Maiah Johnson Dunn

Maiah Johnson Dunn is a wine and lifestyle writer based in Rochester, New York. The former Boston native shares her favorite wines and more on her Instagram (@thisismaiah) and website.

Debra Bermingham, Bloomer Creek Vineyard

To celebrate Women's History Month, we asked wine writer and educator Maiah Johnson Dunn to do a follow-up on the Unapologetically Female piece she wrote previously. This time she focused on the women behind the scenes, the owners, marketers, vineyard managers, and cellar hands that make Finger Lakes Wine Country run.

Céline LeSeurre, Domaine LeSeurre Winery

Celine LeSeurre - Domaine LeSeurre Winery

Photos provided.

Wine is in Céline LeSeurre’s DNA. It only makes sense, having grown up around her grandparents’ vineyards in the

Wines to Warm You This Winter

Wednesday, November 22, 2023 11:00 AM by Maiah Johnson Dunn

Winter Wine Glass

It sneaks up on you. One day, you find yourself appreciating the heat emanating from your coffee mug. You notice your morning dog walks have become a bit more bundled. The leaves have changed to yellows, burnt oranges and reds, and the weather feels perfect for cable knit sweaters, thick socks, and cozy blankets. Suddenly it’s soup season, yule log channels return, and twinkling lights bring actual neighborhood cheer as the sounds of Mariah Carey can be heard on repeat. The holidays are back!

Unapologetically Female

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 7:00 PM by Maiah Johnson Dunn

Ann Rafetto of Wagner Vineyards

When Ann Raffetto accepted the job as co-winemaker at Wagner Vineyards, she didn’t think about the legacy she’d leave behind. “We were just trying to work with what equipment we had and trying to make the best wine that we could,” she smiles.

“I always get a little hesitant when people say ‘first woman winemaker’,” notes Ann as she highlights her colleagues working behind the scenes. “Maybe not technically in a winemaker role, but [women] were certainly in every other aspect doing whatever

Rose wine tasting by Maiah Johnson Dunn

Summer 2021, we have been waiting for you! 2020 was one for the books. From European tariffs impacting US wine distribution to the catastrophic California wildfires. And all within an industry grappling with racism and sexism during a time already fraught with the deadliest pandemic we’ve seen in recent history. It’s no wonder why, according to Wine Spectator, US wine sales have increased by 328.9 million cases while we quarantined our way through the last year.

“Given all the tumult this year,