OUR STORY
Ria’s Wines is a winery, vineyard, and tasting room located in Hector, NY, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, directly on seneca lake. Founded in 2022 by wife and husband duo, Ria D’Aversa and Michael Penn, Ria’s Wines highlights the incredible, rich terroir of the Finger Lakes while offering a world class hospitality experience.
Ria brings a background in viticulture and organic farming, while Michael brings a wealth of experience in winemaking. having previously worked in California, Italy, France and New Zealand, Ria and Mike are eager to put their knowledge into new soil.
Now, with two children and a mutual adventurous spirit, they moved to the Finger Lakes in 2021 in search of the best terroir in NY for growing wine grapes. After a walk around the Bagley’s Poplar Ridge vineyard with the then owner in 2023, it was immediately obvious that this was a prime vineyard site, contained good soil for grapevines, and had a fully functioning winery and vineyard. What luck!
Meet the team
Liz Salamendra, tasting room lead
patrick wilson, estate foreman
madi wells, assistant tasting room lead
how we grow grapes & make wine
Ria’s is focused on cool climate farming and site driven wines that are an expression of the Finger Lakes’ rich agricultural history. Many of the existing vines on the property are forty years old with Varieties like Riesling, CAbernet franc, lemberger, chardonnay, cayuga and baco noir.
The vineyard is located 1,000 feet from the Southeastern shore of Seneca Lake, the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. The vines are Planted in glacially tilled soils that formed over an ancient shale bed, on a gentle slope in the northern section of an area known locally as the banana belt.
We make our wines with mild and thoughtful gestures. Our white wines are given long soaks on the skins during their extended press cycle, which allows for texture and minerality. Our red wines are tread with foot, stems included, and our fermentations are allowed to begin spontaneously. We don’t make additions or adjustments to the juice or the wine, instead leaving the wines to speak for themselves.
we strive for transparency in our wines, and to allow the terroir of the vineyard to come singing through.
the tasting experience
Our tasting room is located along a popular stretch of the Seneca Lake wine trail. Offering a warm and inviting hospitality experience in a scenic locale, guests will be welcome to explore our portfolio of wines while overlooking a stunning vista of the vineyard and Seneca Lake to the west.
Guests can create a custom flight of wine, taste by the glass or try a seasonal spritz. Bottles will be available to purchase for on premise consumption or to take home, and assorted snacks will be available to purchase alongside each tasting. there’s a little something for kids too.
There are unique spaces for the tasting experience, the indoor tasting room and bar, outdoor patio, and green garden. Reservations are encouraged and walk ins are very welcome.