There's a new reason to point your car toward Seneca Lake. 1487 Héritage by Domaine LeSeurre, a French-inspired winery in Hector, New York, has opened its doors — and its centrepiece is a genuine piece of French history. The oak barn at the heart of the estate began life in Champagne, France, in the 15th century. Six generations later, owner Sébastian LeSeurre had it carefully taken apart piece by piece, shipped across the Atlantic, and rebuilt on the lakeshore, with reconstruction completed this August.
The result is a tasting room unlike anything else in the Finger Lakes: sipping sparkling wine inside an oak frame that has stood for over five centuries. The estate pours both Champagne-method sparkling wines and still wines grown on its own vineyards, and its sparklers get serious cellar time — more than ten years aging before disgorgement, a level of patience borrowed straight from the family's Champagne tradition.
To mark the launch, the winery released a first-of-its-kind collector bottling: 300 numbered bottles, one dedicated to each of its founding members. It's a small run, so anyone hoping to snag one should ask early.
The wine list leans into cool-climate varieties the Finger Lakes does well — Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Cabernet Franc — alongside those long-aged bubblies. If you already have a favourite Seneca Lake route, this slots neatly into a wine trail day; if you're new to the region, Hector sits among a dense cluster of wineries along the lake's eastern shore.
The winery is now open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so no need to plan around limited weekend hours.
Why it matters: the Finger Lakes has quietly become one of America's most respected cool-climate wine regions, and an actual transplanted Champagne barn raising the stakes says a lot about where it's heading. Whether you come for the Riesling, the history in the beams, or just the views over Seneca Lake, this is an easy add to any New York wine country itinerary — and worth timing before the collector bottles disappear.
