It appears that Tropical Depression Debby and all the bad weather it’s bringing to the East Coast on Friday will have cleared out in time for Ria’s Wines to host its launch party. That’s scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m.
Saturday at its location in Hector, New York. Ria’s is located at 9782 NY-414, on the site of the historic Bagley’s Poplar Ridge Vineyard . The family-friendly event will include live music, face painting, charcuterie, hot dogs and cookies.
A complimentary glass will be given out upon arrival. Kids obviously are welcome. A golden hour will follow the official event, with bar service and live music to continue until 7 o’clock.
Ria D’Aversa and Michael Penn are the owners of the winery, located along the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, It opened its tasting room on July 5. Ria’s Wines is open 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Monday, with a golden hour from 4 to 7 p.
m. on Saturdays. Per the website, D’Aversa brings a background in viticulture and organic farming, while Michael complements her skills with his winemaking talents, having previously worked in California, Italy, France and New Zealand.
They have two children. They moved to the Finger Lakes in 2021 in search of the best terroir in New York 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 vineya.