The 1000 Islands Seaway Wine Trail was established in 2007, offering unique, one of a kind wines due to their hardy grape wines, perfect growing climate, and creative collaborations with wine growers in other parts of the country. The wine trail winds along 78 scenic miles and includes eight different family-owned wineries. While we would have loved to visit them all, here are two of the ones we did enjoy.

Our first stop was White Caps Winery in Chaumont, NY. The owner is a fifth generation descendant of Nathaniel Warner, a soldier raised in a Connecticut regiment, to fight in the War of 1812 in Sackets Harbor. Wines are made by newer cold hardy wines and sometimes mixed with grape varieties from the mid-west. This was one of our favorite wine tasting experiences. The owner is friendly, knowledgeable, and the wines are both delicious and complex.

Our next wine tasting stop was The Cape Winery in Cape Vincent, NY. This winery is one of the newest in the area. You can find it a short 15 minute drive away from White Caps Winery, set along the beautiful St. Lawrence River.

Cape Winery has a great selection of white, red, and rosé wines and their branding is well done. Their tasting room is comfortable, welcoming, and very relaxing.

One thing we loved about it was the serene setting.

We even discovered horses grazing in the field behind the buildings along with a comfortable tree swing, which we stole for a few minutes of tranquility.

Nice wines, friendly staff, and a beautiful setting. If we had to pick a favorite, we would probably choose White Caps Winery for the complexity of its wines, but if we had to choose based on settings, they would tie!