Chateau LaFayette Reneau

In 1985 Dick and Betty Reno bought an old 60 acre dairy farm in Seneca Lake ’s banana belt region, a microclimate known for its comparatively balmy temperatures. The area is south east of the Lake . Their initial intentions did not include wine making but Dick began tending some native varietals that happened to be growing in one corner of the farm. They decided to try their hand at seeing what kinds of wines they could produce. So they converted the old dairy barn on the premises into a winery and made a go of it. They named the winery Chateau LaFayette Reneau after Dick’s grandfather. Having experienced some success with wine making gernerally, and also seeing the success that some of their neighbors were having with producing vinifera wines, the Reno ’s started growing some of Bordeaux types as well as Riesling. The effort has shown great success and the vineyard has expanded to 140 acres.

Chateau LaFayette Reneau produces a wide variety wines. They sell a fairly wide range of European style wines as well as hybrids and natives. It has one of the broader selection of labels in the region. The vinefera’s are generally vey good to excellent and well made. The natives/hybrids are fun, less than serious wines and more of a nod to the regions past. Of special mention are the Rieslings, which are are rich, very fruit expressive, and remarkably bold. They are challenging but at the same time accessible. Chateau LaFayette Reneau had two wines in the top ten of rated wines showing a high degree of craftsmanship in their production.