Why the Finger Lakes Is the Next Must-Visit Wine Region with Caley McKnight

If the Finger Lakes isn’t on your travel list yet… it might be after this conversation.

In this episode, I’m joined by Caley McKnight, an enology student at Cornell University who’s immersed in one of the most exciting (and underrated) wine regions in the country. Together, we explore what makes the Finger Lakes so special—and why it’s quickly becoming a must-visit destination for wine lovers.

From cool-climate wines and vineyard life to hidden gems you won’t want to miss, this episode is part wine education, part travel inspiration, and part love letter to discovering something new.

And if you’re joining me for Wine Camp 2026… consider this your preview.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Caley went from restaurant life in California to studying winemaking
• What makes the Finger Lakes climate ideal for certain wines
• Why Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc shine in this region
• The role of science, soil, and sustainability in winemaking
• Local recommendations for wineries, cideries, and distilleries
• Why this region offers a more relaxed, approachable wine experience

Key Topics:

• Finger Lakes wine region overview
• Enology and winemaking basics
• Cool-climate wines
• Women in the wine industry
• Wine travel and experiences
• Sustainable and biodynamic practices

Want to experience it for yourself? Learn more about Wine Camp at: https://www.pennyforyourshots.com/winecamp

When’s the last time you did something just for YOU? 🍷✨
Wine Camp 2026 is your chance to escape, sip fabulous local wines, cruise at sunset, laugh around the fire pit, and soak up the magic of New York’s Finger Lakes.

📍 Dates: July 30–August 2, 2026
🏡 Spots are limited, so grab yours now: https://www.pennyforyourshots.com/winecamp

Bring your besties or come solo—you’ll leave with new favorites either way. Wine Camp 2026 is calling. Are you in?

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Transcript

Why the Finger Lakes Is the Next Must-Visit Wine Region with Caley McKnight
===

​[00:00:00] 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. This conversation got me even more excited for Wine Camp this year. The Finger lakes isn't just beautiful. It's kind of a big deal in the wine world. Dr. Konstantin Frank helped make growing European grapes in colder climates possible here.

Cornell has one of the top wine programs in the country, and Wine Enthusiast just named it the 2025 American Wine Region of the Year. So when I had the chance [00:01:00] to sit down with Caley McKnight, who's studying at Cornell and living right in the middle of it, I knew we had to bring you along for the conversation.

I'm so excited. Here is Caley McKnight.

it's so great to meet you and I was talking with your, I'll call her your bonus mom. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. Um, and it was just such a coincidence that here you are in the Finger Lakes and in the wine industry.

Mm-hmm. And I'll be there later this year. I'm so excited. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be great. I'm sure you and the ladies will have a great time. Um, I was taking a look at your website and it looks like you're staying at a wonderful spot, so that'll be great. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, good. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Awesome. Good. Will love to hear it.

Will this, 

Caley McKnight: yeah. Yeah. Will this be your first time in the Finger Lakes? 

Penny Fitzgerald: It is. 

Caley McKnight: Oh, amazing. Oh, how fun. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 

Caley McKnight: That's exciting. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Looking forward to it, for sure.

So backing up a little bit, tell me how did you end up at Cornell? How'd you get to New York? 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Um, so kind of a long [00:02:00] story. Um, I actually am hailing from California, so I started the hospitality industry out there. Um, and that's kind of where I, I fell in love with wine, you know, growing up with Amy and my dad.

Um, they're uhhuh, they were my first influences. We can put it that way. Um, but so I started out in the hospitality industry, um, in California. Met my partner out there, he's a chef. Um, and so we ended up moving out here to New York because this is where he's from. Um, okay. But so that's how I ended up. It's always about a boy up York.

Yes, exactly. So silly. But yeah, so that's how I ended up in New York. Um, and actually. Previous to Cornell, I started at the program at the Finger Lakes, um, community college. So I did a year there. Okay. Um, and then I ended up just transferring over to Cornell 'cause I just wanted a little bit more, little bit more torture we can call it.

Um, but you know, the wine is great too, so. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's very cool. 

Yes. Well, and we got out of, um, Cornell, we have, uh, Dr. Konstantin Frank . Is that correct? 

Caley McKnight: Mm-hmm. Yes. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. Tell me a little bit about that. 'cause my [00:03:00] listeners may not know this, all this history, and we're gonna find a lot of this stuff out when we come to visit, but, um, yeah, as a background, give us, give us some knowledge.

Caley McKnight: Well, and you know, I'm a little ashamed to say that I haven't actually made it over to Dr. Frank's, um, winery just yet, just because Oh, wow. Location, uh, differences. But you know, they are kind of the, the pioneers of the area. Um, we'll say there are a few different family groups that have been here for quite some time, um, and they are one of them.

So they have a really great, um, operation going on, and I hear nothing but good things about them. Mm, nice. So it's very exciting to be within the same region that they are. 

Penny Fitzgerald: So, so when California, you started in the hospitality industry, were you like in the restaurant business or did you start right out in wine? Or how, how did that path happen? 

Caley McKnight: So I started out in the restaurant business.

Um, it's a restaurant in Santa Monica called Resta Canyon. Um, and at the time the chef that I worked under and the psalm that I worked under were both incredible. We were just, the menu changes every day. It's a hyper seasonal kitchen, so we're constantly sourcing from the [00:04:00] farmer's market. Um, and the wine reflected that, the psalm that we had at the time, um, his name was Ferdy.

He was insane. He was incredible with just the pairings that he could come up with, the wine that he could source, the connections that he had. It was just, it was really incredible to be around and it kind of just sparked my interest and was like, okay, I, I need to get in on this. I need to, oh, 

Penny Fitzgerald: that's 

Caley McKnight: cool.

You know, have a part in this. It's just 

Penny Fitzgerald: exciting. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, yeah. Okay, so for those listening who might not know, som is sommelier. Yes. And he, did he like, choose the wines too? Um, that would go with the, that day's culinary. What creations. 

Caley McKnight: So he would kind of, he built out the seller, um, and he would just, you know, different cases that he'd find maybe one of his, um, purveyors would have, like, this is our last case, less left, but it's really, really special.

It's unique. Mm-hmm. And so we would kind of do both, like Andy, chef, um, Andy De Bravo would come up with the food. And then I know Ferdy would kind of. Think of something that would be like, oh, I have this in our [00:05:00] cellar. This would go really great. We should pair it with this. Um, so it's kind of a, a melding of the minds, if you will.

Um, but Purdy really, he built out the cellar and he just had some really incredible bottles and he was able to pair those with the things that the chef would come up with. 

Penny Fitzgerald: That's so cool. I, I kind of think of wine as, um. If you're thinking about a wardrobe, about your closet, it's like the shoes. And a lot of times I would choose my shoes before I'd choose my outfit.

Caley McKnight: Mm-hmm. I'm the same way, I'm the same exact way. It's kind of like a built from the bottom to the top. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Like what? What lights your fire? And um, oh gosh, this wine is amazing. So 

Caley McKnight: yeah, 

Penny Fitzgerald: built something around it. Oh, that's so cool. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. So that, that sparked your interest in the hospitality field.

Mm-hmm. And, were you in school out there too, or, um, just like there I wasn't 

actually, 

Caley McKnight: I was just focusing on working. Um-huh. And so I was in the restaurant 

Penny Fitzgerald: hands on. 

Caley McKnight: Yes, exactly. Very hands on. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Mm, nice. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. And then 

Did you go for the wine program right away [00:06:00] then when you got back out to New York? 

Caley McKnight: I didn't actually, it took me a little bit to um, get into the wine program and I actually, I, back in 2023, I wanna say end of 2023, I did the introductory sommelier course with the Court of Master Sommelier.

So that's where I started. And Uhhuh, once I did that certification, I was like, okay, I enjoyed this and I liked the, the wine itself, but I wanna be the one that makes the wine. I don't wanna be the one in the restaurant selling people the wine. So I was like, okay, I need to find a program. I need to get my hands on this.

I need to just. Break into this industry. And so that's when I started searching and that's when I found the first program at FLCC and got into their wine. Okay. It was wine technology, um, associate's degree, which I didn't actually complete the associate's degree with them. I just transferred Uhhuh, like I went straight into Cornell.

Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's so cool. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 'cause that, um, there is so much science behind it. I think when you, when you drink wine, when you enjoy wine, you know, before you really get into a. The thought process behind it, like how is it made? [00:07:00] And you know, you don't, you may have been to a vineyard, you've tasted a lot of different wines.

You know what you like. But wow, there's there the science behind it. There's the dirt, the, the weather patterns, the, the land, the lay of the land, all of it. Um, and then of course the people behind it. The people who work the, the land and the vineyard, and. The people who make the wine like you. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah.

And it's, it's funny 'cause like you said, I mean you, when you're drinking it, you don't really think about what exactly went into this bottle. You don't think about Yeah. The soil that it came from and the, the climate that we had this past growing season, or. What the grapes had to endure and the, the sunlight that they got or didn't get, or, you know, there's just so much that goes into it, and then even getting it to the tank, like taking the grapes off the vine and then getting them right to the tank, to the bottle, like, it's just one of those things that I don't know.

How often people think about that. Um, yeah. But as you know, as a winemaker, [00:08:00] that's, that's our bread and butter or our wine and cheese as I like to say. 

Penny Fitzgerald: There you go. Love it. Yes. Well, and so much, um, so, so much of that is the non-romantic. Piece of it. But really it's very cool 'cause you're, you're testing it at all steps of the process.

You're making sure that everything is going just right and you're tweaking things along the way and you're using your palate to determine, you know, does, is this gonna work? Or is, am I gonna need to adjust this? So what's been your favorite piece of it so far? 

Caley McKnight: Oh gosh, that's tough. Um, you know, I really enjoy being in the vineyards.

I'm, I ashamed to say this, especially on a podcast, but I'm a little bit crazy. I like to talk to the vines. Like, once you, I are there long enough and you kind start to, you know, mess with these things, it's like they become this entity that you, you're working with the vines, you're not, you know, manipulating them just because.

And so I really enjoy being in the vineyard. I really enjoy working with the grapes, but at the same time, the wine making side of things is very amazing as well. I enjoy the [00:09:00] chemistry behind it, and like you said, I enjoy the manipulation and you know, tweaking things as you go and tasting things as they move along.

And it's just mm-hmm. It's a really fun process to be a part of. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's neat. Um, you mentioned talking to the vines. Have you gotten into biodynamics at all? 

Caley McKnight: So that's actually an area of interest of mine, so I'm hoping Oh, 

Penny Fitzgerald: cool. Tell me about it. 

Caley McKnight: I guess long-term goal for me is I, mm-hmm. You know, am hoping to own my own winery and farm in the future one day.

And so I really would love to focus on biodiversity and sustainability and regenerative agriculture. And so that's kind of, you know, where I'm headed or at least in that direction. Um, and so in terms of working with the vines themselves, I've really enjoyed learning about cover crops and how those, yeah.

Like, not compete with the vines themselves, but how they can regenerate the soil and actually help everything work in synergy and grow together. Mm-hmm. Um, so that's been really cool to see in, in person and in real time. Mm-hmm. So that's been exciting. 

Penny Fitzgerald: That's very cool. It also, um, [00:10:00] it's good for the soil, it's good for the grapes.

It has so many benefits. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: There are some vineyards that only plant when the moon is in a certain phase. it really runs the gamut of working with Mother Earth or being very mindful

So what, what do you know about that? 

Caley McKnight: You know, I only know the crazy stories that I've heard, to be honest. Yes, I've heard about, I think. Someone was telling me that they got like, um, a horn, uh, some kind of horn from an animal and you poured this liquid into it and it was under like the full moon or something, and then you bury it in the ground.

And it's just, so to me, those are the fun things that I hear about. 

Penny Fitzgerald: I love crazy stories. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Great. Exactly. Like it's funny to hear about, I don't know if I will actually be practicing, you know? Right, 

Penny Fitzgerald: right. Yeah. 

Caley McKnight: Um, but they are fun to hear about and it is. I mean, there are wineries that operate like that, you know?

Mm-hmm. And I can't speak to, you know, any winery specific in the finger Lakes that do that, but like you said, in Europe, have those things that they, you know. Yeah. And that's the kind of stuff that's passed down through your family [00:11:00] as well, like Right. These family owned and operated wineries, you know, you learn that from your grandparents and their grandparents and mm-hmm.

So this knowledge is passed down. And so it's, it's funny to hear stories like that, and I, you know, as. Woo woo as I can get, uh, some things I'm, I'm like, okay, that, that sounds interesting. I don't know if I can personally do that myself, but you know, if it works me, it works for you. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Right. Exactly. That's where I am too.

'cause it's, it makes me curious and I wanna learn more about it and I don't wanna poo poh it Right. When I don't know enough about it. 

Caley McKnight: Exactly. Exactly. And that's where I'm at as well. 

Penny Fitzgerald: And you know, I'm all about drinking wine, so 

Caley McKnight: Exactly. If you're making great wine, I. Hey, if it works, it works. You know?

Penny Fitzgerald: Exactly. Yeah. What, oh, okay. So what's your favorite wine? 

Caley McKnight: Oh, gosh, that's a loaded question. Um, it depends 

Penny Fitzgerald: on the day 

Caley McKnight: exactly. Depends on the day. It depends on what region I'm looking for. It depends on mm-hmm. You know, do I want it to be bold and bright or do I want it to be a little [00:12:00] bit muted, a little bit more subtle?

Um, so Uhhuh Finger Lakes wine, I really enjoy our, uh, cap ffr, Pinot Noir, and Riesling, I would say are my top three. Um, 

Penny Fitzgerald: nice. 

Caley McKnight: Do some really beautiful expressions of all three of those grapes. Um, 

Penny Fitzgerald: okay. 

Caley McKnight: But if I'm searching for something outside of New York, um, Uhhuh, I really enjoy like an organ, uh, pinot noir like a will.

Yes. Pinot Noirs. Mm-hmm. You know, a one that I reach for often, um, or a Cabernet Sauvignon from California. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. 

Caley McKnight: But, um, I love a good Bordeaux. Uh, will always love a good Bordeaux. Um. Even like Souvignon blanc in the summertime. Mm-hmm. I always want a souvignon blanc. That's what I reach for. And it doesn't matter if it comes from um France or if it comes from California, but Uhhuh, I a little bit on the fence.

Um, I haven't really found a New Zealand souvignon blanc that I like really? They're pac for me. Um, 

Penny Fitzgerald: they are different. Yeah. They're either love 'em or hate 'em, it seems like. 

Caley McKnight: Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So I haven't quite found one that I like. Some of them turn out to be just a little bit too green for me, but that doesn't mean [00:13:00] there's not one out there.

So it's, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, 

Caley McKnight: I'm constantly keep 

Penny Fitzgerald: trying. 

Caley McKnight: Exactly. Exactly. And you definitely don't have to twist my arm about trying more wine. 

Penny Fitzgerald: You're my people. Nice. Um, okay, so, so tell me a little bit more about the Finger Lakes. Um, what are, what are some things we shouldn't miss? You know, of course we're gonna look for the cab francs and the Pinot Noirs.

And the Rieslings. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Definitely focus on those. Um, and I did actually come up with a small list and I don't want anyone to take it personally if I left them off this list, but I do have a few wineries to recommend for you. Okay. Wonderful. I was 

Penny Fitzgerald: hoping you did. 

Caley McKnight: Um. So Ravines is a great winery.

They have been established for quite some time. The winemaker there actually comes from Europe. Um, so his wine style is European inspired. Um, so you'll see a lot of, like, they have a really great Bordeaux blend or Bo Bordeaux inspired blend, um, that they offer really yummy. 

And then Sheldrake Vineyard is another one that I would recommend.

Sheldrake Winery and Vineyard. [00:14:00] Um, they, there was a. Beta test that they did last year. It was a blanc deme, um, which I hadn't come across before and it was incredible. Um, I don't know if they're still offering it at this time, but again, the winemaker and the vineyard manager have both been there for quite some time.

They're very well versed and they know exactly what they're doing, so it's worth checking. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Nice. 

Caley McKnight: Okay. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Good to 

Caley McKnight: know. And then same thing with Weis. If you make it over to Keuka Lake, He, the winemaker there, also European, um, born. But he just won, I believe it was a Governor's cup. he has been winning awards left and right.

Um, and he's doing some really incredible stuff. They just redid their tasting room. It is gorgeous. Um, so it's definitely worth checking out. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Nice. 

Caley McKnight: definitely nice to, to see the area, to see, you know, the lakes are gorgeous and. Visiting all these places, it's just so much fun. So there's so much to see. It's kind of there. It is impossible to see everything. Right. Right. I was talking to a colleague of mine and we were kind of [00:15:00] discussing the idea of coming up with, okay, if we started a social media page about the Finger Lakes, just to start promoting more wineries in the Finger Lakes.

Right. There's no way we could even get through them. We would see, you know, do you try to hit two or three every week? But it, it would take a while to get through 

Penny Fitzgerald: that. Yeah. 

Caley McKnight: There's just so many and everyone's doing such incredible things, you know? Oh wow. We have this climate that we're working with. But you know, it varies so much year to year.

So it's just, it's really fun to see everyone, you know. Kind of have these different expressions within their wine 

Penny Fitzgerald: Uhhuh, what a, what a fun, um, project that would be 

Caley McKnight: to keep Yes, that's, that's what we were thinking. I'm like, well, how can I drink and work at the same time? Like, how can I Right. You know, make this happen.

But I also, I have such a place in my heart for this area, in this viticultural, um, center, that it's like, I wanna get the word out there. I don't feel like enough people know about the Finger Lakes. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Right. 

Caley McKnight: And it's funny because I know Wine Enthusiast just namedthe Finger Lakes region. Of I some top [00:16:00] their list, but Finger Lakes region 2025.

So that was really incredible to see. Um, and that's something that I think we're all trying to weave into our stories, is that we have something really incredible going on here, and especially with the way that, you know, this younger generation is aiming for lower alcohol or no alcohol. Mm-hmm. We are kind of positioned perfectly to where our alcohols don't get very high to begin with.

You know, we are close private region, so you're not gonna get a 14% Zinfandel that you would from California. You're gonna get, thank you, 11% Riesling, that you can actually have two or three glasses of and not feel like you, you know, wobbling at you. Get up from your table. So I think we're in a really unique position, um, where we can still cater to, yeah.

Plenty of different markets, plenty of different audiences. Mm-hmm. And we have such a unique terroir and, you know, area to offer these things. So we're in a really unique position and I, I want more people to know about it. 

Penny Fitzgerald: That's so cool. That's part of why I do Wine Camp too, this retreat that I do every year because.

There are so many great wine [00:17:00] regions around the country and around the world. Mm-hmm. And, you know, everybody's heard of Napa. Mm-hmm. Most people have heard of Washington, Oregon Sonoma, a lot of people have been to some of these bigger wine regions and know about them.

Right. But people didn't know about Texas Hill Country Wines, you know, so we went there the first year, last year we were in Virginia, and another place I've always wanted to check out is the Finger Lakes. So I'm so excited to bring people there. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah. And like I said, you guys will have an amazing time.

The area you'll be in is gorgeous. You're right on Seneca Lake, so that will be amazing. Mm-hmm. There's plenty of things to do, lots of great places to eat, so it'll, it'll be a 

Penny Fitzgerald: great, 

Caley McKnight: yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: That's awesome. We're, um, we're going to do a sunset dinner cruise on Saturday night too, to kind of cap it off. Yes.

That's so exciting. 

Caley McKnight: That's gonna be amazing. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. Right on the lake on a boat. So, yeah. That's of fun things I heard too that it's, um, the area is. The birthplace of women's rights. 

Caley McKnight: [00:18:00] Oh, that, 

Penny Fitzgerald: did you know that? 

Caley McKnight: I did not know that. That's incredible. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. 

Caley McKnight: That's that's amazing. Yeah. I really didn't know that.

So that's, that's wonderful to hear. Um, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, that's another thing I'd like to promote is female winemakers especially. 

Caley McKnight: And that's one thing that ob, I mean obviously I hold that near and dear to my heart, you know, and 

Penny Fitzgerald: mm-hmm. 

Caley McKnight: Making waves in the industry and there's so many up and coming, you know, female winemakers that it's, it's a really cool time to be a part of this.

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 

Caley McKnight: New York state, so excited for you, has so much history, you know, regardless. Mm-hmm. So it's, it's a really cool area to be in. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. That's neat. So are you, are you making wines with any of the local winemakers yet, or are you still in the process of learning at all, or where are you at in your process?

Caley McKnight: So I am kind of in the middle, um, like I made a wine last semester in school, but I haven't actually actually partnered with any, um, wineries or wine makers to process more wine. Um, Uhhuh I've been helping out like in their vineyards. Um, so I've been getting [00:19:00] more of experience on that side of things. Um, but I'm hoping, I'm sure within the next year or so I'll have my own wine, so.

Oh, 

Penny Fitzgerald: that's cool. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yes, me too. I look forward to supporting you and, and tasting some of that and sharing it. 

Caley McKnight: Oh, thank you. Yeah, and I'll make sure to send some out to Amy so she can pass 'em along. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, cool. That's so amazing. Um, okay, so, uh, back to Finger Lakes. So you are living there now and are there, are there other places, um, that we should check out that we, that are like, must see kinds of things?

Caley McKnight: Well, how do you feel about ciders? Are you, have you had any 

Penny Fitzgerald: open to ciders? 

Caley McKnight: Okay. So we've got a lot of great cries down here as 

Penny Fitzgerald: well. Okay. 

Caley McKnight: That's another thing that's been very fun, um, and up and coming and another industry that we're kind of positioned to be great in, um, just because we have so many apples available to us and there's so many upcoming.

Cy that just are making some really incredible products. So that's another thing I would suggest. [00:20:00] Um, okay. In, in, in between the wine, definitely try some hard cy 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. A little palate cleanser kind of thing. 

Caley McKnight: Yes, exactly. Exactly. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Are they, um, mostly sweet or d are. People fermenting them dry or are they are, are they kind of a range?

Caley McKnight: There's kind of a range, but from the majority of what I've tasted, everything has been fermented to dryness. Um, so not 

Penny Fitzgerald: really 

Caley McKnight: sugar. Yeah, nothing overly sweet. Um, and it's been cool to see 'cause a lot of cider makers are actually using grape skins and grape must to make like a rose cider. Um, so that's been really cool to see.

So it's this kind of blending of the two worlds, um, working together, which has been really, really cool to win 

Penny Fitzgerald: it. I love that. Yeah, I think, um, so last year there was a cery. We did not go because most of my people, they don't like this. They don't like sweet wines, most of them. 

Caley McKnight: Okay. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Um, so. When people hear cider, they think, oh, it's gonna be that cloying fall.

You know, here we are going through an apple orchard kind of thing. 

Caley McKnight: Right. Which [00:21:00] I, I initially thought the same thing too, to be honest. Uhhuh funny because it's has not been the case whatsoever. There's, 

Penny Fitzgerald: that's so exciting, 

Caley McKnight: funky and rich and just flavors that you wouldn't expect, but nothing uhhuh, at least nothing that I've tasted so far has been overly sweet.

And so I'm kind love 

Penny Fitzgerald: that 

Caley McKnight: on the same train where I. I don't really drink very sweet wines. Mm-hmm. So it's been nice to have the CERs that have been fermented to dryness. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Mm. That's, I'm looking forward to that. That's very cool. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. And what about, um, distilleries? Do you, you guys have distilleries up there too?

Caley McKnight: Yes, we do. And you definitely have to check out the distilleries while you're up here. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Well, all I'll write. Right. 

Caley McKnight: I know. It just sounds so terrible, doesn't it?

But yeah, love 

Penny Fitzgerald: it. 

Caley McKnight: Plenty, plenty to drink up here. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. Okay. Well, I, um, another thing that I like to do is create cocktails for my group. So I'll like create something that's just for us and use something local to kind of create that [00:22:00] with, so I'm excited to hear about those too. 

Caley McKnight: And there's one, and I haven't had a chance to visit them yet, um, but I believe they were making distilling liquors out of mushrooms.

Um, so that could be something interesting to look into. Yes, yes. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. 

Caley McKnight: And I wanna say I saw them at the farmer's market. Um, so that's another thing that's also on my list to try, because it's just, okay. I'm like, how do you even do that? Right. I would love to know the process. Um, but yes, so definitely some interesting spirits to try.

You know, I'm sure you can craft some really fun cocktails. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that sounds amazing. So, yeah, I would think, um. You need a certain amount of sugar to convert to alcohol. 

Caley McKnight: Mm-hmm. 

Penny Fitzgerald: So I wouldn't think of mushrooms as having that much sugar. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. I wouldn't either. So I, yeah. If you try it, you'll have to let me know how it goes.

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, look. Yeah. I'm I, okay. That sounds like a mission, 

Caley McKnight: right? Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Gotta try [00:23:00] something like that. Okay. 

Caley McKnight: And definitely on a day where you're feeling adventurous, that's for sure. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Right? Absolutely. Well, yeah, I'm with a, you get a group of 30 or so women together that are, you know, ready to try something and have some fun together, create some memories.

Very good. Um, okay. So Caley, I would love to, um, maybe I'm not sure how to make this work and how your schedule looks for this summer, but we would love to have you come and talk to us or we could maybe have a Sure. Cocktail together. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah, I would love that. Absolutely. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Okay. 

Caley McKnight: I will double. 

Penny Fitzgerald: We'll keep in touch and 

Caley McKnight: get that in here.

Yeah. And we'll keep in 

Penny Fitzgerald: touch. Yeah, 

Caley McKnight: we can, we can work something out. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Cool. Yeah. I'm not sure if Amy's gonna be able to Jo join us or not. I hope she can. 'cause that would be. Amazing. 

Caley McKnight: Mm-hmm. That would be really fun. And I'm sure I can probably help nudge her in the, 

Penny Fitzgerald: oh, there you go. Okay. 

Caley McKnight: So I'll talk to her and I'll see what she says.

Penny Fitzgerald: That's cool. Oh, good. Okay. [00:24:00] So what have I asked you that you have not, what have I not asked you that you would love to tell our group or, um.

Caley McKnight: I mean, other than just come and visit us, come, come and enjoy our area. You know, I think we kind of hit all of the major categories. Um. You know, and I know you guys will love the area. It's absolutely beautiful. Mm-hmm. But I think we kind of hit all the marks. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. Very cool. Okay, so something that I always ask, and we've kind of been talking about, um, some of these things along the way, but something that I always ask my guests at the end of my podcast is, what's your favorite cocktail or wine?

Um, and then what's a favorite memory shared with girlfriends? 

Caley McKnight: Okay. Let's see. So favorite cocktail I would say is a gin and tonic. I'm a little bit basic mm-hmm. In that direction. Um, but you know, there are some really good gins out there and Yes. Yeah. So, and, um, so I'd say gin and tonic on the cocktail.

[00:25:00] Um, and again, it depends, it depends on the day for my favorite 

Penny Fitzgerald: wine. 

Caley McKnight: Um, yes, me too. And I, I'm non-discrimination. I reach for red, I reach for white. I was, went through an orange wine phase that was. Kind of fun uhhuh. So orange wines are definitely, they have a special place in my heart. Um, and I guess favorite memory with girlfriends.

Let's see. It's more back in my California days. Um, yeah. It actually, it makes me think of someone that, um, I met in the tasting room. 'cause you kind of nod back to your younger days when it's like, oh, remember the boxed wine? Remember the like, oh geez. Yeah. A mesto. Like, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, yeah, 

Caley McKnight: yeah. So like, it's not, it's not good.

It's, I guess humble beginnings, we'll call it. It was having, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yes, me too. 

Caley McKnight: Two buck Chuck from Trader Joe's with a couple of my friends. That would be, yes, probably my favorite one, like wine memory, because that's, you know, it's when you think back and you're drinking it and it's like, oh, it was, it was terrible.

It was absolutely, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah. 

Caley McKnight: [00:26:00] Terrible. Yeah. But it's what we afford at the time, and so that's 

Penny Fitzgerald: exactly. 

Caley McKnight: And to come so full circle, I guess we'll say from that it's like, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, 

Caley McKnight: okay. But now I really understand. Okay. I can tell you what the faults were in that wine. I can tell you I that wine now and I can tell you how to do it a little bit better at this point.

Um, yes. So I would say that would probably be my favorite memory. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, that's fun. Yes. Yeah. It's all about the people, right? You, the experience that you have together and, uh, the laughs that you share. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: One of my dear friends gave me a, um, a little Christmas ornament one year that said, I love the nights.

I can't remember with the friends. I can't forget. 

Caley McKnight: Yes, a hundred percent. A hundred percent, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yes. 

Caley McKnight: And also too, when the next time you, uh, pin Amy down, ask her about the Christmas present, but I sent her one paper, 

Penny Fitzgerald: the Christmas Okay. Making myself a note. 

Caley McKnight: And I guess I, I can allude or I just, I'll, I'll tell you, I sent her a, a wine glass that fits an entire bottle of wine in it.

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh, [00:27:00] 

Caley McKnight: that was fun as well. That's perfect. And I don't, I, I'm not sure if she's used to it or not, but, and I thought, I was like, oh, I know exactly why I'm that too. 

Penny Fitzgerald: That's perfect. Yep. I bet she loved it. I know I would. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah. She had a good laugh. So. It's 

Penny Fitzgerald: good. It's, you know, I love it too that, um, our, my bonus kids are adults now and also love wine.

So it's really fun to, um, share fun, fun moments like that with them. So I know she loves that too. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. Yeah. And it was nice. And actually recently, um, Amy and my dad came out here to visit for the first time, and so they got to experience what you'll get to experience this summer. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yes. 

Caley McKnight: Be very exciting. So you'll have to pick their brain about their experience and all that kind of stuff.

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, for sure. 

Caley McKnight: Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh my gosh. Yeah. I can't wait. It, it just sounds like such an amazing place and the wines are, you know, the history of our country. Wine. Wine [00:28:00] wise. Yeah. That's where we started. So, 

Caley McKnight: yeah, and it's 

Penny Fitzgerald: cool, exciting to try it. It's 

Caley McKnight: cool. You'll see little signs along, you know, the wine trails in different areas and it's.

Like I said, there's a lot of history out here, and so even, um, close to me, like I'm close to an underground railroad, um, stop. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Oh really? 

Caley McKnight: Um, so it's just little bits like that has just really made it something special. Like we, we are just in such a unique area, so there's everybody. Yeah. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. 

Caley McKnight: Lots of history.

Penny Fitzgerald: Wow. Yeah, I'll have to look that some of that stuff up too. 'cause that's just, it's fascinating and, um, yeah, we have a lot of things to be thankful for with a lot of people to thank 

Caley McKnight: Absolutely. Absolutely. 

Penny Fitzgerald: And say a toast too.

Awesome. Oh gosh. Okay. So Caley, thank you so much for your time today. This has been amazing and I so appreciate your tips and tricks and list for us. That's great. 

Caley McKnight: Absolutely. I'm more than happy to share it, so I'm glad we had a chance to [00:29:00] connect today. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah, me too. Like I said, 

Caley McKnight: I'll send you a longer list of 

Penny Fitzgerald: Perfect, 

Caley McKnight: you know, a, a wider range, so.

Penny Fitzgerald: Perfect. Yeah. I'll be working on that. And, I'll add some information to our podcast episode too so people can look some things up and get excited about Wine Camp and join us this summer and I can't wait to meet you in person. 

Caley McKnight: Yes, likewise, likewise. It'll be great. Yeah, 

Penny Fitzgerald: yeah, for sure. Have a great 

Caley McKnight: friend.

Penny Fitzgerald: Yeah. We'll say lots of toasts. Yes. Okay. Alright, well have a great rest of your day. 

Caley McKnight: Thank you. You as well. 

Penny Fitzgerald: Thank you. Thank you. 

Caley McKnight: Bye 

Penny Fitzgerald: Bye. [00:30:00] 

For information, or to join us at Wine Camp: https://www.pennyforyourshots.com/winecamp