Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Finger Lakes — a chain of 11 long, narrow, north-south lakes in central/western New York — are a classic product of Pleistocene glaciation.
Advancing ice sheets (Laurentide Ice Sheet) scoured pre-existing river valleys, deepening and widening them into U-shaped troughs. When the glaciers retreated ~10,000 years ago, meltwater filled these basins, creating the lakes. Glacial deposits (till, moraines) dammed the southern ends.
The deep, cold waters and steep, well-drained slopes create ideal microclimates for viticulture — making the Finger Lakes a premier cool-climate wine region (especially Riesling). The lakes also support tourism, recreation, and agriculture.