Over the course of the last decade or so, only one New York State region has been recognized for the world-class wines it has produced.

No, it’s not the North Fork of Long Island. That is often the first guess. Perhaps the North Fork’s proximity to New York City and the Hamptons is the reason even those with just a tepid interest in wine know about it. Long Island has great potential, certainly, and it has some fine producers. But as a region it has yet to establish an identity for either quality or style.

The region we’re looking for is the Finger Lakes of New York in western New York State, where the nearest big cities are Rochester and Syracuse.

This area — with its deep, slender lakes that look as if they were clawed from the earth by a giant prehistoric feline — has defined itself as an unlikely source of superb rieslings. Focusing on riesling was a bold strategy in an era dominated by other white grapes, like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. It made sense because of the diverse soils and the cool climate, in which riesling can thrive while many other grapes often struggle to ripen.