The Flight of Five Vineyard in Lockport, NY is a unique and historic landmark that pays homage to an extraordinary engineering feat that occurred in the1820s. At the time, there were only two locks between Lake Erie and the Niagara River. The engineers at the time were tasked with creating a canal large enough for lake boats to traverse elevation changes on their journey. To solve the problem, they devised the ‘flight of five’ which was comprised of five distinct locks connected by a 2,000-foot long stairway of stone.
What’s remarkable about these aqueducts is that they are still standing nearly 200 years later, providing a glimpse into the ingenuity of our forebears. In 2005, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today visitors can explore this remarkable engineering accomplishment year round and soak in its beauty along with the views of Lake Ontario and the surrounding vineyards.
The Flight of Five Vineyard takes its name from this incredible feat and offers visitors 5 distinct varieties of hand planted grapes that make up their award winning wines. As you walk through the vineyard, you can’t help but be in awe of each variety’s unique characteristics as they play off one another in perfect harmony. Guests can taste each resulting product during their tastings before ultimately settling on their favorite.
Lockport, New York, is renowned for its stunning architecture, particularly for its path-breaking engineering feats of the 1820s. Recently, a new vineyard has been established to honor this significant period in local history.
Flight of Five Vineyard is a family-owned estate located in the heart of Western New York’s Niagara County. It’s named to commemorate the remarkable achievements of Lockport’s engineers in the 1820s, when they famously tackled the 5 cascading locks along the famous Erie Canal.
The nail-biting challenge that the engineers overcame is now celebrated with the facility open daily to the public. It offers a unique opportunity to sample award winning wines crafted from regionally grown grapes while immersing visitors in the captivating tale of man-made wonders in Lockport’s history. Such works still stand as inspiration to all who marvel over them as visitors do today, centuries later.
The Flight of Five Vineyard encompasses 7 acres of farmed grapes and a tasting room offering delectable regional wines from New York State wine establishments. Guests can also relax in outdoor seating areas complete with views of Lake Ontario and adjacent farms dotted across the landscape. This scenic backdrop further compliments the vineyard’s goal to create a memorable experience for those visiting to enjoy wine and the engineering feats represented here.
Today’s Flight of Five Vineyard stands as testimony to a bygone era where outrageous ambition and vision allowed even seemingly impossible feats to become a reality from which we all can benefit today by simply experiencing and enjoying it.
It’s not every day that we celebrate our engineering feats of the past, but Lockport, New York has recently done just that. The Flight of Five Vineyard, situated in this charming town just 30 miles east of Buffalo, recently paid tribute to the amazing engineering feats that took place in Lockport during the 1820s.
In 1821, commercial shipping began to travel along the Erie Canal, which had been newly completed between Buffalo, New York and Albany. To make this possible, Lockport needed a five-level staircase-style system of canals designed to traverse the limestone gorges. This system became known as the Flight of Five and was truly a spectral feat at the time, raising boats over 176 feet from the original Canal’s level.
Today, this iconic landscape is home to an incredible vineyard. While its name pays tribute to Lockport’s legacy as an engineering mecca, its wines have become a favorite of locals and visitors alike. Their special releases include award-winning sparkling wines blended from grapes carefully selected from their estate vineyards. Most notable among these wines is their Flight Five Sparkling White, which was created using meticulously fermented Niagara grapes.
The Flight of Five Vineyard is a remarkable reminder that the work our ancestors did isn’t always forgotten in the hustle and bustle of modern life – it endures in any number of wonderful ways. Whether you’re a wine lover or simply curious about Remarkable engineering feats of yesteryear – Lockport’s Flight of Five Vineyard is worth a visit!