On a recent trip to Seneca Lake, New York, my husband and I were looking for a place to enjoy lunch with a glass of wine. We had spoken with the owner of Silver Springs Winery, AKA Don Giovanni Wines, on a previous wine tasting trip, and he told us all about the amazing brick pizza oven he had specially made and imported from his grandmother’s hometown in Naples, Italy. We thought this would be the perfect time to sample the pizza.

They keep it simple and offer two types: a traditional margherita pizza made with tomato, basil, garlic and cheese from Italy; and the Josephina, a white garlic pizza made with seven herbs and spices, also with cheese from Italy. The owner utilizes his grandmother’s recipe and uses Caputo Double OO flour from Italy and olive oil brought in from Europe. As a unique touch, the dough is fermented with Riesling wine, and seven herbs and spices are folded into it, giving it an extra boost of flavor.

We chose the traditional margherita pizza, and it did not disappoint. Paired with a glass of the Shamballa Rosé wine, which complemented it nicely, and drizzled with the restaurant’s own herb-infused olive oil, it was a perfect winter lunch.

On our way out, I grabbed a copy of the tasting sheet and was surprised to learn some of the proceeds of two particular wines go to charity. The Sweet Italian Red, #OneLove, benefits the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which helps adopt orphan elephants. And Strawberry Molly Surprise benefits the local SPCA. Both are wonderful charities and yet another reason (other than just having great-tasting wine) to stop in and buy a bottle or two of Silver Springs wines. Be sure to try the pizza if you go there!

After we left Silver Spring Winery, we headed up the road to Damiani Wine Cellars. We did a tasting of its delicious Reislings, Dolce Bianco and some interesting red wine blends. I found out they also sell a charitable wine. In 2014, the owner’s infant son was diagnosed with a heart condition that required surgery at just a few days old. During this intense time for his family, the Reisling vineyard was struck by a destructive hail storm that badly bruised many of the grapes. But just like his son, Rhys, the grapes proved to be resilient and survived the seemingly catastrophic event. So the 2015 Reisling, made from those grapes, was named after his son, now 6 years old and doing great. A portion of every bottle of 2015 Rhys-ling sold benefits pediatric cardiology research.

— Tracey Cullen, art director