Do I need a reservation?

Yes. Reservations are required because seating is intentionally intimate and capacity is limited.

Will there be food provided?

Yes. A shared grazing board featuring local and seasonal bites is included with the tasting.

Can I use my Wine Club discount?

Wine club discounts do not apply to the tasting fee, but club discounts do apply to any wine purchases made the same day.

How long does the event last?

Each session runs approximately 1.5 hours (2:00–3:30 PM).

Is the tasting seated or standing?

The experience is a seated tasting in an interactive, conversational format.

What should I ask the winemaker?

Ask about the 2017 growing season, barrel aging choices, cellar potential, and how vineyard sites influenced each varietal.

Inside a Horizontal Tasting: Exploring the 2017 Finger Lakes Vintage at Billsboro Winery | Wine | Winery

At Billsboro Winery in Geneva, New York, the Horizontal Tasting: The 2017 Vintage is a focused, winemaker-led session that invites curious palates to compare five Finger Lakes wines from a single year. Set in the comfortable tasting room at Billsboro Winery, the 1.5-hour experience (2:00–3:30 PM) pairs conversation with a shared grazing board of seasonal, local bites. Owner and winemaker Vinny Aliperti guides the tasting through Chardonnay, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, illustrating how the 2017 growing season expressed itself across different grapes.

The Finger Lakes are defined by steep, glacially carved valleys and long deep lakes that moderate vineyard temperatures; those conditions, together with lake‑influenced soils—shale, silt, and limestone pockets—help explain why cool-climate varieties show such clarity here. Tasting these five 2017 wines side by side reveals where vintage weather, canopy decisions, and cellar choices create shared signatures and sharp contrasts. You’ll notice how acidity, oak influence, and phenolic ripeness diverge between white and red varieties while reflecting a single year’s climate story.

This is an intimate, conversation-driven tasting with limited seating; reservations are required and wine club discounts do not apply to the tasting fee, although club discounts do apply to same‑day purchases. The format favors questions: expect comparisons of vinification choices, cellar ageing potential, and practical tasting notes you can use when shopping or building a cellar. It’s equally accessible to adventurous beginners and seasoned tasters who want to refine vintage literacy.

Beyond the glass, Billsboro Winery sits within a lively Finger Lakes wine corridor that encourages lingering—stroll the vineyard rows if available, consult the staff about pairing and food sources, and consider pairing this tasting with a drive along Seneca Lake’s scenic shore. The tasting’s educational bent makes it a useful stop for anyone planning a comparative tasting route through the region.

Practical details: the session runs about 90 minutes, minimum age is 21, and the meeting point is Billsboro Winery. Space is limited; plan ahead during peak weekends and harvest season. Whether you’re mapping the subtleties of Finger Lakes terroir or simply savoring a lineup of 2017 bottlings, this horizontal tasting delivers a clear, approachable lesson in how one vintage can yield a chorus of different expressions.

On arrival, check in at the tasting room and aim to arrive 10 minutes early so the tasting can begin smoothly. If you plan to drive Seneca Lake’s scenic loop afterward, designate a driver or book a night in Geneva. Bring a light jacket—the room can be cool for cellar-style pours—and jot questions about barrel aging, cellar ageability, and vineyard sourcing. Ask Vinny Aliperti if any library bottles are available. This tasting efficiently shows how one vintage can inform future purchases and cellar strategy and planning.