Do I need a reservation?

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

How long is the session?

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

Are there age restrictions?

Yes. Guests must be 21 or older to participate in the tasting.

Yes. A shared grazing board of local meats and cheeses is included with the tasting.

Can I use my Wine Club discount for the tasting?

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

Can I buy library bottles after tasting?

Yes. Staff can advise on availability, cellar storage and shipping options for purchases.

Saturday Vertical Tasting with Winemaker Vinny Aliperti at Billsboro Winery | Wine | Winery

At Billsboro Winery in Geneva, New York, a Saturday afternoon unfurls with glasses tapped gently against a wood bar, a small group leaning in as co‑owner and winemaker Vinny Aliperti decants stories and vintages. The tasting—held 2:00–3:30 PM—offers a vertical flight of six wines: Albariño from 2016, 2017 and 2024; and Pinot Noir from 2013, 2014 and 2023. That lineup makes this more than a tasting; it’s a compact classroom on how climate, cellar time and winemaking decisions alter aroma and structure.

Billsboro’s tasting room opens onto vineyard rows and the modest operations that produce these focused bottles. Expect a seated, conversational format where pours are paired with a curated grazing board of local meats and cheeses. The format encourages questions about vintage variation, barrel aging and the winery’s style. Space is intentionally limited—reservations are required—so the group stays intimate and dialogue stays personal.

What makes this experience stand out in the Finger Lakes corridor is the vertical comparison itself. Few tastings let you follow the arc of two distinct grapes—Albariño and Pinot Noir—across both library and current releases in a single sitting. You’ll compare brightness and acidity in Albariño through time, and watch Pinot Noir shift from youthful lift to mature tertiary notes. Vinny’s explanations highlight how cool-climate ripening, harvest timing and cellar regimen shape each bottle.

Practical details matter: sessions last about 1.5 hours, require guests to be 21+, and include a grazing board but not wine club discounts on the tasting fee (club discounts apply to purchases). The meeting point is Billsboro Winery; reservations are necessary because seating is limited. If you’re planning a visit from nearby Geneva, this tasting slots neatly into an afternoon before dinner at town restaurants or a drive along the Finger Lakes wine trail.

For photographers and food lovers, the long tasting bar, crates of barrels and neatly spaced rows of vines make steady, low-ISO images; late afternoon light through the tasting room window renders glass and color beautifully. Wine buyers will appreciate the chance to taste library bottles that aren’t always on general tasting flights; collectors and curious drinkers alike leave with a clearer sense of how cellar time rewards a bottle.

This tasting is ideal for anyone who wants more than flight notes—a guided window into how a vineyard’s season and a winemaker’s hand interact over years. It’s educational, convivial and grounded in the hands-on craft of Billsboro Winery.

Book early for weekend slots—limited seating fills fast—and arrive 10 minutes before your session to settle in. Bring a water bottle and plan ground transportation if you expect to purchase multiple bottles safely; Geneva offers restaurants nearby for a relaxed evening. Staff can advise cellar storage and shipping options for collectors.