THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Spend a relaxed Saturday afternoon with winemaker Vinny Aliperti at Billsboro Winery, tasting a vertical flight of Albariño and Pinot Noir paired with a grazing board. This intimate, seated tasting is both a lesson in vintage variation and an indulgent way to explore Finger Lakes cool-climate wines.
Spend a relaxed Saturday afternoon with winemaker Vinny Aliperti at Billsboro Winery, tasting a vertical flight of Albariño and Pinot Noir paired with a grazing board. This intimate, seated tasting is both a lesson in vintage variation and an indulgent way to explore Finger Lakes cool-climate wines.
Book with Billsboro Winery
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Operated by Billsboro Winery · Geneva, New York
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.
easy.
1.5 hours.
Light—this is a seated tasting suitable for most adults; no hiking required.
Yes. Reservations are required because seating is limited and the format is intentionally intimate.
Each tasting runs approximately 1.5 hours (2:00–3:30 PM).
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.
Wine Club discounts do not apply to the tasting fee, but club discounts do apply to bottle purchases made the same day.
Yes. Staff can advise on availability, cellar storage and shipping options for purchases.
The Finger Lakes region has been a center for cool-climate viticulture since the 19th century; Billsboro is part of that ongoing local winemaking tradition.
Support responsible tasting: bring reusable bottles, follow staff guidance on shipping, and respect vineyard boundaries to protect fragile soils and vines.
Billsboro Winery is a Geneva, New York winery offering guided tastings and curated wine experiences in the Finger Lakes region. The winery hosts The Winemaker's Table, an exclusive Sunday tasting led by winemaker Vinny Aliperti, featuring current releases, out-of-the-cellar selections, and local snacks while providing guests with behind-the-scenes insight into winemaking. Billsboro also offers a 45-minute Wine Tasting Reservation that includes five Finger Lakes wines served in a barn or on a covered patio, paired with local meats and cheeses for an approachable tasting experience. The property stages events including a Bi-weekly Pizza on the Patio event, creating casual, food-forward gatherings alongside wine service. Tastings emphasize varietals from the Finger Lakes AVA and highlight the region's cool-climate styles through focused pours and winemaker commentary. The combination of winemaker-led offerings, structured tasting reservations, and open events gives visitors clear options for both intimate and social visits. Accessibility for small groups is supported by the reserved 45-minute format, while The Winemaker's Table provides an intimate hour of storytelling and tasting directly from the cellar. Guests receive curated pours, contextual tasting notes, and locally sourced accompaniments to complement the wines. Reservations help manage group sizes and ensure a focused tasting experience for attendees and allow hosts to prepare local pairings.
Book with Billsboro Winery