Name of Attraction: Bully Hill Vineyards
Address: 8843 Greyton H. Taylor Memorial Drive, Hammondsport, NY 14840
Date and Time of Most Recent Visit: July 6, 2011; noon-2:00 p.m.
Bully Hill Vineyards is located on the lovely Keuka Lake, out in the esteemed Finger Lakes wine country. Bully Hill is a family-owned winery that has become very popular for its humorous tours, spectacular scenery, and artsy wine labels. You know them best for their funky bottles of wine featuring lots of goats!
I'll tell you in advance, Bully Hill is a bit of a stretch as a day trip out of the Capital District. Hammondsport, NY is just about four hours away from the Albany area--that is, if you aren't taking any bathroom breaks along the way. If you're looking for an easily accessible overnight getaway in the Finger Lakes, though, or if you don't mind driving eight hours in one day, definitely add this to your to-do list. If you're after a good time, a top notch location, and some history and fun with your Finger Lakes wine experience, this is the place to be. Bully Hill is the antithesis of wine snobbery. If your heart is set on nothing less than a super high class tasting facility with nothing but award winning wines, you probably won't have a good time here. Everyone else, however, probably will!
For those few of you who aren't familiar with the history of Bully Hill wines and the story of Walter S., I won't spoil it here. There's a fantastic wine museum and Walter S. Taylor art gallery at Bully Hill that both do a much more exciting job of explaining it than I could. Besides, experiencing the art and history on premises is definitely a highlight of the trip. There is also a well-reviewed restaurant, tasting facility, and two-story gift shop at Bully Hill.
What strikes you immediately upon arrival is the absolutely spectacular view of Keuka Lake and the Bully Hill vineyard from the parking lot. Check it out:
Many people opt to dine at the restaurant at Bully Hill just so they can eat on the outdoor deck to take in that view. I had planned to do so myself, but was far too full from my late morning breakfast when I arrived. Future visits will have to include a meal there!
I am far from a wine snob. And I'm lucky in that I enjoy both super dry wines, and the super-sweet "grape juice" wines many folks dismiss. Bully Hill has a wine that fits into every single notch of that spectrum, in red, white, and blush options. I do enjoy Bully Hill wines at home, so I was looking forward to the tasting here. I opted for the $5 cellar tasting, which included a Bully Hill wine glass. I also opted to have a few custom tastings, for $1 each. I've tried most of the Bully Hill line before, so the tasting was mostly for the experience, and not to actually discover something new. I participated in the tastings with several other couples and groups, and it was a fun, fairly off-color, friendly experience.
If I weren't in such a rush to pack it in and get home before some nasty thunderstorms rolled in, I could've spent countless more hours there just wandering the grounds, shopping, and eating. I didn't have time to take a tour while there, but that's just one more good reason to go back.
Overall Review: 5 out of 5 Upstate!Stars
Learn more at their website: www.bullyhill.com
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