10/10 we loved Swedish hill winery! Amazing customer service and beautiful views. Quiet and quaint. read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

Swedish hill always makes me think of wine slushies at the State Fair. We visited the winery on a cold November day. They were advertising wine slushies for sale (small size or large), and there was nothing that seemed less appetizing. I wish they promoted some sort of hot, mulled drink to get customers excited for the holiday season. We ordered our wine tastings at the front counter, and we carried them to the back room that had wrought-iron tables and chairs in a round, window-filled room. It was very drafty and cold. We got a small package of Milano cookies with our tasting, which seems like an odd pairing. One has to travel outside to the bathroom, which isn't all that convenient in the colder months. I am a red wine drinker, and several of the wines were tasty. I felt as if my wine tasting experience wasn't very personal - we weren't checked on much during our stay. There was a nice 30 percent off discount 3 or more bottles, which we took advantage of. What did surprise me was they did not offer us a box upon paying for our wines. When you buy 3 or more wines from a vineyard/tasting room, that is standard courtesy! read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Dry Red Full Body Tasting - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

Stop #3 on the Crush wine tour and probably my least favorite out of the bunch. The tasting room felt more like an antique store and less like a winery. It was quiet and stuffy. We all agreed that it would have been nice if there was some music going. The service wasn't great. We were pretty rushed through the tasting and it seemed less about an 'experience' and more about just trying to get people in and out. The wine was also meh. At this point, I was looking to purchase a bottle and didn't like any of them enough to pull the trigger. Honorable mention for the frose though -- that was definitely a treat. The property was also pretty lackluster. There is a donkey so that was fun, but otherwise there wasn't much going for it. If back in the area I'd probably opt out on visiting this winery again. read more

I was really looking forward to this winery but was a little disappointed due to the pourer's lack of enthusiasm (to be fair, we arrived 30 min to closing). I got the impression she just wanted us to hurry and go home. We might try to come here again on a future trip when we can visit the animals and come earlier. read more

We arrived at the Sweedish Hill Winery at 4pm on Friday...the winery closes at 5pm. There were 4 of us and only 6 people in the winery. We ordered a flight and at 4:30 I walked up to the bar to order another taste of a different wine and the server told me the bar was closed. I asked her what time they close and she said 5om but we close the bar at 4:30 so they could leave at 5pm. She suggested a different variety that I could buy. ..but she couldn't give me a taste (that had an additional charge that I was willing to pay for). When we left the winery at 5pm...not having made any purchases because of her unaccommodating attitude and lack of good customer service, I asked if either of them were managers. The one woman replied that she was one of the owners. I told her that she lost sales because she was more concerned about getting out of there at 5pm. She replied, "I am one of the owners and we have lives too". I told her I understood but that was her business and that I worked in retail and never turned a customer away, even when they walk in at closing. If they want to leave at 5pm, then close they should close the doors at 4:30. Too bad. We won't go back. read more

I consider Swedish Hill to be my gateway to Cayuga Lake wineries. They are affiliated with a few others in the area, but they also have all the reference material you need to plan the rest of your excursion (the first winery I visited - not naming it, but it's to the north - had NOTHING). In fact, the woman who took us through our tastings made the time to go through the Finger Lakes winery map with us to indicate which wineries around both Cayuga and Seneca Lakes - affiliated or not - would have the wines of most interest to us. Their Rieslings are among my favorites and their Doobie's Jack Ass Red was one of my favorite reds. I liked the gift assortment in the back too - nowhere near as much as other wineries, but more to my liking. Speaking of Doobie, I think we must have caught him just waking up from a nap. He did bray to greet us, but he was all "Rub my ears so I can go back to sleep." read more

I am sitting in the parking lot of this winery waiting to leave and I could not write this review fast enough. I went on a wine tour at this winery today and it was horrible. The wine was fine but the man who served during the tasting, Dave, was the worst!! He would not acknowledge any of my questions, purposely walked away when I attempted to seek help with getting a specific tasting and only acknowledged my friend whom I was standing next to. He turned his back on me when I said, "Excuse me, sir..."; he rolled his eyes and began to speak to anyone but me. He avoided eye contact and skipped over me whenever possible. Now the icing on the cake is when the woman cashing me out asked how my tasting was, I told her, "It was terrible. Dave is a disgusting human being, extremely rude and I hope he doesn't treat other customers the way he treated me today. Her response, "Oh, ok". Really? No customer service at all!! I made it clear that I was treated beyond unkind and it was ignored. The same way Dave treated me seemed to be the norm. I would not recommend this winery to anyone, ever. read more

Stopped by during my random trip with my boyfriend to Seneca Falls, NY. We had a great time. The man who poured for us during our tasting was extremely friendly and full of really interesting information. I'm not a hardcore wine-lover but I must say these were some of the best wines I've had in a while! We ended up buying three bottles of Viking White and one bottle of Naturel Champagne. They have great deals if you want to buy multiple bottles, we took advantage of the buy two bottles get one free deal. I definitely recommend that you try the Naurel and the celebration blush if you like sweet, bubbly champagne! It's only $2 a person for a tasting of eight wines. Give this place a try! read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

Anna was an awesome wine taster for us. Very knowledgeable and personable. Wines were awesome! Had a great time.

Fun atmosphere and a large selection of wines. There is something for everyone here. Large tasting room with several two additional rooms selling wine merchandise. Loved their mascot Doobie the Donkey. Be sure to head out back and take a visit with him. Great views, seems like it would be the perfect place to spend the afternoon during peak season. It was still to chilly to really enjoy the grounds, but would definitely come back with a big group when the temp is right. Specifically on the wines, nothing really stood out to me. Wide variety of wines but nothing we really had to have and take home. Come for the fun atmosphere and enjoy a bottle on the grounds. read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Doobie the donkey. - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

We did not feel welcomed from the minute we walked in. I had a service dog which the person didn't like, even after showing proper documentation. So then she found another reason to get us out, asking a 40yr old for ID, the ONLY winery to card. read more

This place had a good sized selection and a few unique wines and spirits. There was a raspberry liquor that was delicious and grogg that I also really liked. The only negative was the owner had a dog in the store that was aggressive towards other dogs. read more

Swedish Hill is a fun stop on a wine tour! For their tastings you are able to try five wines and one of their slushies (either red or white). They have two tasting rooms to accommodate larger groups. Their wines are pretty sweet, but comparable to other finger lakes wines. The setting feels like a farm including a horse named Sven and a donkey named Doobie--the namesakes for a number of their wines. All together a good hang: nice setting, good service, decent wines. read more

Let me start by saying I really struggled over whether or not to even write this review at all, firstly, because I used to love this place. Secondly, because after my last experience there I'm not quite sure that writing a review is worth the effort. I have decided that to save you from the disappointment and the hassle I previously went through that I will go ahead with my review. My husband and I travel from CA to upstate NY frequently to visit his family, and one of the things I look forward to the most is the wine and touring the finger lakes for tastings. Unlike most Californians I appreciate sweeter wines and a wide variety of flavors, and the finger lakes never disappoint. One of my favorite places to experience the best NY had to offer used to be Swedish Hill, unfortunately that all changed on my most recent trip there (a couple of days ago). With high hopes, my in laws, husband and I made it our first stop of the day. I typically drop about 200 bucks at this winery as it's usually our favorite and it's where I like to buy wine to bring back to my buddies in California so they can see how the better half lives. My good mood ended when we got to the tasting bar. The lady (and I use the term lady lightly) behind the totally empty wine bar didn't greet us with a smile...but instead a lecture. We were immediately reprimanded because we did not call ahead because our group was 9 people tasting together. We were also rudely informed that even though we should have been charged extra for the tasting because of the size of our group that she would do us a "favor" and charge us the non group price. Now is where the fun begins. She (still being totally full of attitude apparently due to our HUGE party of nine at an empty bar) poured our first round without explaining anything we had selected, walked over to he coworker and exclaimed that we obviously couldn't read because we showed up in a group of nine (at an EMPTY bar) and that her coworker would have to help because our party was soooooooo huge. After looking on the walls, the doors, and the website I can't find anything that indicated an additional charge for a group of nine, nor could I find any warning about the super rude turn this place had taken. Another couple walked in after this and joined us at the bar, they ended up next to me at the end of the wine bar. The rude lady then proceeds to explain to the people that just came in that their service would be slower than typical because the large group at the bar couldn't read and we didn't call ahead, she said this while looking directly at my husband and I...Nice. One of the people that had just come in looked at me and asked "what's going on with her?", to which my reply was a deep shoulder shrug. So, to finish up, the rudeness continued and my husband and I left Swedish hill empty handed for the first time in three years. The person "helping" us couldn't even be bothered to say the name of the wine as she poured for all of us, and also complained about our group size and our inability to read the ENTIRE time we were there. Even the people standing next to us were put off by her childlike behavior. Just a quick note, if there was a charge we would have gladly paid it. After the first round of complaining. I offered to pay any up charge necessary multiple times, and was ignored, or brushed off with a "that's okay" when clearly it was not based on the copious complaining and tantrum action coming from her the entire time. I think she just needed an excuse to be rude, because if she had accepted the up charge she wouldn't have been able to complain the whole time we were there. So bummed that I'm on the plane home from New York having to write this review. I really did love this place and it's sad to see that it's gone WAY DOWNHILL since my last visit. Happy ending: Went down the road to Goose Watch (another favorite of ours), had a great experience and my party left after buying TONS of wine, no one person bought less than 6 bottles, and when they noticed we were a family group, the wine server took us on to their balcony and got us hooked up with an awesome family photo to boot! In closing: a little FRIENDLY service goes a long way. Up your game Swedish Hill, and stop taking yourselves so darn seriously. read more

I decided to tour this Winery based on its Yelp Ratings but honestly I am a kinda disappointed. We went there on the Memorial Day weekend on a Sunday and the place was kind of empty. However the guy who conducted our wine tasting session tried to rev up the whole experience and therefore thumbs up to him for that. But we wanted to take a tour of the winery and distillery which was off for that day( for no particular reason!) and we didn't even get a Chance to meet their popular Donkey- Doobie. Nevertheless the wines were good and we picked a stock of it! But if you are looking a true Wineyard Experience with tour n all then look for a better winery.. read more

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One of the biggest places in the Finger Lakes region. I'm surprised I'm the first to review it. There are several large rooms in the tasting building, each with its own tasting bar--and every one of the bars was full of wall to wall people. I visited there in November-not exactly prime time for winery hopping in upstate NY (people must have been loading up for the holidays). And Swedish Hill is a good place to do that. Wines at all price points, and all were good. I snapped up several bottles of their Viking Red...an excellent table red, and NY is not known for reds. At $10 a bottle, it's tempting. They are well known in these parts of New York for their donkey, Doobie, who is about 20 years old. I knew about Doobie, and I'm from Virginia. The twentysomething working the cash register looked at me like I was nuts when I asked where the donkey was. "Dude, is there a donkey here?" (He muttered something to that effect to a co-worker). Doobie resides in a barn outside. But he's got a few wines named after him. This place is worth a stop. You get a lot of bang for your buck. And their sister wineries on the Finger Lakes--Goose Watch and Penguin Bay--are good too (but smaller, which is not a bad thing at all). read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Doobie rules Swedish Hill Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

Um... my Yelp draft says: "Lots of reidling. Lil cattle herding." ?! Yes, this was only the second stop in on our vineyard visits. Clearly, I'd already lost my main motor function. I can roughly translate the draft to mean "Heavy riesling options on the menu. And a little chaotic and crowded on entry... some "cattle herding" to get you to the right area for tasting. When we arrived the front room bar was occupied, but we were led to the bar in a separate room in back, and this was actually preferable -- a private tasting away from the bustling shop area. The rieslings, they were good, from what I recall. So was some of the other stuff. And our bartender was great. He handled our group of 10 really well, and even gave Phil & I an extra pour, since we were the only ones drinking red, and he wanted to share one of his faves with us. There are daily tours, at specific times. We were told it would last 45 minutes. It was about half of that (which is a good thing. There's wine to be drunk (drank? drankened?), people. Several of the areas (like the bottling room) weren't open, which is why we breezed through a little more quickly. We learned some fun facts... like the fact that they compost, and are considered a sustainable winery. Also -- they have a donkey. Named Doobie. read more

I hate to be so harsh on such a well-reviewed place (it's why I picked this place!), but I have to give my honest opinion about my particular experience - it was not that great, "I've [certainly] experienced better." It was our first stop on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, and if I wasn't the type to have rose-colored glasses, it probably would have ruined the vibe for the rest of the trip. Also since it was a first stop, I came in fully sober. There weren't a lot of people upon arriving, but as my group went to the bathroom, multiple groups started to congregate around the tasting table, and it seemed as though they didn't know how to handle it. Maybe being Labor Day, the regular staff had taken off? But we weren't even greeted or acknowledged by any of the three behind the counter for at least 10 minutes, although we were standing right in front of them. When finally we were helped, the staff member we had wasn't very friendly and spoke about the wines in a very uninteresting way. Here's the thing: when I go to a tasting and the other staff members are there, chatting it up and being friendly with the people they are helping, you look ten times worse when you stand there with a sour, pouty, I-don't -want-to-be-here look on your face. I had heard one of the others working there was from Goose Watch, and he was so much friendlier, I wish we had him - it may have changed our experience. The donkey was even friendlier than her! As for the wines (I prefer semi-sweet), I have to say there were a few decent ones, like the Svenska blush and the Catawba. If you don't mind aloof staff members, go ahead and try the place, and go try and meet Doobie the donkey! They also do have some specials on their wine like BOGO 50% off, and it is 3 dollars for 6 tastings. I would not recommend this place to people I know, but instead I would suggest to drive a few minutes south and go to Americana Vineyard. read more

Nice winery. Staff was pretty rude...with the exception of the gentleman that did our tasting. It was like everything was an inconvenience to them. Try the Doobie Blues! read more

Sips and succulents wine tour this weekend Swedish hill winery was under staffed.. 2 people. We never got food.. waited for our succulent and left without bothering with the wine tasting due to the outrageous line!! Staff appropriately if you participate for the event! read more

Two thumbs up, big frogs in the pond. Yeah, big frogs probably don't elevate many other people's experiences, but it gives mine a bug thumbs up....easily entertained! Eclectic mix of wines to taste. We happened upon a great case sale woo hoo! read more

Fun winery with some great, very drinkable wines, and bubbly! We loved the Dry Riesling and Viking Red. Doobie the donkey is so friendly! read more

Swedish Hill Winery - Doobie! - Wineries Near Me - Romulus, New York

I went to Swedish Hill on 8/12/14 while vacating in the Finger Lakes. It came highly recommended from a friend. Swedish Hill has a nice variety of sweet and dry wines. I ended up picking up a couple of bottles of their sweet wines to enjoy at a later date. The wines at Swedish Hill were also very economical. It looked like they rotate a type of wine that is on sale (discount on per bottle, not on a quantity purchase). They're tasting room and retail areas are very well organized. I also appreciated that their retail section focused on their wine and not a lot of wine related accruements. read more

This was our second time there as the first time was so wonderful we decided to go back. The gentleman who did our tasting was excellent hoping to see him again!! Apparently not , we got an older woman who was not very nice and kind of rude and not accommodating at all. Don't think we will go back sadly. read more

Had a great experience here on our Fingerlakes wine tasting adventure. I already drank my Swedish Hill 2010 Cab Franc and I'm already wishing I had bought another bottle. Luckily, they have purchasing online options. Friendly and knowledgeable staff with excellent tasting wine. Wouldn't miss this winery next year. read more

Not the most sophisticated winery on our tour but the wines were pleasant and many trended toward sweeter, which is fine with me. They seemed to have a LOT of different products... at least a half dozen themed for Christmas! The donkey was not too interested in us but he was fun to see. read more

An excellent lineup of wines! Mickey at the tasting bar is incredible. Extremely knowledgeable paired with honest enthusiasm = my taking home a case of wine. Mix and match due to the fact that so many of the wines were excellent. read more

I wouldn't back had a lovely tasting experience from the gentlemen who help us but the older women working the counter is a nasty bitch! We were trying to purchase wine but she was completely rude to us when we tried to check out. They lost a sale and a customer! read more

Very, very rude staff. Visited on 9/3 and witnessed a male employee throw a pencil in a hissy fit at a bridal party striking the bride to be. The only thing worse is the wine. read more

What a fun place. In addition to the typical winery offerings, they have a great gift shop and fun staff who really enjoy interacting with the visitors. Plus, they have Doobie! Can't beat a winery with a jackass. read more

Nice winery. If you like Reds' this is a great place to go. NYS reds are usually not that great but we enjoyed their selection here. They have a pony and a donkey and a cool pond with turtles & frogs. read more

Must go to... Great find on Cayuga Lake. Definitely worth the extra time to get here. Very friendly staff as well as very friendly pours. Lemberger wine was a great choice - drank it that night! read more

Nice place! Delicious sweet wines to choose from. Hostess who helped us was friendly and informative. Stopped by early so we didn't stay long enough to take in all the scenery but will definitely stop by again!! read more

We had 8 people in our party a few weeks ago and this was one of the wineries I wanted to visit the most. They have a pet donkey! Our tasting was okay, the wine was mediocre (I just had to buy a bottle of wine with a picture of the donkey on it). My girlfriends got a few things too. When we were ready to cash out, this woman came in, shoved the employee aside who was at the cash register and started to ring me up. She didn't ask how my experience was or if I had found everything I needed. She just acted as if it was a huge inconvenience that we were there. My girlfriends all went and put their wine back. I understand sometimes people have bad days, but customer service is all about putting on a fake smile and pretending like you're super excited to be there. I really felt bad for that employee, you could see the embarrassment written all over their face. Needless to say, we won't be back! Sad too, we left without seeing the donkey:( read more

Enjoy coming here every time we visit the glen. They have a new blue waters line that is amazing. Great place.

Mackenzie knows her wine and how to read a wine drinker! After sampling three of my chosen wines, she picked two for me that she thought I would enjoy. Nailed it! They offered a wide range of easy to drink and serve wines. Jack Ass Red and the slushy finished my tastings for the day. Thanks for a fun atmosphere, inexpensive samples and a fun staff. read more

One of the first wineries we stopped at in the region. We enjoyed their Gewurztraminer and bought a bottle. Definitely recommend stopping.

This was a great winery! The staff was friendly and helpful and they had a great selection of wine to taste. $2.00 per 6 samples which seems to be the norm in the area. Although you do have to pay an extra dollar per sample of the sweeter or more expensive wines. They have beautiful vineyards right on site and also offer tours twice a day of the winery. (unfortunately we didnt have time for the tour but Im sure its great!) And the wine is pretty cheap. We bought about 5 or 6 bottles and nothing was more than $13. read more