Usonia was the last of the three wineries my husband and I visited when we visited the Finger Lakes for the Fourth of July about a week ago, and I absolutely loved our visit.
Let's get something out of the way. Usonia isn't a large operation (more on their story and history later), and it doesn't have the views or the rows of vines that some of the Finger Lakes wineries have. But there are other reasons to choose Usonia as one the wineries to visit on your winery crawl.
Usonia is owned and operated by a husband and wife team. They opened Usonia in 2019 and began farming their own vineyard in 2021. They're focused on minimal intervention winemaking, and they work with classic European as well as modern American varietals.
We arranged a tasting by email in advance of our trip. Tastings last about an hour and include five of their wines for $15/person.
Julia, one of owners of Usonia, made our tasting incredibly special. She had three separate groups doing tastings, but she spent so much time with each group, explaining about each wine and about their winemaking philosophy. Because they're interested in lesser known varietals and in modern varietals (like those made nearby at Cornell), I tried several wines that utilized grapes that I'd never tasted before. Their wines are unique and interesting, and we left with many bottles (like 6).
Our experience at Usonia was really special. You should consider including Usonia on your wine if you're looking for a natural wine producer, a smaller wine operation, a very personal wine tasting with an owner of a winery, or just wanting something a little different from the more traditional Finger Lakes options! We had an amazing time. I highly recommend it for natural wine fans visiting the Finger Lakes. read more