Bully Hill Winery

Humble Beginnings

The Bully Hill Winery began with a dream, as most wineries do. Walter Taylor and his wife, Addies, bought seven acres of vineyard on Bully Hill and picked their very first harvest in 1879. They sold their grapes to The Grimley Table Grape Packing Company at the head of the lake in Hammondsport. Their first harvest was a successful one and ensured that the couple would be able to continue in their grape growing business. During the winter, Walter worked in his father's cooperage business in Halsey Valley.

The Taylor Company

After several years selling grapes to the packing company, Walter decided to try his hand at a new venture, producing his own grape juice and wine like some of the neighboring grape growers were doing. Walter found out another land owner nearby was selling out and had 60 acres of vineyard for sale. The sale was completed in 1880 and this allowed the grape growing business to expand. Walter began experimenting with various juice mixtures and started making the rounds along the railways taking orders for his new juice. When he returned home, he had enough orders to get his business off to a great start. The Taylor Company was thus established and would soon outgrow the confines of his small barn.

In 1881, Walter began construction of a three-story building for the production of the juice and eventually, wine. This building would house the giant oak barrels capable of holding 1,000 gallons of juice and the many grape presses needed by the growing business.

The Business Expands

Mr. Taylor applied for a wine making license in 1881 and was finally granted permission the following year. The Taylor Company name was then changed to The Taylor Wine Company. In addition to growing grapes on his 67 acres of land, he also began buying other types of grapes grown in the area so that he could diversify his winemaking business. To see what else he could grow in the area, he experimented by planting other types of grapes.

Walter relied on family friends, the Frey Brothers, who owned another local business, Germania Wine and Brandy Company. They provided the grape brandy that was required to fortify Walter's table wines.

Prohibition

Many wineries faced difficulties and were getting out of the wine business in the 1920's. The Volstead Act of 1920 banned "the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors." Luckily for Walter, he started out selling grape juice and continued to do so. The labels on the grape juice being shipped had express instructions of what shouldn't be added or done in order to make wine. Customers could separately order wine yeast and a spigot for their juice barrel and make the wines in their home. At the time, there was no law against making wine in the home, as long as it was made and drank on the premises.

Progress

In 1933, Prohibition was lifted and wineries were back in business. Unfortunately, in 1934 Walter passed, leaving his business to his five children. His children ran the business until 1961 when they went public and sold shares of their business in order to buy the Pleasant Valley Wine Company. The shareholders voted to sell the winery and it changed hands four times to Coca-Cola, Joseph Seagram's, Vintner International and finally Canandaigua Wine Company. The Canandaigua Wine Company closed its Hammondsport wine making facilities in 1995, however, the family wasn't out of the winemaking business yet.

Bully Hill Winery is Born

Walter Stephen Taylor still owned the original seven acres of vineyard on Bully Hill and he was interested in starting his own wine business. Walter's father, Greyton, would help him with this quest. Stephen would not be allowed to use the name Taylor on his wines because the business name, Taylor Wine Company, had already been sold. He remedied this by naming the winery after the steep hill on which his winery now stands.

In 1970 Bully Hill Vineyards was established. He would see his grape and wine production increase almost ten-fold each year, making him as successful as his grandfather had been on the same land.

In 2001 Stephen passed away, but the winery is still owned and operated by the Taylor family. On the labels of wine, the following saying can be found: "They may have my name and heritage, but they didn't get my goat." If you look closely on the wine labels, you will notice a picture of a goat sticking out its tongue. Stephen drew this illustration, as well as many of the other wonderful wine label pictures, which grace the bottles today.

The winery can be visited all year long. Hours vary each season, so call ahead at (607) 868-3610 for the exact times. Tours leave the visitor center each hour, on the hour. Bring your appetite too- there is a wonderful restaurant on the premises. Over 30 different wines can be purchased at the gift shop or it can be purchased online from their website – Bully Hill Winery.