Established in 2005
Leslie Knipe and Joe Sheehy are not only co-owners of Azure Hill Winery, Inc., but also, are in the tasting room serving their wine and local craft beer to customers.
Azure Hill Winery began in Joe and Leslie’s basement/cellar of their home that was built in 2005. It started as a part-time adventure and became a full-time career in 2017 when they made it their permanent residence.
The Riesling vineyard was planted in 2006, later two more vineyards were added, Zweigelt and Saperavi. They offered wine tastings, bottle sales, and later craft beer made by a local brewery, in a speakeasy-type manner in the winery production and tasting room in their cellar for almost 10 years.
Wines range from white wines, both estate grown and produced to grapes purchased from local growers. Our wines available at the winery are on our standard tasting list: Riesling Dry 2022, Sweet Riesling 2022, Synthesis 2023 (red blend), and Sweet Chambourcin 2023. Our reserve, limited-release wine list includes our Sparkling Riesling Brut, Sparkling Apple 2018 & Saperavi Rosé 2021 wines. All are available by glass and bottle to take home and enjoy with your favorite meals.
The 2022 vintage releases will include new and exciting reds, whites, and rosés.
In the spring /summer of 2021, a new building was attached to the existing home to expand its winery and a new tasting room with a large outdoor deck area for customers to enjoy the beautiful views of vineyard hillsides and Keuka Lake, NY.
Stop by for a truly unique wine-tasting experience served by the owners, winemakers, and vineyard managers, at Azure Hill Winery!
A TASTING ROOM WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW!
In the fall of 2021, we expanded our building to include a larger, ground-level tasting room. We have seating on the outdoor deck. In our new tasting room, you can enjoy wine tastings, wine by the glass or bottle, beer flights, and pints. Enjoy a beautiful view of Keuka Lake and our vineyards. The owners/winemakers will serve your beverages during your visit.
OUR STORY:
Azure Hill Winery was established in 2006, by Leslie Knipe and Joseph Sheehy, owners/winemakers.
The boutique farm winery is located on the west side of Keuka Lake, Hammondsport, NY. They purchased a parcel of vacant land in 2004, at the current site in South Pulteney where the home/winery was built in 2005. The tasting room was located in the basement of the home, was also the production room. At that time, tastings were scheduled by appointment only. In 2021 the building was expanded to include a larger production room, wine tasting area, and deck for outdoor seating. We are one of the smallest of the Keuka Lake wineries.
THE JOURNEY:
Every available weekend, holiday, and vacation was spent at the winery, building the vineyards, handcrafting the wines on-site year-round while maintaining the home and grounds. The commute was approximately 6 hours each way, and sometimes considerably longer.
Leslie and Joe worked at their full-time jobs on Long Island, NY until 2017, and live permanently
at Azure Hill Winery.
Joe Sheehy is a former wine sales/specialist; this and his previous career as a chef he traveled to many parts of the U.S. and Europe. He began making fruit wines, then added vinifera wines as a hobby in his parent's home with family and friends. At Azure Hill, he lets Mother Nature dictate what direction the wine - acidity, balance, and flavor each vintage. Joe is the chief vintner, vice president, tasting room sales expert, and all aspects of the business.
Leslie is the co-owner/president. She handles all design, social media, photography, marketing, illustrations, and the website. A winemaker, vineyard tech, landscaper, groundskeeper, and tasting room specialist. In 2021 Leslie designed the new tasting room and winery expansion using illustration software and Photoshop. Leslie worked as a manager, and art director, graphic designer for over two decades at a SUNY Long Island College. Her previous careers were as an artist and interior designer.
